Indiana University. President. Strategic Directions Charter

The Strategic Directions Charter is an initiative enacted in 1995 by Indiana University President Myles Brand in response to recognition that fundamental changes were underway in the field of higher education. Constituents, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni from every IU campus, chancellors, deans, program directors, members of the IU Board of Trustees, executives in business and industry, school educators, and administrators in state and local government, formed the Strategic Directions Steering Committee and were organized into eight task forces, each in charge of completing a report recommending changes. From these reports, the Strategic Directions Charter was drafted in the fall of 1995, and the final version was widely publicized in January 1996. Both the task force reports and the charter act as dynamic guides for action, which highlight areas for university improvement. In response to these documents, panels of university faculty members were encouraged to create project proposals and to solicit funding for new initiatives or improvements to current programs

From the description of Indiana University Strategic Directions Charter records, 1994-1998. (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 726861561

The Strategic Directions Charter is an initiative enacted in 1995 by Indiana University President Myles Brand in response to recognition that fundamental changes were underway in the greater environment of higher education. The charter is founded on the work of more than 250 members of the university community and friends of the university who began meeting in January 1995 as the Strategic Directions Steering Committee. Constituents-including faculty, staff, students, and alumni from every IU campus, chancellors, deans, program directors, members of the IU Board of Trustees, executives in business and industry, school educators, and administrators in state and local government-were organized into eight task forces, each in charge of completing a report recommending valuable changes for the university from a variety of perspectives.

Published in June 1995, the task force reports set recommendations for targeted change relevant to all Indiana University campuses. Goals included adapting to the widespread changes affecting the constructs of higher education at the time, as well as facilitating Indiana University’s emergence as a model for America’s New Public University. From these reports, the Strategic Directions Charter was drafted in the fall of 1995, and the final version was widely publicized in January 1996. Both the task force reports and the charter act as dynamic guides for action, which highlight areas for university improvement. In response to these documents, panels of university faculty members were encouraged to create project proposals and to solicit funding for new initiatives or improvements to current programs, particularly those which would help to push Indiana University towards its identified goals.

The university allocated $25 million in one-time monies for successful project proposals over the course of three rounds. The Office of Research and the University Graduate School (RUGS) set up review panels that received and commented on pre-proposals during each of the three rounds for funding. The first round of proposals, due March 1, 1996, emphasized innovations in the areas of teaching and learning and building stronger bridges between the university, K-12 schools, and community agencies. The second round, due September 1996, focused on the need to support research. The third round, due March 1997, stressed selective investments in excellence by campus chancellors rather than faculty members.

From the guide to the Indiana University Strategic Directions Charter records, 1994-1998, (Indiana University Office of University Archives and Records Management http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives)