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We're taking a midterm exam
Campus community assesses progress on where Rose-Hulman is in meeting its goals and where
it needs to go.
by President Samuel F. Hulbert
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is taking a midterm exam.
As the college nears midpoint of its Vision to be the Best campaign, we are assessing how
well we’ve done to achieve the goals set for us by the Commission on the Future of
Rose-Hulman in 1993. That group conducted a yearlong study of Rose-Hulman and developed a
set of recommendations to guide the college into the next century.
Now is the time to review our progress and to plan for the future through a process
started this past summer. The executive officers, members of the Executive Committee of
the Board of Trustees and faculty representatives developed a list of areas that may need
future consideration. Using that list as a starting point, a group of faculty, staff and
students brainstormed during October about what is needed to keep Rose-Hulman on target in
meeting its goal to be the best. The campus community had the opportunity to provide more
input during an open forum in November. Input from those sessions will be available when
the Commission on the Future members return to campus to revisit their specific task force
recommendations next February.
At the same time, Barry Benedict, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the
faculty, has implemented a strategic approach to developing an academic master plan. This
plan will guide our work as we make a midpoint assessment of our campaign and set out what
will be the focus of Phase II.
I have no doubt we will pass our midterm exam with high marks. But I also have no doubt it
will point out areas where we need to continue to improve. Even the best students need to
be critiqued at midquarter to assess strengths, weakness, and to uncover potential for the
future.
The process of assessment and planning is important as we strive to reach our goal of
being the best. If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t know when you
get there. The planning process provides the necessary direction. We can put forth all of
the lofty goals we want, but they never become reality if we don’t have a plan to
achieve them.
All planning requires us to focus on our mission: To provide students with the
world’s best undergraduate education in engineering, science and mathematics in an
environment of individual attention and concern.
To make that mission a reality, five goals have been established:
• Recruit highly qualified students, faculty and staff;
• Provide an excellent learning environment;
• Encourage realization and recognition of the full potential of all campus community
members;
•Instill in our graduates skills appropriate to their professions and lifelong
learning; and
• Provide resource management and development that supports the academic mission.
The Rose-Hulman Commission on Assessment of Student Outcomes developed those goals with
input from various Rose-Hulman constituencies. When we plan, we need the input from all
people who are part of the Rose-Hulman family: alumni, students, faculty, staff, and other
friends of the Institute. For any plan to be successful, it cannot be viewed as “Sam
Hulbert’s Plan” or the “Dean’s Plan” or the “Board of
Trustees’ Plan.” Any plan we develop is Rose-Hulman’s plan that reflects
the feedback we have received from all of our constituencies. Those groups must help set
the vision and buy in to it to move a plan from strategy to implementation.
Planning done for Vision to be the Best has paid off in countless areas, and I have
touched on several of them in past columns. We have expanded project-based learning,
incorporated the latest technologies into our curriculum, and upgraded our student life
facilities. Our national reputation continues to grow and other colleges have adopted our
first-year curriculum that integrates the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering.
These are exciting times at Rose-Hulman, and they would not be possible without the
support of so many. Increased numbers of people have joined together to support
Rose-Hulman, with almost 8,000 donors getting behind Vision to be the Best. Our alumni
giving rate of 47 percent is among the best in the country. We can only merit such support
if we plan and if our supporters see evidence of their college moving toward its goal of
being the best.
Rose-Hulman has achieved progress on several fronts, but much remains to be accomplished.
That is why the current assessment and planning process is so essential to our future. We
must continue to dream and see what areas we need to target to accomplish our mission.
People support institutions that are perceived to be making a difference in the world.
Rose-Hulman is one such place, and we must continue to build on our momentum. Now is not
the time to “sit on our laurels”, but to press on to ever greater things.
 
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