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Strategic Plan

Office of the Provost

May 1995

Committee Members:
Elizabeth M. Altmaier, Associate Provost for Faculty Personnel and Development;
Nancy “Rusty” Barceló, Interim Director of Opportunity at Iowa;
John W. Folkins, Associate Provost for Academic Review and Academic Support Services;
Phillip E. Jones, Associate Provost for Student Services and Dean of Students;
Michael L. McNulty, Associate Provost for International Programs;
Peter E. Nathan, Provost;
Donald J. Szeszycki, Assistant Provost and Director of Administration and Planning.

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
I. MISSION STATEMENT AND ASPIRATION
Mission Statement
Aspiration
II. THE OFFICE OF THE PROVOST
III. ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
IV. GOALS, RESPONSIBILITIES, OBJECTIVES, AND STRATEGIES
Goal 1: Comprehensive strength in undergraduate programs
Goal 2: Premier graduate and professional programs in a significant number of areas
Goal 3: A faculty of national and international distinction
Goal 4: Premier research and scholarship
Goal 5: A culturally diverse and inclusive University community
Goal 6: Strong ties between the University and external constituencies
Goal 7: A quality academic and working environment
APPENDIX: Responsibilities of the Office of the Provost

Executive Summary

This Strategic Plan focuses the Office of the Provost's efforts to further the University's academic mission by fostering and supporting excellence in teaching, research, and service.

The Office's mission statement emphasizes its role as the University's chief academic office, with wide-ranging responsibility for implementing the University's strategic planning goals to achieve academic excellence. Accordingly, the long-term aspiration of this Strategic Plan is to provide leadership that engenders academic excellence at all levels.

The Plan describes the nature and major responsibilities of the Office of the Provost, and explains its unique relationship to other administrative offices on campus. The Office facilitates the University's efforts in pursuing its goals in many ways--including collaboration with the deans, vice presidents, and other academic offices. The Provost and Associate Provosts provide guidance to departments and colleges as they seek to fulfill the responsibilities with which they are charged. As steward of the University's academic mission, The Office has a key responsibility to envision and promote changes that will help the institution meet the challenges of the future.

Specific features of the environment, as outlined in the University Strategic Planning Committee's report, “The University and its Environment,” have particular relevance to the Office of the Provost. The environmental assessment included in this Plan notes, for instance, the improbability of substantial increases in state funding, the lack of substantial increases in space in the foreseeable future, the need for startup and maintenance funds for information technology initiatives, an increase in the number of students with disabilities, and the relatively slow growth of the minority population in the state.

The University's Plan, Achieving Distinction 2000, proposes seven goals for implementation by departments, colleges, and administrative units of the University: comprehensive strength in undergraduate programs; premier graduate and professional programs in a significant number of areas; a faculty of national and international distinction; premier research and scholarship; a culturally diverse and inclusive University community; strong ties between the University and external constituencies; and a quality academic and working environment. The Office of the Provost Strategic Plan adopts the University's goals as its own. In relation to each goal, the Plan describes the Office of the Provost's general responsibilities; lists the University's objectives as indicated in Achieving Distinction 2000; and outlines strategies for each objective which have been developed by, and are specific to, the Office of the Provost. The strategies indicate how the Office will meet the challenges Achieving Distinction 2000 outlines.

Separate first-level plans have been written for International Programs, Opportunity at Iowa, and Student Services, describing in detail the efforts planned by those units for the next five years. The First-Level Planning Unit on Enrollment Services, chaired by the Associate Provost for Academic Review and Academic Support Services, should also be consulted for additional Office-relevant strategies.

I. Mission Statement and Aspiration

Mission Statement

The Office of the Provost provides academic leadership to the University. Its fundamental mission is to foster and support excellence in teaching, research, and service.

In its capacity as steward of the University's academic mission, the Office of the Provost supports the activities of the colleges and other academic and student service units, evaluates progress in achieving the University's strategic planning goals, and allocates resources. It performs this mission with a view to strengthening teaching, research and service in academic departments and colleges, structuring faculty development opportunities, overseeing a high quality of life for students, furthering those cross-cutting University-wide goals which lie beyond the responsibility of individual units, envisioning new directions, and promoting essential changes within the institution necessary to meet the challenges of the future.

Aspiration

The Office aspires to provide leadership that engenders academic excellence at all levels, through effective mechanisms that encourage the academic, intellectual, and personal growth of students, faculty, and staff. This purpose is consistent with the University's aim to become one of the very best public institutions of higher education in the country.

II. The Office of the Provost

The responsibilities of the Office of the Provost are carried out by the Provost, the Associate Provosts, the Assistant Provost, and support staff. These staff members face a unique challenge in implementing the Office's Strategic Plan because of its relationship to other administrative offices on campus. While recognizing the accuracy of the statement in Achieving Distinction 2000 that “many of the important decisions of the University are made in departments and colleges rather than in the central administration,” the Provost and his colleagues also recognize their responsibility to provide guidance to departments and colleges in making the decisions that reside with them. As the University's chief academic administrative office, the Office of the Provost facilitates the University's reaching its goals along many dimensions and in many ways--through the colleges, the vice-presidential units, and its own activities.

The Provost has five principal responsibilities:

• To serve as the University's Chief Academic Officer and, in that role, to advise the President on all issues that affect the academic environment of the University, to assume final responsibility for all promotion and tenure decisions, and to ensure the reliability, validity, and usefulness of all academic reviews.
• To appoint and provide administrative leadership to the deans of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, the dean of the Division of Continuing Education, the University Librarian, and the Director of the Museum of Art
• To assume substantial responsibility for the University's efforts further to diversify its faculty and student body and to provide a facilitative environment for all persons.
• To participate, with the President and Vice Presidents, in decisions on general and specific University-wide issues, including budget preparation, resource allocation, relationships with members of the Board of Regents and the legislative and executive branches of state government, University governance, and research policy and support.
• To appoint, provide administrative leadership to, and delegate responsibilities to the Associate Provosts for Faculty Development, Student Services, Opportunity at Iowa, International Programs, and Academic Review and Academic Support Services, as well as the Assistant Provost and Director of Administration and Planning.

The responsibilities of the Associate Provosts and Assistant Provost, undertaken under the general direction of the Provost and described in detail in the Appendix to this Plan, are indicated on the organizational chart for the Office of the Provost that appears on page 4.

In accordance with the responsibilities of the Provost and Associate Provosts, the Office has six superordinate aspirations that undergird its work and which infuse the specific strategies laid out to meet the University's strategic planning goals. These are:

1. Administrative leadership that promotes continuous improvement in academic programs;
2. Clear and consistent communication with all constituencies;
3. A multicultural, multiethnic, multiracial and multinational University community that is sensitive to the needs of people with significant identities and disabilities through programs that augment the functions of teaching, creative scholarship, and public service;
4. Faculty development programs that enable the University to recruit, retain, and promote the best possible faculty;
5. A facilitative environment for all persons, including members of minority groups and women; and
6. International programs that heighten awareness of global issues and provide adequate opportunities for faculty and student participation.

