U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
BUILDING ON EXCELLENCE
2000 NCA Self-Study Report
CRITERION I
MISSION
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CRITERION I
MISSION
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
CRITERION I:
The institution has clear and publicly stated purposes consistent with its
mission and appropriate to an institution of higher education
This section of the self-study report describes the purposes of the University of Northern
Iowa as an institution of higher education as reflected in its mission statement. Descriptions
of the decision-making and strategic planning processes at the University of Northern Iowa
are provided, with special attention given to changes made in those processes in the last 10
years, the time following the previous institution-wide evaluation by the North Central
Association. The long- and short-range institutional and educational goals of the University
are presented by way of the recently approved 2001-2006 Strategic Plan, “Focused on
Excellence” (see Appendix C, http://www.uni.edu/pres/2001-2006strategicplan/), and a
description is provided of the University’s efforts to keep the public informed of the strategic
goals of the institution. This section concludes with evidence of the University’s support for
freedom of inquiry for faculty and students and the institution’s commitment to excellence
in both the teaching provided by faculty and the learning expected by students.
The University focuses
both on undergraduate
education that
emphasizes a
personalized learning
environment and on
selected master’s,
doctoral and other
graduate programs that
provide students with
specialized educational
experiences.
The Mission of the University
“The University of Northern Iowa is a comprehensive institution committed
to providing a diverse, dynamic learning environment, founded on a strong
liberal arts curriculum and characterized by excellence in teaching,
scholarship and service. The University focuses both on undergraduate
education that emphasizes a personalized learning environment and on
selected master’s, doctoral and other graduate programs that provide
students with specialized educational experiences. UNI programs incorporate
scholarship and service to individuals, communities and organizations
throughout the state, the nation and the world.” (Approved by the Board of
Regents, Nov. 2000)
The mission celebrates the core strengths of the University, proclaiming the value of
excellence at the undergraduate level and celebrating a 124-year-old tradition of what we have
come to call “Great Teaching.” The University entered the 1990s amidst local, state and
national recognition that quality teaching plays a central role in making a student’s higher
education experience a valuable, lifelong benefit. In the mid-1990s, the University made
significant strides in expanding in the areas of experiential learning and technology. The
University understands the importance of research to academic vitality and expects its graduate
programs, though smaller in number, to be commensurate in quality with undergraduate
offerings. In addition, UNI’s down-to-earth, practical and people-oriented service approach has
helped make a significant difference in the quality of the University’s efforts to meet a growing
30
demand for community, business, and educational services throughout the state.
The character of the University of Northern Iowa is embodied in seven values embraced
by the University community and stated in the 2001-2006 Strategic Plan: (1) excellence in
all its endeavors, (2) intellectual vitality, (3) intellectual and academic freedom, dialogue and
the free exchange of ideas, (4) individualized learning (5) an ethical, caring and diverse
community, (6) the well being of its students, faculty, and staff, and (7) service to the
CRITERION I
MISSION
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
citizens of the State of Iowa, the nation, and the world.
As noted, commitment to undergraduate students distinguishes UNI among Regents
institutions. All students are required to take an academic core curriculum in general
education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. Class sizes throughout the University
generally are small (90 percent of classes have 50 or fewer students, and 56 percent have 25
or fewer students), thus encouraging a high level of faculty-student interaction (see Table
I.1; Figure I.1). This level of interaction and personalized attention extends as well to the
co-curricular areas, such as student services.
The character of the
University of Northern
Iowa is embodied in
seven values embraced
by the University
community and stated
in the 2001-2006
Strategic Plan.
Table I.1: Percentage of Organized Class Sections By Size
The second distinctive feature of the University of Northern Iowa among the Regents’
institutions is that UNI primarily serves the educational needs of Iowans. Approximately 93
percent of UNI’s students are Iowa residents, representing all 99 counties in the state.
Although recruitment efforts are being intensified to increase the number of out-of-state
students in order to achieve greater ethnic diversity of the student body, the University plans
to maintain an enrollment that will be composed largely of students from within the state.
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CRITERION I
MISSION
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
Figure I.1: Percent of Organized Class Sections by Size
A third distinctive feature of the University of Northern Iowa is the balance its academic
programs provide between liberal arts education and professional education. On the one
hand, the University’s general education program requirements, which are a part of every
90 percent of classes
have 50 or fewer
students, and 56
percent have 25 or
fewer students.
undergraduate major, provide the foundation needed for lifelong learning that is so critical
in a world undergoing rapid change. It provides students with the skills to think critically, to
reason quantitatively, to communicate effectively, and to synthesize new information and
new patterns of thought. It instills in students an appreciation and understanding of the
many cultures of the world; it introduces them to the rich heritage of major intellectual and
aesthetic achievements of humankind and, in the process, prepares them to live and work in
a truly multicultural and global society. In addition, many of the undergraduate and graduate
programs now provide students with an array of experiential learning opportunities in the
form of undergraduate and graduate research, internships, co-ops, field trips, and studyabroad programs in an effort to strengthen the connection between classroom learning and
“real world” experiences.
In the College of Education, the teacher education program and the practitioner-oriented
emphasis of the doctoral programs stress applied research and field-based experiences. In the
College of Business Administration, the MBA program emphasizes the functional areas of
business in order to provide graduates with a balance between theoretical knowledge and
practical business operations. Also within the College of Business Administration, the
Business and Community Services division provides consulting in areas such as marketing,
planning, and economic development for communities throughout the state. In other areas
at the University, such as the Industrial Technology doctoral program in the College of Natural
Sciences, much of the research is of an applied nature, designed to meet technological needs
of industry throughout the state. Also, the Recycling and Reuse Technology Transfer Center
32
and the Metal Casting Center in the College of Natural Sciences promote applied research in
solid waste reuse and recycling and metal casting technology, respectively, as well as
CRITERION I
industrial outreach for purposes of technology transfer.
MISSION
The mission of the University specifies its commitment to teaching, scholarship and
service. The faculty of the University of Northern Iowa are expected to have nine-credit hour
teaching loads each semester and to maintain research/scholarly/creative/artistic pursuits.
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
The University embraces the teacher/scholar model, in which teaching and research
complement each other and the faculty member’s enthusiasm for one activity is enhanced by
the pursuit of the other.
As approved by the Regents, the University will not offer programs in agriculture,
architecture, dentistry, engineering, forestry, hospital administration, law, medicine,
pharmacy, or veterinary medicine. Iowa State University and the University of Iowa offer these
programs.
Processes Through Which the Institution
Evaluates its Purposes
The University’s Strategic Plan
The version of the UNI Strategic Plan in place during the self-study was completed in
December 1996 (see Appendix C, http://www.uni.edu/infosys/fsp/index.html). The new UNI
Strategic Plan for the years 2001-2006 was approved by the Board of Regents in November
2000 (see Appendix C, http://www.uni.edu/pres/2001-2006strategicplan/). Each plan has
been viewed as a dynamic and evolving document. As circumstances change, corresponding
changes in the plan have been made.
The document also is viewed as the foundation upon which the budget is constructed .
The strategic goals have challenged everyone on the campus in some way. The budget cycle
The University embraces
the teacher/scholar
model, in which model
teaching and research
complement each other
and the faculty
member’s enthusiasm
for one activity is
enhanced by the pursuit
of the other.
has included evaluation of activities linked to implementation of the plan.
Strategic Planning Processes at UNI
Over several decades the University of Northern Iowa has been engaged in various major
academic planning initiatives. However, it was not until 1989 that UNI formally adopted a
strategic planning process. In that year, President Constantine Curris established the
University Strategic Planning Committee. This committee was charged with preparing a
strategic plan that would be built upon the mission of the University of Northern Iowa and
the strategic goals adopted by the Board of Regents for the Regents universities. The
President asked the committee to give special attention to three areas: the achievement of
national prominence by the College of Education, actions to further improve student
excellence, and the strengthening of the University’s graduate programs.
33
The committee identified seven goals that formed the basis of the initial strategic plan,
CRITERION I
which was intended to present a framework for assessment and serve as a model for future
MISSION
planning iterations. The Board of Regents approved the first strategic plan in May 1990 (see
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
Appendix C). During the next four years, the University provided to the Board of Regents
annual progress reports in implementing the strategies and achieving the goals set forth in
UNI’s strategic plan. In 1991, each college developed its own strategic plan consistent with
the broader institutional goals described in the University plan, and other divisions of the
University crafted appropriate strategic plans as well. As anticipated, over the next few years,
adjustments were made in the strategic planning process to encourage broader participation
in establishing institutional and collegiate priorities.
Shortly before the arrival of President Robert Koob in 1995, the University Strategic
Planning Committee was assigned the task of generating University-wide “priorities” suitable
for guiding key decisions over the next five years (FY1996-2001) at the University of Northern
Iowa. In carrying out this task, the committee agreed that priorities would be defined as goals
that represent choices about the desirable direction of the University and position the
University to be effective in acquiring needed resources and fulfilling its mission.
The new strategic planning process under the leadership of President Koob began in fall
During the past four
years, the strategic plan
has been the
foundation upon which
the University budget
has been constructed
and strategic initiatives
have been identified
and prioritized.
