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Update on Rose-Hulman 2015 Progress
by David Piker
Since its launch seven months ago, "Rose-Hulman
2015: A Conversation About Our Future," has created broad-based
conversations and hundreds of written responses to begin to build a
consensus about goals to be accomplished by 2015 that will achieve
the hopes and dreams the Rose-Hulman community has for the
Institute.
More than 600 people have submitted over 1,700
responses to the four themes that are the focus of the conversation.
Responses have come from alumni, faculty, staff, students, trustees,
and parents of current students and alumni. In addition, input is
being received from non-alumni who are leaders in various
professions ranging from business and industry to education and
medicine. All are constituents who are vital to Rose-Hulman
achieving its goals.
"Even though we're in the early stage of this
process, the outstanding response shows that the community is
enthusiastic and wants to be involved in planning for an exciting
next decade at Rose-Hulman," commented Robert Bright, chairman of
the Rose-Hulman Board of Trustees.
"During these first few months, we asked
everyone to discuss their dreams and hopes with few boundaries,"
Bright said. "The next step in the process will be to develop plans
and action to accomplish specific objectives and goals," he stated.
Even though the conversation has focused thus
far on four key themes, those participating have been encouraged to
"think outside the box," and discuss additional issues, themes and
trends that would influence Rose-Hulman's development during the
next decade.
The four themes
and some related questions that have stimulated discussion include:
Future academic programs - What will be
the defining elements of the best undergraduate education in
science and engineering ten years from now? Will academic
disciplines become more specialized? How will new technologies
enhance education? How will new relationships with business and
other partners reshape key elements of our academic programs?
Future students - What will be the
demographics of our student population in 2015? How will
Rose-Hulman insure that the students most able to benefit from a
Rose-Hulman education are able to attend?
Campus life and operations - How should
the campus be equipped to provide the learning and living
environment that we will need in 2015? What will be the role of
campus life in the Rose-Hulman experience for our students?
Community and world relationships -
Which will be our most important external partners in 2015? Will
Rose-Hulman expand programs and its educational influence to the
nation and world? How will Rose-Hulman contribute to the
betterment of Terre Haute and Indiana? How will our alumni
relate to Rose-Hulman as a potential source of learning and
fellowship throughout their professional lives?
The following
summary illustrates the high level of participation resulting from
numerous activities conducted to promote and encourage responses:
All academic departments and
administrative units met to discuss "Rose-Hulman 2015." Many
academic departments involved their Off-campus advisory board
members in the discussions.
160 students participated in two forums
sponsored by the Student Government Association. Other student
leaders including resident assistants and sophomore advisors
also met to discuss what Rose-Hulman should be like in 2015.
Hundreds of alumni have provided
responses and the Alumni Advisory Board provided its input to
the project.
More than 350 responses were received
from numerous constituents via a Web-based individual response
form for "Rose-Hulman 2015."
The Parents Association Leadership
Council talked about "Rose--Hulman 2015" during its annual Mom's
Day event.
The Board of Trustees conducted a
full-day session to provide its responses to the first-phase of
the initiative.
The Institute Planning Group met in July
to discuss the projects progress, and review objectives for the
second phase.
Members of the Rose-Hulman Board of
Associates in Indianapolis and the Wabash Valley are meeting to
discuss Rose-Hulman's future. The boards are advisory groups of
community leaders who are not Rose-Hulman graduates, but who
support the Institute in many ways.
Activities to inform and involve the
Rose-Hulman community have included a special Web site, articles
in print and electronic publications sent to various groups, and
frequent updates in campus publications. The project has been
promoted at alumni events in 10 states attended by 550 graduates
and other friends of the college, and featured on the front page
of the Rose-Hulman Web site.
Those taking
part in the project have expressed a strong consensus that the
following Institute characteristics are cherished and should not be
changed:
Focus on undergraduate education in
engineering, mathematics and science.
Deliver an exceptional education on a
small (2,000 students)residential campus.
Distinguish the educational environment
by individual attention to each student's development.
General, common
themes that have arisen through the "conversation" thus far include:
Create the "world's best" model for
undergraduate engineering, mathematics and science education.
Meet the demonstrated financial aid
need of each student.
Educate great people as well as great
engineers or scientists.
Utilize the latest technologies to
optimize education.
Become a more global institution
Provide the most modern facilities for
learning and personal development.
Fully integrate professional practice
experiences.
Extend Rose-Hulman's community
identity and service orientation.
Support and celebrate Rose-Hulman's
people and culture.
Expand Rose-Hulman's marketing and
communications.
Key outcomes
under consideration to be achieved during the next phases of the
"Rose-Hulman 2015" initiative are
Create "Rose-Hulman 2015: A
Comprehensive Strategic Plan."
Create a broad understanding of
support for and involvement in the strategic plan and its
implementation.
Design and implement the largest
fund-raising campaign in Rose-Hulman history that will provide
resources to achieve the ten-year goals.
Develop a new Campus Master Plan.
The second phase will create the strategic plan
during a process expected to take about a year. The final phase will
be the implementation of the plan which will include the beginning
of the new fundraising campaign.
Bright said the strategic planning process will
involve volunteers representing Rose-Hulman's numerous constituent
groups. "This will be a very important strategic activity that will
create a plan to insure Rose-Hulman's continued leadership in
undergraduate engineering, mathematics and science education for the
next decade," he explained.
 
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