III. Assumptions about the Environment

The University Strategic Planning Committee's report, “The University and its Environment” (Appendix B to Achieving Distinction 2000), is a comprehensive consideration of the environment in which the University is now undertaking its planning effort and in which the University's strategies and those of its units will be carried out. Noted below are elements of that environmental assessment which are particularly relevant to the Office of the Provost.

Economic Trends

• There will be a general trend toward greater self-sufficiency and tying budgets to responsibilities of individual units. The University and its units will have to make choices about which tasks and missions it can fulfill and which will have to wait for new funds.
• While substantial increases in state support for The University of Iowa over the next five years appear to be unlikely, the University should expect to receive stable, inflation-adjusted revenues, possibly with additional support for well-documented needs or critical projects, especially those that maintain or enhance the quality and accessibility of educational programs.
• The globalization of the world's economy and the increased mobility of many economic activities will ensure a very competitive economic climate.

University Structure and Funding

• While further organizational changes at the top level of the University are not anticipated over the next few years, this may be a good time to review the University's administrative structure at the next level of organization--collegiate, departmental, and major service offices--and to follow through with changes that are indicated.
• Compliance with requirements for external accountability will continue to be an institutional responsibility; it is likely that the future will see expectations of increased accountability by universities.

Student Demographics

• Based on anticipated growth in Iowa high school graduates, the Board of Regents projects a gradual increase in undergraduate enrollments of about 5% above 1993 levels by the year 2000.
• Minorities account for 24.4% of the U.S. population, but only 3.4% of the population of Iowa. The percentage of minorities in Iowa is growing slowly and is expected to reach 5.2% in 2015.
• The University has more students with disabilities than it did five years ago and, under the broadened mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with disabilities are more aware of their civil rights. The need for further physical plant modifications to accommodate individuals with physical disabilities may be the most visible adjustment the University needs to make, but other changes to promote accessibility and accommodation are also required and necessary.

Faculty and Staff

• The program now under way to enhance stipends for teaching and research assistants represents a significant improvement in instructional compensation. Iowa has lagged behind its peers in salary plus tuition breaks for Teaching and Research Assistants; improvement in stipends begun in 1994-5 will increase competitiveness and improve the quality of this vital component of instruction.
• The University's success in recruitment of well-qualified faculty over the past five years was abetted by cutbacks in hiring at many competitive universities. As the national economy recovers, it is not clear whether competitive factors will change hiring patterns in higher education.

Physical Infrastructure

• Despite extensive spin-off benefits and space reallocations made possible by the completion of the Pappajohn Business Administration Building, little new space for general University programs will be available for the foreseeable future. Except in limited areas, space for new or expanded programs will have to come from the reassignment of existing space.
• Libraries face an exceedingly complex set of issues; demands for new learning technology must be balanced against the need for traditional printed documents. Interinstitutional arrangements to provide shared access as a method of cost containment will prove more and more valuable.
• The startup and maintenance costs associated with widespread access to information technology are high. In addition to network connectivity, users must have desktop computers with appropriate capabilities to use information resources. A large fraction of the faculty and staff do not have computers which would allow them access to electronic communication.
• New delivery systems will increase the competition for students among institutions of higher education. State boundaries will have less meaning in terms of the delivery of educational services, and Iowa will face increased competition from within and outside the state.

IV. Goals, Responsibilities, Objectives, and Strategies

Listed below are the seven goals which Achieving Distinction 2000 proposes for implementation by departments, colleges, and administrative units of the University. The Office of the Provost has adopted them as its own strategic planning goals.

This section describes the Office of the Provost's general responsibilities in relation to each goal. The objectives outlined in the University's Plan are then listed under each goal. The strategies listed for each objective were developed by, and are specific to, the Office of the Provost and indicate how the Office will meet the challenges set forth by the University Plan.

The strategies have been developed through consultation with the Office of the Provost staff, which comprises the Provost, the Associate Provost for Academic Review and Academic Support Services, the Associate Provost for Faculty Personnel and Development, the Associate Provost for International Programs, the Associate Provost for Opportunity at Iowa, the Associate Provost for Student Support Services and Dean of Students, and the Assistant Provost and Director of Administration and Planning. Each was asked to consider his or her duties and aspirations in relation to each of the University goals and objectives, and to develop specific strategies for implementation in the next five years.

The strategies listed in this section also address the University's eleven “institutional strategies,” which are recommended for implementation by the central administration.

Goal 1: Comprehensive strength in undergraduate programs

Overview

Strengthening undergraduate education is at the heart of the Office of the Provost's mission as the University's central academic office. The Office has been instrumental in reaffirming the University's commitment to high quality undergraduate education over the last five years, primarily through the creation and implementation of the Framework for Selected Instructional Improvement at The University of Iowa. The Office plans to continue in that leadership role in the years to come.

While pursuing the objectives outlined in Achieving Distinction 2000, the Office of the Provost will emphasize continued pursuit of the goals of the Framework, which are designed to improve the quality of undergraduate education by fostering more interaction between senior faculty and undergraduate students, improving the quality of all teaching, and ensuring the appropriate integration of faculty teaching and research (e.g., ensuring that faculty development programs fully contribute to the University's undergraduate academic programs). Other emphases include helping colleges recruit and retain excellent students, recognizing that the quality of its students impacts any undergraduate program's potential for excellence, and promoting innovation in teaching, particularly by incorporating technology in the classroom.

Despite marked progress over recent years, the Office will continue to consider as a priority its work with the undergraduate colleges to ensure that all students admitted to the University have access to a full course load, and that late registering students have increased selection in the number of courses with space available. As the office responsible for summer course scheduling, the Office of the Provost will continue to schedule summer courses based on student demand and ensure that summer courses complement the regular academic year schedule, including courses for the major. The Office will work with all colleges to specify optimum size and enrollment goals for all programs and departments, consistent with resources available, to maintain quality.

General Responsibilities

Office of the Provost staff work with the deans, the vice presidents, faculty, academic offices, and/or each other to address the following general responsibilities, which are related (though not exclusively) to this goal:

• to assume responsibility for the conduct of the periodic reviews of the undergraduate colleges, the Division of Continuing Education, and the University Libraries, and to strengthen those reviews and their relation to strategic planning and resource allocation,
• to oversee academic services, which include the Office of Admissions, the Registrar, Undergraduate Academic Advising, and the Evaluation and Examination Service.
• to oversee University enrollment planning,
• to coordinate administrative oversight of course offerings and availability,
• to participate in budgetary planning and allocations for the Division of Student Services,
• to oversee undergraduate academic advising,
• to oversee, develop, administer and, when appropriate, modify the strategic plans of the undergraduate colleges, the library, continuing education, and student services,
• to represent the units which report to the Office of the Provost on University-wide administrative bodies with responsibility for the allocation of space and renovation and equipment resources for teaching,
• to develop and promote plans to enhance quality teaching,
• to develop and maintain programs and activities that promote cultural and gender diversity among undergraduate students and their academic and social programs,
• to coordinate the academic budget preparation process and monitor the budgets of the undergraduate colleges, the Division of Continuing Education, the University Library, and Student Services,
• to oversee the allocation of equipment, repair, and renovation monies to improve undergraduate resources to units for which the Office has responsibility,
• to develop plans to strengthen the Summer Session, and
• to foster the globalization of undergraduate education.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective 1: Strong advanced education in undergraduate programs