1995 with a seminar that brought together eight distinguished Iowans who presented their
views about the University in the context of developments projected to occur in the State
over the next few years. The preliminary draft of the new strategic plan was shared with the
campus, and input was solicited and obtained, resulting in a number of significant
modifications by a committee representing faculty, staff and students.
During the past four years, the strategic plan has been the foundation upon which the
University budget has been constructed and strategic initiatives have been identified and
prioritized. Colleges and departments, both academic and administrative, have been
responsible for implementing and supporting the University strategic plan. The budget
allocation process has included consideration of relevance to implementation of the plan.
UNI began the strategic planning process for 2001-2006 in early 1999. A leadership group
including the President, members of the Cabinet, deans, and other University leaders met for
an extended retreat to identify key issues that led to the development of a “model” plan.
In October 1999, the President appointed a 20-member Strategic Planning Committee
comprised of individuals representing all segments of the on-campus constituency (students,
staff, faculty, and administration) as well as representatives of the off-campus community.
While the Committee was given the model plan as a starting point, it was made clear that this
model was intended as a guide and not a final document. The Committee’s responsibility was
to challenge every assumption and develop a strategic plan that when implemented would
improve the University at the core and at the margins. In addition, it was the Committee’s
responsibility during the course of the plan’s development to gain input from campus
constituencies at a level sufficient to ensure the plan represented total campus thinking.
34
Early in the process there was a general consensus that a new plan, rather than a
modified one, was needed to focus the University more tightly on achieving excellence in all
CRITERION I
its activities. The Committee worked with the following objectives in mind: (1) refine the
MISSION
vision, mission, and values to represent the University as we see it today and over the next
several years, (2) develop a plan that represents the whole University, (3) gain input from
University constituencies, and (4) develop performance indicators and targets that are
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
reported annually to the Board of Regents (see Appendix C).
From the beginning, the strategic plan represented campus thinking simply because the
Strategic Planning Committee represented all on-campus constituencies as well as off-campus
groups. But the Committee was diligent in sharing the document and seeking responses
during the development process. This was accomplished in several ways:
• The planning process was published in campus publications including the Northern
Iowan (campus newspaper) and CNN (Campus News Network newsletter).
• The draft strategic plan was posted on the University Web site and feedback solicited
via electronic (UNIonline) and print (Northern Iowan, CNN) vehicles. Three drafts were
posted on the Web: first, when the committee had addressed Vision, Values, Mission,
and Goal elements; second, when the plan included specific goals, objectives, and
actions; and, third, when the first report on the plan was presented to the Cabinet.
Anyone looking at the plan on the Web could respond electronically to the committee
with comments. After each posting, the feedback received from the campus was
considered by the Committee and incorporated as appropriate.
• The Committee hosted an electronic discussion board where members of the University
community could comment about the plan, see what others were saying, and engage
in dialogue.
• Members of the Committee also presented the draft documents to University
governance groups for discussion and feedback.
Many individuals and groups around campus took time to review and offer comments on
The decision-making
processes at UNI for the
latter half of the
accreditation period
have been characterized
by a transition to a
relatively decentralized
environment and by an
evolution toward
consensus-building
within that
environment.
the draft plan documents. The ability to have this discussion electronically encouraged far
greater input from the campus to the development of the plan and helped ensure that UNI
has a strategic plan that represents the thinking and commitment of the entire University.
Both the planning process and the new Strategic Plan seem to have met with approval by
UNI’s community, constituencies and by the Board of Regents.
35
CRITERION I
MISSION
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
Decision-Making Processes that are Appropriate to the
University’s Stated Mission and Purposes
The decision-making processes at UNI for the latter half of the accreditation period have
been characterized by a transition to a relatively decentralized environment and by an
evolution toward consensus-building within that environment. With a strong tradition of
service to students, members of the University community have grown accustomed to having
more control over day-to-day budget and programmatic matters and have gradually learned
the power of consensus-building to further the common successes of the University.
Several examples demonstrate the appropriateness of this combination of
decentralization and consensus:
“Qualities of an Educated Person,” a very productive,
campus-wide, multi-year dialogue to identify desired qualities of UNI graduates; the
“Leading, Building, Sharing” capital campaign; and a new Integrated Marketing program.
Another hallmark of the Koob administration has been a commitment to accessible and
powerful technology that makes decision-oriented information directly available to
constituents at their desktops. Our new decision-making processes appear to be more closely
aligning the University’s practices with its principles.
The University of
Northern Iowa prides
itself on being in touch
with and accessible to
its constituencies.
