Educating Illinois Draft Available for Review

At 150 years old, Illinois State is a healthy and vibrant institution, in high demand from motivated students and proud of its nationally respected faculty and staff.  It is also a university that faces many challenges, including state operating support that has dwindled to 26 percent, an aging infrastructure and projections of a declining and diversifying high-school population.

With a pretext that further defines Illinois State’s successes and challenges, the first draft of Educating Illinois: 2007-2017 Priorities for Illinois’ First Public University, is ready for review and comment by the University community.

President Al Bowman called for a revision of the University’s strategic plan during his fall 2006 State of the University Address.  Bowman appointed a representative task force of students, faculty and staff members, chaired by Deb Smitley, assistant vice president for Finance and Planning, and Jan Murphy, associate provost.  Using the Board of Trustees Vision Statement 2014 and Bowman’s priorities as a planning springboard, the task force spent the remainder of 2006 and the spring 2007 semester receiving input on the plan from campus groups and individuals. The task force began writing the draft during the summer and continued this fall.

“It has been our sense that the campus wanted to build upon the successes of Educating Illinois, and wanted a plan that refined our vision and values as well as the goals and strategies,” Smitley said. “We are now asking the campus community to review the draft product of their insight and advice, and make suggestions to further improve the draft.”

Murphy says there will be many opportunities for university-wide input.  The draft is now online at www.educatingillinois.ilstu.edu/taskforce/.  A printed copy is also available by contacting the Planning and Institutional Research Office at 438-8393. The Web site and printed copy will offer a method for sending comments to the Educating Illinois task force. “In addition, the task force will host several open forums and attend the meetings of shared governance groups to receive feedback,” Murphy said.  “We sincerely hope that everyone will carefully read the plan and offer their thoughts and suggestions.”

In February 2008, the task force will bring the revised draft to the Board of Trustees for their review.  The group will continue refining the plan before asking the Board for a final endorsement during its May 2008 meeting.

“I want to thank the Educating Illinois task force, and especially Deb Smitley and Jan Murphy, for the tremendous amount of effort they invested in creating this draft,” Bowman said.  “I urge our students, faculty and staff members to continue your involvement in the revision of our strategic plan.  It is a worthy use of your time and critically important to the future success of Illinois State.”