The Office of the Provost has primary responsibility for implementing a number of the strategies aimed at strengthening advanced education in undergraduate programs. Over the next five years the Office will:

1. Oversee the effort to evaluate regularly the effectiveness of undergraduate programs, through program review and the continued development of the outcomes assessment methodology; report outcomes to the Board of Regents; and allocate resources strategically in accordance with strategic planning and academic review (including the enhancement or reduction of programs based on the primary criteria of centrality and quality, and the secondary criteria of student demand, potential for excellence, external impact, and cost).
2. Work with the colleges, the Division of Continuing Education, and the University Libraries to improve technology access and classroom and laboratory facilities and provide incentives to the colleges to promote innovative teaching and diverse curricula that use the improved infrastructure effectively.
3. Work with the colleges to ensure that the number, nature, and quality of undergraduate programs, including undergraduate language courses, reflect the global realities for which students must be prepared. Increase opportunities for undergraduate international experience.
4. Work with the colleges to ensure that undergraduate curricula are inclusive and reflect the growing diversity of the world and University populations.
5. Minimize the involvement of graduate teaching assistants in upper division undergraduate courses.

Objective 2: A select set of programs and services that increase the quality and opportunities available for undergraduate learning

The Office of the Provost has responsibility for addressing those strategies which deal with the Honors program, innovative curricula (see Strategy 2 under Objective 1), recruiting diverse and international students, fostering international educational exchange, and improving teaching:

1. In cooperation with the Honors Program and other programs designed to challenge the best students, assess continually the programs' effectiveness, increase the educational accomplishments of the students participating in the Honors Program, and expand participation in honors programs by students outside the College of Liberal Arts.
2. Work with faculty and teaching assistants, through existing committees, initiatives, and programs--and the Center for Teaching--to support innovation and excellence in classroom teaching and to recognize, reward, and publicize achievements in those areas.
3. Work with the Undergraduate Academic Advising Center, the undergraduate colleges, and other student service units to ensure that undergraduate students receive thoughtful, accurate, and comprehensive advising--both for schedule building and career planning--with particular attention to the needs of foreign students.
4. Through the Office of International Education and Services, the colleges, and academic departments, increase opportunities for international educational exchange and study abroad, including Presidential Scholarships.
5. Develop creative strategies to strengthen the Summer Session, building on changes in the Summer Session calendar; ensure that Summer course availability complements the academic year schedule.

Objective 3: Strong general education

Efforts to evaluate undergraduate programs, improve teaching, foster innovation, improve facilities, augment international opportunities, and increase diversity affect general undergraduate education as well as undergraduate courses for the major. Most of the above strategies, therefore, impact efforts to strengthen general education as well as advanced education. Strategies related to Objective 1 under Goal 2, which seek to recruit, retain, and train excellent graduate students (many of whom will function as teaching assistants) are also relevant to this objective. With emphasis on general undergraduate education, however, the Office of the Provost will pursue the following strategies:

1. Cooperate with the colleges to maximize availability of seats in courses to students majoring in areas outside the department or college offering the course, perhaps by improving recognition for service courses.
2. Continue to increase the involvement of tenured and tenure-track faculty in general education courses, while ensuring an appropriate number of teaching assistants as a resource for teaching.
3. Support the implementation of the cultural diversity General Education Requirement.
4. In collaboration with the Undergraduate Academic Advising Center, the colleges, and Student Support Services, evaluate and improve programs that provide for the educational needs of students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds, including the IowaLink program.

Goal 2: Premier graduate and professional programs in a significant number of areas

Overview

As key steward of the University's academic mission, the Office of the Provost maintains a direct and vital relationship to graduate and professional education. Working closely with the Dean of the Graduate College, the Office seeks to enhance the quality of graduate programs not only for their own sake, but also in recognition of the role they play in undergraduate education and research.

As with undergraduate programs, the Office has a key responsibility to oversee the regular evaluation of the effectiveness of graduate and professional academic programs, to report to the Board of Regents on outcomes assessments and other measures of effectiveness, and to allocate resources.

General Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost works with the deans, the vice presidents, faculty, and academic offices to address the following general responsibilities, which are related (though not exclusively) to this goal:

• to assume shared responsibility for the conduct of the periodic reviews of the health science colleges,
• to strengthen the academic review of graduate programs, and their relation to strategic planning and resource allocation,
• to assume responsibility for the conduct of the periodic reviews of the Graduate College and the College of Law,
• to develop and maintain programs that promote cultural and gender diversity among graduate students and their academic and social programs,
• to cooperate in efforts to enhance the recruitment and retention of graduate and professional students from racially and ethnically underrepresented groups,
• to oversee the allocation of equipment, repair, and renovation monies to graduate programs,
• to coordinate the academic budget preparation process and monitor the budgets of the Graduate College and College of Law,
• to represent the units which report to the Office on University-wide administrative bodies with responsibility for the allocation of space and renovation and equipment resources, and
• to foster the development of international and interdisciplinary graduate and professional programs.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective 1: Excellent graduate students

One of the Office of the Provost's most important roles in relation to graduate education is to support the efforts of the Graduate College to recruit and retain excellent graduate students. To that end, the Office acts as an advocate for University graduate and professional programs in communication with external constituencies; seeks and allocates resources to support Graduate College initiatives aimed at retaining excellent graduate students; and encourages initiatives that support graduate students' development as teachers and researchers. All efforts to strengthen initiatives for excellent teaching as part of graduate students' professional development--such as those described under Objective 2 of Goal 1--are therefore relevant to this objective as well. Specific Office strategies in the next five years include:

1. Support the efforts of the Graduate College to bring graduate assistantships to within the top three in the Committee on Interinstitutional Cooperation and raise the health insurance allowance to 80% of the cost of a single premium.
2. Work with the Vice President for Research to make postdoctoral research fellowships more beneficial and appealing.
3. Encourage colleges to strengthen training programs for teaching assistants, recognizing that teaching assistantships are a valuable part of graduate education.
4. Cooperate with and encourage colleges to reward the work of excellent teaching assistants and to publicize such efforts.
5. Support the efforts of student services programs to provide challenging practicum and internship experiences that enhance graduate training in counseling and administrative programs.

Objective 2: A significant number of graduate and professional programs that rank in quality among the top ten public institutions in the country

It is the Office of the Provost's responsibility to work with the Graduate College and other colleges to encourage and support the continued development of premier graduate and professional programs demonstrating national and international distinction. That responsibility requires the Office to monitor the effectiveness of graduate and professional programs, and to allocate resources as effectively as possible based on program evaluation. The Office will continue to support initiatives that seek to enhance the quality of graduate instruction and to integrate international and multicultural components into graduate curricula.

