The University of Iowa Path Forward Steering Committee (PFSC) is continuing its charge to advance the UI Strategic Plan 2016–2021 by creating the 2018 Work Plan, a 10-page document that prioritizes goals from the UI Strategic Plan and identifies action items and campus partners necessary to achieve them. The PFSC work groups developed the plan and will review and update it each year.

“I appreciate the hard work and persistence of the committee members and the partners around campus who provided important input in forming this work plan,” says Sue Curry, interim executive vice president and provost. “They have helped us focus on these achievable steps to reaching our five-year goals.”

The 2018 Work Plan was developed by the four PFSC work groups, which comprise UI administrative, academic, and student leadership as well as subject matter experts from campus. Each work group focuses on a key area of the UI Strategic Plan—Student Success; Research and Discovery; Engagement; and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Collaboration—and has identified one to four critical tasks relevant to the strategic plan’s goals in these areas.

One of the action items specified in the current work plan focuses on supporting Faculty Learning Communities and related pilot programs centered on student success in the classroom. Faculty Learning Communities are groups of faculty that meet to discuss ideas and practices and to develop pilot programs. These communities can support faculty as they integrate classroom practices into their courses that are shown by research to have a high-impact on students. 

“We all strive to provide the best possible experience for students,” says Cornelia Lang, co-chair of the Student Success work group as well as associate professor and departmental associate chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “We have amazingly dedicated faculty and staff who work hard to provide students with a robust educational experience during their time at UI. Our work group is excited to identify priorities for student success—both in academic and co-curricular experiences—so that all our graduates benefit from their time here, even years after they graduate.”

Other action items specified in this first annual work plan focus on expanding nominations for national awards, enhancing postdoctoral opportunities, recruitment of diverse faculty and students, and supporting educational opportunities for students related to outreach and engagement.

The full 2018 Work Plan is available on the Path Forward website. The PFSC work groups are expected to submit progress reports in early 2019, and will be developing the 2019 Work Plan. The campus community is invited to share ideas, questions, or comments with committee members through the contact portal on the website.