UI strategic plan reaches next step

By Mallory Medved - Copy Editor

Last week, the next step in UI President B. Joseph White's strategic plan to improve the university system began. UIS submitted the first draft of the second step of the plan, in which each of the UI system's campuses - Chicago , Springfield and Urbana-Champaign - created a specific plan targeted for each school.

UIS' draft was completed Oct. 31, and it was presented at the third Summit on Strategic Leadership at the UIUC campus yesterday.

The strategic plan for UIS as a whole is a sequential process, said committee member Don O'Neal, associate professor of management. "We began with a heritage statement," he said, "which basically summarized our past."

The heritage statement mentions UIS' " centrality of teaching; lively intellectual and social interaction among faculty, students and staff and an emphasis on interdisciplinarity [sic] and innovation in teaching non-traditional bachelor and master's degree students in small classes," from its beginnings as Sangamon State and continuing today.

The next sections of the draft, available on the University of Illinois ' Web site, include the university's mission and vision statements that, according to O'Neal, is a measure of, "What we are.and what we hope to be." The vision statement states UIS' intent of being "one of the top five small public liberal arts universities in the United States ."

The next section of the plan describes the specific goals the university wants to implement in order to achieve their vision of the future. The plan analyzes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the plan, as well as environmental factors and current trends.

Ultimately, the university's goal is to improve the campus community in the following ways: academic excellence, enriching individual lives, making a difference in the world, strengthening campus culture, enrollment and retention and resources and infrastructure. These goals range from encouraging minority enrollment to exploring the possibility of joining the NCAA.

The final draft of this part of the strategic plan is due to be presented to the Board of Trustees by Jan. 31, 2006, but students, faculty and staff can expect to see some results in the upcoming months.

The UIS community will notice a heightened drive to increase enrollment and more marketing of the university at large, according to O'Neal.

This is the most recent strategic plan UIS has embarked upon to develop the vision and focus of the university since 1992. That first plan, called Toward 2000, looked to improving both the intellectual and cultural climate of Sangamon State .

During the next 13 years, UIS has been constantly changing, starting as a Board of Regents university to a UI campus to a rapidly expanding liberal arts university. A strategic plan is needed to keep the focus of the campus community united in one common goal for the future.

"A strategic plan gets everyone thinking in the same direction. If you asked six people on this campus right now where the university was headed, you'd get six different answers," said O'Neal. "Ultimately, the success of this plan depends on everyone."

The next draft of the plan, focusing on the individual schools, colleges and major administrative units in the UI system is due April 28, 2006. The entire strategic plan should be implemented by June 30, 2006.

The draft of UIS' strategic plan can be found online at www.uillinois.edu/president/strategicplan/index.html

SGA discusses student privacy

By Laura Camper - General Assignment Reporter

In a meeting of the Student Government Association on Sunday, Nov. 13 President Samantha Drews announced that she had scheduled a meeting with John Ringle, director of housing and residential life, to discuss privacy issues regarding student Internet postings. She warned there have been cases of students being punished pre-emptivley because of Internet postings. "Because you are logging into the UIS system, all information posted is subject to review," she said. "If you are worried about repercussions on what you post, don't post."

The issue was introduced by Vice President Bob Skorczewski, who after attending an open forum of the HRC, expressed concern about possible invasion of privacy by prospective employers. During the forum a discussion of the practices of Applied Study Term-like offices on other campuses revealed that prospective employers had been allowed to access student information on those campuses. "I am concerned that they would have access to information that is illegal for them to ask," he said. "This could be an invasion of privacy."

A first draft of a resolution advocating the introduction of fair trade coffee at Capitol Perks Coffee Shop was submitted for approval. Trustee Carrie Bauer said she would like to see educational literature displayed at the Coffee Shop explaining the significance of fair trade coffee.

Student Marty McCormack asked that the SGA look into the possibility of replacing Styrofoam containers in the Emporium Restaurant with biodegradable containers. He also reported a discussion at the Housing Forum had revealed that a fee of less than three dollars per student living on campus could finance a campus wide recycling program. Ringle had offered use of a UIS van in order to transport recyclables to a recycling center.

Drews said that fees had already been addressed for the coming school year but McCormack could look into donations to support the project.

Senator Evan Wilson advised McCormack to look for grant support. She said she had experience with a similar program in Bloomington, "that received grants for advertising and collection."

Drews said she would like McCormack to serve on a temporary ad hoc committee, which would address environmental issues on campus. This committee could address recycling and the Styrofoam issue. She also asked that three SGA members volunteer for the committee.

Other issues addressed at the meeting were an announcement of a possible honorary doctorate being bestowed on the founder of Dairy Queen who is a Springfield resident. The forming of an Inter-Club Council Board By-Law Committee was announced. And Brie Hudkins reported that the SAC was forming a By Law Committee to lay out rules for granting money to organizations requesting funding. Hudkins also announced the organization of a Battle of the Bands for the spring semester.

Attending the meeting were President Drews, Vice President Skorczewski, Secretary Sarah Doyle, Trustee Carrie Bauer, Sergeant at Arms Brace Clement, Senators Dan Johnson, Matt Riedle, LaTrice Nettles, Wilson, Dohnzella Alford, Eric Cromer and Ryan Morrison. Also attending were Cynthia Thompson, director of student life, Jim Korte, assistant dean of students, Vera Leopold, Brie Hudkins and Marty McCormack.

UI strategic plan reaches next step

SGA discusses student privacy