1. Work with the Graduate College and other colleges through program review to enhance or reduce graduate programs based on the primary criteria of centrality and quality, and the secondary criteria of student demand, potential for excellence, external impact, and cost.
2. In collaboration with the Graduate College, enhance the quality of instruction in selected topics of international and area studies at the graduate level; increase graduate scholarships and assistantships for international studies and foreign language training.
3. In collaboration with the Graduate College, enhance the quality of instruction in selected interdisciplinary studies (including multicultural studies) at the graduate level.

Objective 3: Focused graduate and professional programs

Regular evaluation of graduate programs involves review of subprograms and tracks according to the criteria of quality and centrality. The Office of the Provost will continue to work with the Graduate College and other colleges to oversee these reviews, and act on recommendations for enhancement, reduction, or restructuring (with an emphasis on the elimination of low-enrollment tracks, and the enhancement of interdisciplinary and other innovative graduate programs).

1. Work with the colleges to address the needs of programs for which specialized accreditation by external agencies is desired.

Objective 4: Quality resources to support the needs of graduate and professional education

One of the Office of the Provost's primary responsibilities is to obtain resources to ensure that programs have adequate staff, facilities, and equipment, and to work with the Graduate College and other colleges to determine the appropriate distribution of those resources. In order to establish and maintain premier graduate and professional programs, the highest possible quality of facilities, equipment, and access to technology must be provided. Over the next five years, the Office of the Provost will seek to expand the number and quality of computer facilities available to graduate students and work with other units of the University to upgrade laboratory equipment, laboratory space, clinical access, and library resources for graduate student research and scholarship.

Goal 3: A faculty of national and international distinction

Overview

The Office of the Provost has primary responsibility for overseeing faculty. Final responsibility for promotion and tenure decisions for all colleges, including the four health science colleges, rests with the Provost. It is vital that the Office of the Provost encourage and support college- and department-level implementation of the University's strategies aimed at recruiting and retaining a faculty of national and international distinction, and foster new initiatives to aid colleges in their recruitment and retention efforts.

In order to aid the colleges in their efforts to recruit and retain a faculty of national and international distinction, the Office of the Provost must establish communication channels between and among colleges to foster effective information sharing, and continue to foster communication between itself and faculty governance groups. At the same time, and above all, the Office will encourage colleges to develop initiatives that foster high quality and collegial working environments.

The Office is also responsible for developing and implementing procedures related to all faculty personnel decisions. The Office will review all such policies and procedures (governing, for example, searches, hiring, promotion and tenure) to ensure consistency across colleges and fairness of application. The Office will continue to oversee faculty grievances; foster mechanisms of peer review; and evaluate periodically mechanisms for mentoring, new faculty development, and adequate probationary reviews. Finally, in light of the goals of the Framework for Selected Instructional Improvement--which call for more efficient use of differential teaching loads, and out of which has grown an effort to define indicators of instructional enhancement--the Office will continue to develop a comprehensive approach across colleges in establishing a policy of differential teaching loads for faculty, and will begin consideration of alternate means for departments to define faculty workload within the departmental scope of work.

General Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost works with deans, the vice presidents, faculty, and academic offices to address the following general responsibilities, which are related (though not exclusively) to this goal:

• to develop plans and procedures for the recruitment, retention, and development of the strongest possible faculty,
• to develop plans, policies, and procedures to ensure that the University provides a supportive, humane, and facilitative environment for faculty,
• to provide effective administrative leadership for the University's continuing efforts to expand faculty opportunities for women and minority group members,
• to administer the faculty development programs,
• to work with the Faculty Senate and Faculty Council,
• to oversee and coordinate processes for the development of effective mentoring programs for new faculty, including members of minority groups and women,
• to implement an effective program to meet the needs of dual career couples, primarily but not exclusively at the faculty recruitment stage,
• to coordinate processes that recognize the achievements of faculty in teaching, research, and service,
• to assume primary administrative responsibility for the annual faculty/staff convocation,
• to prepare and update the Faculty Handbook,
• to offer educational programs to faculty on issues of importance to relationships among faculty, including sexual harassment, affirmative action and diversity, and others.
• to approve all appointment forms and recruitment plans for the academic units for which the Office of the Provost has responsibility,
• to receive, investigate, and recommend appropriate actions in response to complaints by faculty, or by students about faculty or teaching assistants, and to formulate recommendations for the Provost or the Vice President for Health Sciences.
• to coordinate early and phased faculty retirement procedures,
• to represent the units which report to the Office on University-wide administrative bodies with responsibility for the allocation of space and renovation and equipment resources,
• to develop and maintain programs and activities that promote cultural and gender diversity among faculty,
• to oversee the allocation of equipment, repair, and renovation monies to all units for which the Office of the Provost has responsibility.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective 1: Recruitment of first-rate faculty members at all ranks

The Office of the Provost has an important role in helping colleges recruit first-rate faculty. Strategies related to the recruitment and retention of women and minority faculty are listed under Goal 5. In addition, the Office will seek to ensure that adequate funds are available to provide startup equipment and adequate space to attract strong new faculty members.

Objective 2: Retention and career development

The Office of the Provost administers the University's faculty development programs, and has established as one of its most important goals continued improvement in retaining excellent faculty. Strategies toward those ends include:

1. Continue to work with the colleges to reward excellence among faculty (e.g., Regents Awards for Faculty Excellence).
2. Monitor effective and appropriate faculty salary levels.
3. Provide mechanisms and support for a range of faculty development activities, including faculty travel.
4. Establish additional mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of faculty development programs on a regular basis.
5. Continue to develop and administer programs that enhance recruitment, retention, and development of all faculty, with an emphasis on junior faculty (e.g., the Dual Career Network, social events). Enhance the Associate Provost for Faculty Development's revolving fund to place faculty spouses.
6. Work with the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies on innovative approaches to faculty development.
7. Continue and expand participation in Committee on Interinstitutional Cooperation-led development programs.

The strategies listed under Goal 1, Objective 2, which have to do with helping faculty and other instructional staff improve their teaching skills, are also relevant to this objective.

Objective 3: Strong interdisciplinary and international scholarship and teaching

Through the Associate Provost for International Programs, the Office of the Provost will actively seek to increase faculty involvement in global issues and international education and research. The Office will:

1. Create faculty development opportunities that involve international and interdisciplinary work (for instance, by increasing seed-grants available locally for funding research requiring international fieldwork, or by supporting development grants for faculty and staff interested in acquiring a second area of expertise) and increase the number of faculty developing international research and instructional programs.
2. Work with colleges to increase faculty with international interests or experience. Consider international experience during recruitment and appointment of faculty, DEOs, Directors, Deans, and other administrators.
3. Work with colleges to increase faculty with interests or experience related to cultural diversity.

