TERRE HAUTE — Improving student graduation rates and maintaining affordability are among the critical priorities for Indiana State University as it looks to the future, Mike Alley, board of trustees president, told an ISU audience Thursday.
He described those priorities as ISU’s “must do” list.
Other priorities are to “drive change and innovation” and to be able to “move quickly and collaboratively,” particularly when it comes to shared governance, he said.
He spoke during the third annual Stakeholders Conference, in which ISU leaders reflect on whether the university is meeting goals outlined in the Strategic Plan.
In some areas, including enrollment growth, it is meeting goals. In other areas, such as student retention, it is not.
Among the top priorities outlined by Alley is the need to ensure student success and improve graduation rates. Currently, ISU’s four- year graduation rate is 22 percent and its six- year graduation rate is 42 percent.
Those rates are below the strategic goal targets of 26 percent and 46 percent respectively, and substantially below the statewide average, Alley said.
Improving those rates will make college more economical for students, and state funding “will be significantly impacted” by ISU’s success in graduating more Hoosiers, he said.
The state Commission for Higher Education has proposed that for the coming biennium, 6 percent of higher education funding be based on certain performance measures, with graduation rates being one of the most heavily weighted.
“With approximately 47 percent of our current operating budget coming from state appropriations in fiscal 2011, this represents a very significant financial resource which will be tied to our success in improving graduation rates,” Alley said.
As far as maintaining affordability, that will be no easy task, he said. ISU, and other colleges, are being asked to improve quality and at the same time, reduce costs.
State funding has been declining, and there are political and market pressures to limit increases in tuition and fees, trends unlikely to change, he said.
ISU formed an Affordability Task Force, which has looked at ways to cut costs. “Even more will be necessary to dramatically address this challenge,” Alley said.
He also said that ISU “must be proactive in driving change,” and that embracing change is no longer enough. “Change is inevitable and must happen at a quicker pace than ever before,” he said.
He referred to a book written by educational administrators that stated, “Universities must innovate to survive.”
A fourth “must do” is “to move quickly and collaboratively.”
The world is moving rapidly and “first movers” can reap dramatic benefits and drive the path of those following behind, he said.
Shared governance is an important value embraced at ISU, and input from all governance units will continue to be sought and considered, he said. “This important facet of our culture must be preserved.”
But, he went on, “The pace of play must be accelerated dramatically. We do not have the luxury of studying issues and repercussions for months … The pace of change will quicken and there will be some significant discomfort.”
He noted that “ultimate authority does reside with the board of trustees as the governing board of the university.”
He also challenged ISU to lead all colleges and universities in Indiana to help the state realize its goal of substantially increasing the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded by 2025.
With the efforts it has made in recent years, ISU “need not take a back seat to any institution in Indiana,” he said. “We should not be perceived, or perceive ourselves, as a second choice for those that were not accepted at another institution.”
For many students, ISU is the “best choice” in enabling them to earn a degree and meet their career aspirations, he said.
After Alley’s presentation, President Dan Bradley said in an interview that ISU is making progress in all six area outlined in the strategic plan.
An area where it must improve is retention, particularly first-year retention, Bradley said. ISU has improved graduation rates, “but we won’t be able to continue that momentum unless we can get that first-year retention number up.”
ISU is creating new programs to help with that, “and they’re going to pay off, but it’s a long struggle.”
The university has made good progress in increasing enrollment and in its distinctive programs area through its Unbounded Possibilities initiative, Bradley said.
It’s also made good progress in diversifying faculty and compensating faculty at more appropriate rates and levels, he said.
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