Understanding of University Purposes
by Institutional Constituencies
The University of Northern Iowa prides itself on being in touch with and accessible to
its constituencies. However, in the spirit of continuous improvement, the University also
undertakes a broad range of more systematic assessments of constituency needs, attitudes,
and understanding of University purposes.
For example, in 1997 UNI contracted with the Crawford Johnson Group of Des Moines,
Iowa, to prepare a survey titled “Attitudes Toward the University of Northern Iowa.” The
survey polled consumers, state legislators, and business decision-makers from around the
State. Highlights included:
• The most effective methods of reaching consumers and business decision-makers are
web, newspapers, and hometown events.
• UNI was most clearly defined as a university with a solid core of academic programs,
high standards, and a strong undergraduate focus.
• The level of awareness of UNI among consumers was comparable to those of Iowa State
University and the University of Iowa. Familiarity with specific programs, classes, and
services was somewhat lower. Consequently, highlighting exemplary programs of the
University has been identified as a marketing priority.
Survey instruments administered by UNI staff at varying levels of frequency include an
Incoming Freshman Survey, Graduating Senior Survey, Alumni Survey, Computing and Library
36
Services Satisfaction Survey, and Student and Employee Climate Surveys. At the time of this
report, research was under way to measure attitudes in the surrounding Cedar Falls and
CRITERION I
Waterloo area, as well as attitu des statewide related to minority recruitment issues.
MISSION
Efforts to Keep the Public Informed of the University’s
Institutional and Educational Goals
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
The University’s mission and goals are shared on an on-going basis with everyone on
campus and the larger community through the presence of the strategic plan, and much other
information,
on
the
World
Wide
Web.
Anyone
accessing
UNI’s
homepage
(http://www.uni.edu) will find easy access to the current strategic plan. Also, during the
drafting of a new strategic plan, faculty, staff, and students were encouraged and given ample
opportunity to review the progress and offer input. Similarly those outside the University had
the opportunity to check the progress, as well.
Another method of sharing the University’s mission and goals involves the Constituency
Relations Management Group that was formed in Fall 1995. Chaired by the Director of Public
Relations, with membership from outreach-oriented offices such as Admissions, Alumni
Relations, Development, Placement, and Continuing Education, this group assists the
University in its efforts to develop coordinated, comprehensive and consistent
communications enhancing the awareness of UNI, both on and off campus.
Members of the University community, including the President, Cabinet members, faculty,
staff, and students, have been conducting a comprehensive and consistent “Community
Visitation” program for the past several years. This effort brings an energetic and well-
The University remains
strongly committed to
the 1948 American
Association of
University Professors
(AAUP) Principles on
Academic Freedom.
rounded University presence to selected communities for a day, focusing on community
connections to UNI, such as current students and alumni from the local area, and on local
service activities. While these experiences provide the opportunity to share with local
residents information about the University’s mission, goals, and activities, they are also
valuable in terms of getting input from the residents regarding their perceptions of the
University and how it could better serve them.
In another major initiative, led by President Koob and the Office of Public Relations, the
University embarked in 1998 on a series of “Envisioning Education” presentations throughout
the State. By both invitation and initiation, the President and senior-level representatives
from throughout the academic and administrative divisions made thought-provoking
presentations to service groups, guided by mutually developed PowerPoint slides and other
visual aids. The presentations focused on both the future of higher education in general and
the University’s role in that future.
37
CRITERION I
MISSION
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
Support for Freedom of Inquiry by Faculty and Students
As part of its ongoing efforts to create a teaching and learning environment of the
highest quality, the University continues to strengthen its support for freedom of inquiry by
all members of the University community. The University remains strongly committed to the
1940 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Principles on Academic Freedom.
The University supports and rewards unfettered scholarship, research, and creative activities
by faculty and students through a variety of programs, including Professional Development
Leaves, Faculty Summer Research Fellowships, University Distinguished Professor Awards, the
McKay Research Award, and summer undergraduate research programs in several of the
sciences. The University also provides travel support for faculty and students to attend
scholarly conferences and meetings. When appropriate and especially in the sciences, the
University provides start-up funds for new faculty to initiate their research programs. The
establishment over the past ten years of several applied research centers in the colleges has
further helped to foster innovative and entrepreneurial research among faculty and students.
Recognizing the importance of encouraging cross-fertilization among academic disciplines,
the University has established and supported several interdisciplinary programs at both the
All tenure-track
University faculty hired
in the last decade have
the doctorate or
appropriate terminal
degree.
undergraduate and graduate levels.
Freedom of inquiry is so integral to UNI’s mission and purposes that it constitutes an
explicit focus of the University’s Strategic Plan. See both the 1996-2001 Strategic Plan
(Appendix C) and the 2001-2006 Strategic Plan (Appendix C).