Objective 4: Judicious employment of nontenure-track faculty

As noted above, the Office of the Provost is responsible for reviewing and implementing policies and procedures related to all critical faculty personnel decisions. Two of the Office's policy-related strategies speak to the issues addressed under this objective.

1. Examine the reappointment process for nontenure track faculty to make it less burdensome for colleges, departments, and central administration and more appropriate for faculty.
2. Implement the University's clinical track policy, evaluate its effectiveness, and monitor its usage.

Goal 4: Premier research and scholarship

Overview

Primary responsibility for implementing most of the University strategies aimed at meeting the objectives under the goal “premier research and scholarship” resides with the Office of the Vice President for Research. The Office of the Provost, however, has a vital supporting role in the effort to attain this goal--especially as it relates to the recruitment and retention of faculty committed to excellence in research and scholarship, faculty development, and student research opportunities.

It is the Provost's responsibility to ensure that promotion and tenure policies and procedures yield permanent faculty with the strongest possible credentials in and commitments to teaching, research and scholarship, and service. Those policies and processes must, therefore, give appropriate attention to research as one part of the faculty's tri-partite mission. The Office of the Provost works to ensure that the importance of research is central to hiring and promotion and tenure decisions, and works to facilitate faculty efforts at research and scholarship (through faculty development programs, for example). The strategies listed under Goal 3, Objectives 2 and 3, which relate to faculty research are also relevant to this goal.

General Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost works with the deans, the vice presidents, faculty, and academic offices to address the following general responsibilities, which are related (though not exclusively) to this goal:

• to develop plans and procedures for the recruitment, retention, and advancement of the strongest possible faculty scholars and researchers,
• to coordinate the processes that recognize the achievements of faculty in research,
• to administer the faculty development programs,
• to foster and promote multicultural instruction and research,
• to represent the units which report to the Office of the Provost on University-wide administrative bodies with responsibility for the allocation of space and renovation and equipment resources,
• to oversee the allocation of equipment, repair, and renovation monies to all units which report to the Office of the Provost, and
• to enhance opportunities for international research, for both faculty and students.

Objective 1: A significant number of premier departments

As the Office of the Provost fulfills a key responsibility--to work with the colleges to review programs and departments based on the “Criteria for Institutional Enhancements and Reductions” and to allocate resources based on those reviews--it gives appropriate attention to excellence in research and scholarship. These Office strategies dealing with program review and resource allocation are undertaken in consideration of this component and its centrality to the University's mission.

As the Office implements the University's institutional strategy relating to the review of administrative structures, it considers the centrality of research and scholarship to that review.

Objective 2: New initiatives for strong research and scholarship

Through the Associate Provost for International Programs and the Associate Provost for Opportunity at Iowa, the Office of the Provost has a special responsibility to encourage colleges and departments to strengthen the international and multicultural elements of faculty and student research and scholarship. It will do so in part through the following strategies:

1. Collaborate with colleges and departments to develop a global network of institutions to promote mutual development of research and instructional programs.
2. Establish a program of distinguished visiting international professionals and faculty.
3. Work with the University Libraries and Technology Information Services to ensure access to essential international publications and research materials.
4. Promote the emergence of cross-cutting interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary areas of research.

Objective 3: A stimulating intellectual environment that encourages faculty, staff, and

students to achieve higher levels of excellence

All Office strategies which aim to expand the availability and quality of equipment and facilities to faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students are relevant to this objective.

Objective 4: Organizational infrastructure to promote research and scholarship

The Office of the Provost is responsible for overseeing the regular review of those centers and institutes which report to non-health science units.

Objective 5: Enhance research and scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and

graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research staff

1. Work with the dean of the Graduate College and others to support thesis and dissertation projects, and work with the colleges to increase undergraduate research opportunities (through the Honors program, the Undergraduate Scholar Assistantship program, and others).

Objective 6: Publicize the scholarship and research activities of the University

As noted under Goal 6, the Office of the Provost has an important role in promoting and cooperating in efforts to publicize the achievements of University faculty, staff, and students, and working to make the public and the University community aware of University achievements in the areas including research.

Goal 5: A culturally diverse and inclusive University community

Overview

The Provost has primary responsibility for coordinating diversity efforts affecting faculty and students. The Provost's Office works to meet the University's goal of increasing faculty and student diversity (including international students and faculty as well as U.S. ethnic minorities and women), as well as increased attention to diversity in the curriculum, in research, and in all aspects of University life. Through the Associate Provost for International Programs, the Office works to increase attention to international issues, facilitate international study and research opportunities, and widen the University's global perspective. The Associate Provost for Faculty Personnel and Development and the Associate Provost for Opportunity at Iowa monitor the recruitment and retention of women and minority faculty. A highly qualified student body and faculty, diverse in race, gender, and cultural background, are conditions precedent to the sort of challenging, broadly-based academic programs the Office seeks to encourage; it is the responsibility of the Office of the Provost, therefore, to oversee the recruitment and retention of that student body and faculty, and to ensure a structure in which all faculty, staff and students have the opportunity to succeed.

It should be noted that diversity is a cross-cutting issue, one which affects all aspects of University life, perhaps more than any other goal. The Office of the Provost's strategies to encourage a culturally diverse and inclusive University community are concentrated here, but others can be found under each of the goals. The strategic plans developed by Opportunity at Iowa, International Programs, Student Services, and the First Level Planning Unit on Enrollment Services should also be consulted for additional Office-relevant strategies related to diversity.

General Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost works with the deans, the vice presidents, faculty, and academic offices to address the following general responsibilities, which are related (though not exclusively) to this goal:

• to lead and coordinate University-wide efforts to initiate, coordinate, develop, and sustain programs and activities that promote cultural and gender diversity among faculty and students in all academic, educational, cultural, and social programs at the University,
• to oversee and coordinate outreach, recruitment, and retention efforts for students, faculty and staff from underrepresented populations,
• to support innovative ideas to promote cultural and gender diversity in the University,
• to work with the deans to foster and enhance a curriculum which is inclusive,
• to foster and promote multicultural instruction and research,
• to promote awareness and appreciation of difference and to publicize University diversity efforts,
• to coordinate administrative oversight of the College Bound and IMAGES programs,
• to coordinate administrative oversight of the Opportunity at Iowa Scholars Program,
• to provide effective administrative leadership for the University's continuing efforts to expand faculty opportunities for women and minority group members,
• to oversee and coordinate the processes for the development of effective mentoring programs for new faculty, including members of minority groups and women,
• to offer educational programs to faculty on issues of importance to relationships among faculty, including sexual harassment, affirmative action, and diversity,
• to coordinate administrative oversight of international programs,
• to provide administrative oversight and coordination for the activities of the Office of International Education and Services, the Center for International and Comparative Studies, the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, and the Center for International Rural and Environmental Health,
• to encourage and support international and interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service,
• to establish and nurture academic partnerships with a select group of foreign institutions and encourage research and exchange programs with those institutions,
• to enhance and increase opportunities for faculty, students, and staff to participate in international activities, programs, and exchanges,
• to foster a faculty and a curriculum which are globally-oriented,
• to develop proposals for private, foundation, state, and federal funding to support international programs, and
• to increase the visibility of globally-oriented programs, research, and faculty.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective 1: A climate that respects and values diversity

In addition to supporting the implementation of the General Education Requirement in Cultural Diversity, and responding appropriately and effectively to faculty and student grievances related to race or gender issues, the Office of the Provost will support a climate that respects and values diversity. Through the Associate Provost for Opportunity at Iowa, the Office will:

1. Facilitate lectures and discussions on race relations and other diversity issues within the context of pedagogy and the curriculum.
2. Work with colleges and departments toward increasing recognition of the importance of an environment that is conducive to learning and working for all faculty, staff and students.
3. Collaborate with deans to promote research and scholarship on issues of pluralism within the context of a diverse society.
4. Work with student services units to develop cultural programs (e.g., speakers, multicultural dinners, etc.) that promote cultural awareness.

