The University of Iowa’s nearly year-old strategic plan implementation team has created a 2018 work plan spelling out actions to achieve goals outlined in the strategic plan that guides the institution’s priorities.

The Path Forward Steering Committee’s first work plan proposes supporting Faculty Learning Communities, which support faculty as they integrate high-impact practices into their courses. According to the strategic plan, “high-impact practices” involve “student participation in programs that demand integrating learning across contexts,” such as research, internships, or service learning.

Other items include assessing alumni engagement, maximizing effectiveness of programs that support underrepresented students, and recruiting and retaining a more diverse faculty, staff, and student body.

The UI announced in November 2017 that its operations and strategy implementation teams were replaced with the Path Forward Steering Committee, co-chaired by interim Executive Vice President and interim Provost Sue Curry and Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations Rod Lehnertz. Members include UI faculty and undergraduate, graduate, and professional members of the two student governments.

The committee comprises four work groups focusing on areas of the UI Strategic Plan: student success; research and discovery, engagement; diversity, equity, inclusion; and collaboration.

“I appreciate the hard work and persistence of the committee members and the partners around campus who provided important input in forming this work plan,” Curry said in a statement. “They have helped us focus on these achievable steps to reaching our five-year goals.”

The work groups are expected to submit progress reports in early 2019 and will develop the 2019 work plan.