Library resources play a vital role in preserving freedom of academic inquiry at any
university. The Rod Library has enjoyed strong resource support over the last decade in a
variety of ways, including the addition of a fourth floor, the enlargement of its book and
periodical collections, the infusion and development of CD-ROM, locally-mounted databases,
and Web access to remote databases.
With the emergence of the Internet and World Wide Web, the University has implemented
policies regarding the use of information technology to ensure considerable freedom for all
members of the University community related to access and use of the Internet and the World
Wide Web.
Institutional Commitment to Excellence
There is a strong institutional commitment to excellence in the teaching provided by UNI
faculty. This commitment is demonstrated by the high quality of the faculty who are recruited
and retained by the University. All tenure-track University faculty hired in the last decade
have the doctorate or appropriate terminal degree. Many of the faculty hired at UNI come
with post-doctoral experience. The high quality of the student body is reflected by the mean
ACT score of the entering freshman class (23.0 in 1999). The University’s physical plant has
38
received much attention over the last decade in the form of new and renovated academic
buildings, attention to safety and handicapped-accessibility issues, and the building of a
CRITERION I
computer technology infrastructure that is essential to a modern teaching and learning
MISSION
environment. The Rod Library’s commitment to excellence is evidenced by the many services
it provides to the University community, including inter-library loans, photocopying, a
dedicated microforms facility, document delivery, CD-ROM databases, and access for teaching
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
and research purposes to ever-growing book and periodical collections. The Center for the
Enhancement of Teaching, opened in 1993 and centrally located in the Library, serves as an
important faculty resource for reaching new levels of excellence in their teaching.
The University’s commitment to teaching excellence is further demonstrated by its
assessment of the quality of the teaching and curricula at all levels through sets of internal
and external measures. Student assessments of teaching are regularly conducted of
probationary, of tenure-track faculty and, at least every five years, of tenured faculty in all
departments. In addition, departments often use classroom peer observations and review of
faculty teaching portfolios to evaluate teaching performance. Excellence in teaching is
recognized and rewarded at UNI through several outstanding teaching awards at both the
college and university levels. Innovative teaching and redesign of the curriculum are
encouraged and rewarded through the annual Faculty Mini-Grant Program and various college
programs. Several programs at the University are accredited by national accreditation
organizations, thus requiring periodic reaccreditation visits and actions. All academic
programs are subject to external academic program reviews on a seven-year cycle with followup reports on how review recommendations are addressed or appropriately implemented.
UNI has a strong commitment to the learning expected of its students. Every student
with a declared major is assigned a major advisor who receives copies of advisees’ transcripts
and graduation evaluations. All five undergraduate colleges are responsible for offering the
All academic programs
are subject to external
academic program
reviews on a seven-year
cycle with follow-up
reports on how review
recommendations are
addressed or
appropriately
implemented.
General Education Program that forms the liberal arts backbone of the curriculum. More than
90 percent of UNI students engage in at least one form of experiential learning course for
credit prior to graduation (Source: UNI Graduating Senior Survey, 1999). Examples of these
experiences include internships, co-op programs, research or teaching, and study abroad. In
each of these activities, students have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a UNI faculty
member. In summer 2000, the University received permission from the Board of Regents,
State of Iowa, to implement a University Honors Program. Several measures have been
identified and used to assess student learning success. Every department is now engaged in
a continuous student outcomes assessment through an individually designed assessment
plan. Departments are required to report periodically on their student outcomes assessment
efforts and on how the curriculum has been modified as a result of the analysis of the
assessment data.
Excellence in student services is also a distinctive quality of the University of Northern
Iowa. In 1991, NCA evaluators identified student services as an institutional strength:
39
“Overall, the Division of Educational and Student Services is very student centered and
CRITERION I
integrates well with Faculty Affairs” (NCA Team Report, p. 41). This quality has been
MISSION
continued through active participation of student services staff in the strategic planning
U n i versity of
Northern Iowa
process, as well as strong concurrence on the part of student services with efforts to maintain
high admissions standards, support diversity, expand experiential education opportunities,
institute an honors program, and provide improved student access to information systems and
related technology. Since 1992, 22 student services staff members have been recognized for
their exemplary service, and five staff members have received Regents Staff Excellence
Awards. Factors contributing to strengths in student services are:
• adequate funding
• appropriate facilities
• responsiveness to student needs
• leadership by a team of diverse and experienced professionals
Departments are
required to report
periodically on their
student outcomes
assessment efforts and
on how the curriculum
has been modified as a
result of the analysis of
the assessment data.
40