Objective 2: Recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff who contribute to the diversity of the University

As noted under Objective 1 of Goal 3, the Office will continue to work with collegiate units to improve the retention and promotion of women and minority faculty. In addition, Opportunity at Iowa has developed a number of strategies by which to continue effectively in its active and vital role in the recruitment of historically underrepresented students and faculty:

1. Work with University offices (e.g., Admissions, Financial Aid, the colleges, Special Support Services, the Undergraduate Academic Advising Center, Honors Program, etc.) to develop, implement, monitor and improve outreach and retention, employing a global strategy.
2. Work with collegiate units and student support services to improve the retention, graduation, and promotion of students, staff, and faculty. Work to increase the pool of prospective minority faculty. Continue to work aggressively with departments to explore ways in which students and faculty can best be served. Give increased attention to the recruitment and retention of foreign students.
3. Enhance need-based and non-need-based scholarships and employment opportunities for students, working with Financial Aid, the UI Foundation, and the Alumni Association, as well as federal, state, and private sources.
4. Work with school districts and communities to enhance the academic skills of students, to raise their aspirations, and to make them and their parents aware of educational opportunities at Iowa. Develop and implement special opportunities for students of color in Iowa school districts that have been designated as “desegregation” districts by the U.S. Department of Education. Develop and implement partnerships with local, regional and national agencies that enhance academic skills and motivate students to pursue higher education.
5. Monitor the effective recruitment and retention of women and minority faculty, and work with collegiate units to improve the retention and promotion of women and minority faculty.

Objective 3: Administrative procedures and programs that support diversity

The Office of the Provost has developed a number of strategies to improve administrative procedures for recruiting and retaining women and minority students and faculty. Key among these are a number of strategies which will be implemented through the Associate Provost for Opportunity at Iowa, and which are intended firmly to establish Opportunity at Iowa as a source of critical leadership in coordinating the University's diversity initiatives. Also included are strategies intended to enhance administrative procedures related to enhancing international components of the University's mission.

1. Provide leadership and coordination to the colleges, as well as to faculty and student services offices, for assessing the scope and breadth of diversity issues and how they might be addressed, while working to integrate the University's diversity goal as a significant aspect of all the University's strategic planning goals.
2. Serve as a local, state, regional and national resource on matters of diversity. Monitor, analyze, and disseminate data that affect diversity.
3. Prepare proposals for external funding to support initiatives related to curricular reform, graduate research opportunities, elementary and secondary partnerships.
4. Continue to aid in administering and supporting the program for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE).
5. Continue to aid in administering and supporting the Secondary Student Training Program.
6. Review salaries to address gender inequity.
7. Continue to work with the Council on the Status of African Americans, the Council on the Status of Latinos, the Council on the Status of Women, the University of Iowa Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Faculty/Staff Association, and other groups to assess the needs and concerns of women, disabled persons, and underrepresented populations.
8. Continue to participate actively in collaborative initiatives through the Committee on Interinstitutional Cooperation.

Goal 6: Strong ties between the University and external constituencies

Overview

While the responsibility for implementing the University's strategies in relation to this goal lies largely with the Office of University Relations, the Office of the Provost does have a major responsibility for communicating effectively with both internal and external constituencies. The Office continuously examines its effectiveness in representing the broad academic interests of the institution within the University, assisting the President in representing those interests before the Board of Regents, and serving as a vehicle for communicating important data used in analyzing the University's performance.

One of the most important media of communication with external constituencies is faculty service. It is the Provost's responsibility to ensure that promotion and tenure policies and processes yield permanent faculty with the strongest possible credentials in and commitments to teaching, research and scholarship, and service. Those policies and processes must, therefore, give appropriate attention to service as one of the parts of the faculty's tri-partite mission.

General Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost works with the deans, the vice presidents, faculty, and academic offices to address the following general responsibilities, which are related (though not exclusively) to this goal:

• to participate in decisions on University-wide issues, including relationships with members of the Board of Regents and the legislative and executive branches of state government,
• to administer the Office of Institutional Data, and
• to recognize and cooperate in publicizing faculty achievement in teaching, research, and service.

Objective 1: A unified institution-wide external relations effort

1. Represent the University on the Regents' Committee on Educational Relations, the Iowa Coordinating Council for Post-High School Education, and other committees dedicated to articulation agreements with other schools.

Objective 2: Effective communication with outside constituencies

The Office's commitment to effective communication extends to internal and external constituencies equally. Related strategies include:

1. Continue to promote and cooperate in efforts to publicize the achievements of University faculty, staff, and students, and work to make the public and the University community aware of University achievements in the areas of increasing diversity, improving undergraduate education, research efforts, etc.
2. Accelerate the use of technology in the classroom and laboratory, seek to continue the development of student information systems, and provide more information to students and prospective students via the Internet or other electronic media (e.g., information concerning class availability, University programs, and other academic opportunities).
3. Educate the public on the contributions of faculty development programs to teaching and service.
4. Create an ambassador program to promote a closer link between the University and the public, utilizing both current and emeritus faculty.

Objective 3: Credit and noncredit educational programs to serve part-time and nontraditional students in all areas of the state

The Office is committed to supporting initiatives to foster excellence in distance learning, and will support efforts by the colleges, the Library, and the Division of Continuing Education to use instructional technology effectively, expand the number of courses and locations served by the ICN, and spread the availability of University courses through the ICN both in terms of course type and location. The Office will also:

1. Continue to support the development of the electronic degree audit system.
2. Support the efforts of the Committee on Interinstitutional Cooperation to develop collaborative uses of instructional technology.
3. Encourage colleges to expand courses offered off campus (e.g., the M.B.A. programs in Cedar Rapids, Newton, and the Quad Cities).

Objective 4: Substantial funding from private and federal sources

1. Work with the University of Iowa Foundation to support the initiatives of the colleges, departments, and centers and institutes to increase funding.

