IU South Bend engaged Dr. John Welty of AASCU Consulting Services to consult on the development of the five-year strategic plan. Dr. Welty worked with IU South Bend’s Campus Directions Committee to develop the plan. IU South Bend’s Campus Directions Committee is the shared governance group charged with directing the periodic development of the campus strategic plan, in collaboration with the campus administration.
Several groups of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community leaders were interviewed to assess strengths, opportunities, threats, and areas of distinction for the campus. In addition, several campus documents were reviewed including the previous strategic plan, progress reports on implementation, accreditation reports, and institutional research data.
The Campus Directions Committee next appointed a sub-committee on mission, vision, and values. The subcommittee reviewed the existing mission and worked on a revised statement, along with complementary vision and values statements. Additionally, five task forces were appointed to develop goal statements, desired outcomes, and strategies informed by the research conducted.
Elements of the strategic plan were shared at three town halls to acquire feedback from the campus community at each stage of the process. Members of the campus were also able to share feedback through an online form. Additionally, draft content was shared with community members, where additional feedback was solicited before the Campus Directions Committee presented the final strategic plan to the IU South Bend Academic Senate for endorsement. It should be noted that the 2021-2026 strategic planning process was conducted almost exclusively virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.