Goal 7: A quality academic and working environment

Overview

The University's Goal 7, “a quality academic and working environment,” requires a widespread effort. The Office of the Provost's role in that effort, though shared with other units, is no less essential than its role in overseeing the implementation of strategies related to goals for which it has a unique leadership responsibility. Strategies under each of the other six goals contribute to the enhancement of the academic environment--especially, for instance, strategies related to improving classroom and laboratory facilities, increasing access to technology, promoting diversity, and encouraging a collegial atmosphere.

The Strategic Plan of the Associate Provost for Student Services and Dean of Students should be consulted for additional Office-relevant strategies related to this goal.

General Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost works with the deans, the vice presidents, faculty, and academic offices to address the following general responsibilities, which are related (though not exclusively) to this goal:

• to provide administrative leadership, including performance assessment, budget planning and supervision, for administrative and support services for students and for auxiliary services, which include the Iowa Memorial Union, Residence Services, Hancher Auditorium, and the Museum of Art,
• to oversee, provide direction to, and be responsible for the financial management of recognized student organizations, fraternity and sorority business services, and student government activities,
• to oversee, provide direction to, and be responsible for the nonacademic student disciplinary system, governed by Policies and Regulations Affecting Students,
• to provide central administration input and oversight for student placement services.
• to develop plans, policies, and procedures to ensure that the University provides a supportive, humane, and facilitative environment for faculty,
• to coordinate and oversee the Ida Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor Program,
• to receive, investigate, and recommend appropriate actions in response to complaints by faculty, or by students about faculty or teaching assistants,
• to represent the units which report to the Office of the Provost on University-wide administrative bodies with responsibility for the allocation of space and renovation and equipment resources, and
• to oversee the allocation of equipment, repair, and renovation monies to all units for which the Office of the Provost has responsibility.

Objective 1: A supportive and accommodating physical environment

As a member of the Budget Group, the Provost has a responsibility to support initiatives intended to enhance the physical environment for academic programs. Some strategies toward that end include:

1. Support the efforts of the College of Liberal Arts to move faculty offices so that they are together in departmental units.
2. Develop mechanisms to provide appropriate offices for emeritus faculty.
3. Work with the colleges to expand and improve laboratory space in the natural sciences and engineering.
4. Work with Information Technology Services to study and improve computing facilities on campus.
5. Continue to represent the units that report to the Office of the Provost on the Facilities Renewal and Equipment Committee and on the oversight committee for the distribution of student computer fee monies.
6. Continue to support summer camps and workshops.

Objective 2: Promotion of a strong and effective staff

In addition to pursuing its many strategies to promote a strong and effective faculty, the Office will continue to support the vitality of its staff and other academic staff on campus through selective recruitment, affirmative human relations, effective communications, staff development programs, prompt resolution of grievances, and recognition of excellent performance.

Objective 3: A sense of community promoting the intellectual and professional development of faculty, staff, and students

The Office of the Provost seeks to promote a collegial atmosphere among all members of the University community. Strategies related to that effort can be found under Goals 3 and 5, particularly. In addition, the Office will:

1. Enhance the Associate Provost for Faculty Development's revolving fund to place faculty spouses.
2. Review and improve the Ida Beam Visiting Professor program.

Objective 4: Creative and vibrant cultural activity

The Provost oversees the activities of the University Libraries and the Museum of Art, and works to promote their vitality and contribution to students' and faculty's academic and cultural environment.

Objective 5: Support the health and welfare of members of the University community

1. Continue to support the efforts of the Office of the Vice Presidents for Health Sciences and Finance and University Services and the Graduate College to ensure the availability of appropriate health care and expand the availability of child care to students.
2. Work to ensure every student's access to a healthy and safe environment conducive to personal growth.

Objective 6: Efficient administrative framework promoting civility and mutual respect

1. Coordinate procedures used to respond to academic grievances for students in different colleges.
2. Provide professional support to the colleges and departments in developing and administering policies, procedures, and programs; and in the collection, processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination of educational information.
3. Foster cooperation between student academic services programs and colleges and their faculty.
4. Foster and act as advocate for civility in discourse and the continued enhancement of the University community as a forum for the free exchange of ideas.

APPENDIX: Responsibilities of the Office of the Provost

Categorical Responsibilities of the Provost

• To serve as the University's Chief Academic Officer and, in that role, to advise the President on all issues that affect the academic environment of the University, to assume final responsibility for all promotion and tenure decisions, and to ensure the reliability, validity, and usefulness of all academic reviews.
• To appoint and provide administrative leadership to the deans of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, the dean of the Division of Continuing Education, the University Librarian, and the director of the Museum of Art.
• To appoint and provide administrative leadership to the associate provosts responsible for Faculty Development, Student Services, Opportunity at Iowa, International Programs, and Academic Review and Academic Support Services, as well as the assistant provost and director of Administration and Planning.
• To assume substantial responsibility for the University's efforts further to diversify its faculty and student body and to provide a facilitative environment for all persons.
• To participate, with the President and the Vice Presidents, in decisions on general and specific University-wide issues, including budget preparation, resource allocation, relationships with members of the Board of Regents, the legislative and executive branches of state government, University governance, and research policy and support.

Delegated Responsibilities of the Provost*

Faculty Development

• In consonance with the deans of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, the dean of the Division of Continuing Education, and the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to develop substantive plans and procedures for the recruitment, retention, and development of the strongest possible cadre of faculty.
• In consonance with the deans of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, the dean of the Division of Continuing Education, and the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to develop plans, policies, and procedures to ensure that the University provides a supportive, humane, and facilitative environment for faculty, both existing and prospective.
• In consonance with the deans of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, the dean of the Division of Continuing Education, the Associate Provost for Opportunity at Iowa, the Associate Provost for International Programs, and the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to provide effective administrative leadership for the University's continuing efforts to expand faculty opportunities for women and minority group members.
• To advise the Provost and the Vice President for Health Sciences on the uses of financial resources to administer faculty development programs and programs to recognize faculty achievement in teaching, research, and service.
• With appropriate faculty groups, deans, and the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to oversee and coordinate the processes for the selection of faculty to participate in faculty development programs.
• With appropriate faculty groups, deans, and the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to oversee and coordinate processes for the development of effective mentoring programs for new faculty, including members of minority groups and women.
• With appropriate deans and/or the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to implement effective programs to meet the needs of dual career couples, primarily but not exclusively at the faculty recruitment stage.
• With appropriate faculty groups, deans, and the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to coordinate and oversee the Ida Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor Program.
• With members of the Council on Teaching and other appropriate faculty groups, to conceptualize, further develop, and promote plans to enhance quality teaching at the University.
• To assume primary administrative responsibility for the annual faculty/staff convocation.
• To prepare and update the Faculty Handbook.
• In cooperation with the Office of Affirmative Action, to offer educational programs to faculty on issues of importance to relationships among faculty, including sexual harassment, affirmative action and diversity, and others.
• Under the general direction of the Provost and in cooperation with the Office of Affirmative Action, to approve all appointment forms and recruitment plans for the academic units for which the Office of the Provost has responsibility.
• To receive, investigate, and recommend appropriate actions in response to complaints by faculty, or by students about faculty or teaching assistant, and to work with the General Counsel, the deans, and the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s) to formulate recommendations for the Provost or the Vice President for Health Sciences.
• To coordinate early and phased faculty retirement procedures in conjunction with the Office of Staff Benefits.
• To provide central administration input and oversight for undergraduate academic advising, including advising for student athletes.

Student Services

• To provide administrative leadership, including performance assessment, budget planning and supervision, for administrative and support services for students and for auxiliary services, which include the Iowa Memorial Union, Residence Services, and Hancher Auditorium.
• To oversee, provide direction to, and be responsible for the financial management of recognized student organizations, fraternity and sorority business services, and student government activities.
• In association with the Associate Provost for Academic Review and Academic Support Services and, when appropriate, in consonance with the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to provide policy coordination and functional direction for University enrollment planning.
• To oversee, provide direction to, and be responsible for the nonacademic student disciplinary system, governed by Policies and Regulations Affecting Students.
• To provide central administration input and oversight for student placement services.

Academic Review and Academic Support Services

• In consonance with the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), the deans, the University Librarian, the Associate Provost for Student Services, and the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, to oversee, develop, administer and, when appropriate, modify collegiate, library, continuing education, and student services strategic plans.
• In consonance with the Vice President for Health Sciences or his/her designee(s), to assume shared responsibility for the conduct of the periodic reviews of the Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy, including the selection of external reviewers and external consultants.
• In consonance with the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), the deans of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, and the dean of the Division of Continuing Education, to undertake substantive efforts to strengthen academic program review University-wide, in order to yield collegiate and departmental reviews that are maximally useful for strategic planning and resource allocation.
• Following consultation with the deans of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, and the dean of the Division of Continuing Education, to assume responsibility for the conduct of the periodic reviews of those units.
• To represent the interests and needs of the units which report to the Office of the Provost on University-wide administrative bodies with responsibility for the allocation of space and renovation and equipment resources.
• In association with the Associate Provost for Student Services and, when appropriate, in consonance with the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to provide budgetary oversight, policy coordination, and functional direction for academic services, which include the Office of Admissions, the Registrar, Undergraduate Academic Advising, and the Evaluation and Examination Service.
• In association with the Associate Provost for Student Services and, when appropriate, in consonance with the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), to provide policy coordination and functional direction for University enrollment planning.
• In consonance with the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s) and the deans, to coordinate administrative oversight for the approval of new courses, the monitoring of course availability, and auditing of courses on the basis of the mission of the University.

Opportunity at Iowa

• To lead and coordinate University-wide efforts to initiate, coordinate, develop, and sustain programs and activities that promote cultural and gender diversity among faculty and students in all academic, educational, cultural, and social programs at the University.
• In cooperation with the deans, the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), the Office of Admissions, and other administrative units, to oversee and coordinate outreach efforts for students, faculty and staff from underrepresented populations.
• In cooperation with the deans, the Vice President for Health Sciences and her/his designee(s), student service units, and other administrative units, to oversee and coordinate retention programs for students, faculty, and staff from underrepresented populations.
• In consonance with the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s), the deans, the faculty, and student groups, to develop proposals for private, foundation, state, and federal funding to support innovative ideas to promote cultural and gender diversity in the University.
• In consonance with the deans, the vice presidents, and the faculty, to foster and enhance multicultural teaching and research and to promote a curriculum which is inclusive.
• To foster and nurture relationships with historically black colleges and universities and other institutions with minority populations, in order to increase the representation of ethnic minorities among graduate and professional students and faculty.
• In cooperation with the deans, student services units, and the Office of University Relations, to promote awareness and appreciation of difference and publicize the University's diversity efforts on the University, local, state, and national levels.
• To coordinate administrative oversight of the College Bound and IMAGES programs.
• To coordinate administrative oversight of the Opportunity at Iowa Scholars Program.
• To represent the Provost and the Vice President for Health Sciences or her/his designee(s) as designee for appeals of the Code of Students Life and academic discipline appeals.
• To oversee, provide direction to the deans, and review academic grievance procedures.

International Programs

• To coordinate administrative oversight of international programs, and to establish and maintain an effective governance structure for international programs.
• To represent the University's diverse international programs for faculty and students within the Office of the Provost and to groups within and outside the University.
• To provide administrative oversight and coordination for the activities of the Office of International Education and Services, the Center for International and Comparative Studies, the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, and the Center for International Rural and Environmental Health.
• In consonance with the deans, the vice presidents, the University Librarian, and the directors of the international centers, to encourage and support international and interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service.
• In consonance with the deans and the directors of the international centers, to establish and nurture academic partnerships with a select group of foreign institutions and encourage research and exchange programs with those institutions.
• In consonance with the deans and the directors of the international centers, to enhance and increase opportunities for faculty, students, and staff to participate in international activities, programs, and exchanges.
• In cooperation with the deans, the faculty, and the directors of the international centers, to increase the number of foreign scholars visiting the University and the resources, space and other support available to them.
• To work with the deans to increase the percentage of undergraduate foreign students at the University and to provide them with appropriate resources and support.
• In consonance with the deans, to foster a faculty and a curriculum which are globally-oriented..
• In consonance with the deans, the faculty, the UI Foundation, the UI Alumni Association, the vice presidents, the directors of the international centers, and other administrative offices, to develop proposals for private, foundation, state, and federal funding to support international programs.
• To coordinate with the Office of University Relations efforts to increase the visibility of globally-oriented programs, research, and faculty.
• To oversee the budgetary and programmatic activities of the Summer School.

Administration and planning

• In consonance with the deans of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, the dean of the Division of Continuing Education, the University Librarian, and the Associate Provost for Student Services, to initiate, analyze, and make budget appropriation recommendations on and with these major units to the Provost.
• To relate the activities of the Office of Institutional Data to and coordinate them with the budgetary and strategic planning functions of the Office of the Provost.
• To hire and supervise staff responsible for the activities of the Office of Institutional Data and to develop further the capabilities of the Office to inform academic decision-making University-wide.
• To coordinate the academic budget preparation process for all units for which the Provost has administrative and budgetary responsibility, including the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, and the Division of Continuing Education, the University Libraries, and Student Services.
• Under the direction of the Provost, to implement decisions relative to the administration of budget allocations and policies.
• To monitor all budgets for which the Office of the Provost has responsibility, including the budgets of the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, Engineering, the Graduate College, Law, and Liberal Arts, the Division of Continuing Education, the University Library, and Student Services.
• To oversee the allocation of equipment, repair, and renovation monies to all units for which the Office of the Provost has responsibility.
• To advise the Provost on all other matters relating to the allocation of resources to the units for which the Office of the Provost has responsibility.
• To coordinate with counterparts in the Offices of the Vice President for Health Sciences, the Vice President for Research, and the Vice President for Finance and University Service the allocation of resources University-wide earmarked for academic purposes.

5/19/95

Footnotes

* These responsibilities, borne by associate provosts, will be carried out under the general direction of the Provost.

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This page last updated September 19, 1997