STRATEGI PLAN2015-2020

Through the strength of our coalition, Iowa Campus Compact provides leadership for the civic mission of higher education.

Iowa Campus Compact strengthens the capacity of colleges and universities to prepare all students to become engaged citizens.

Mission

Vision

Iowa Campus Compact | Pappajohn Education Center | 1200 Grand Avenue, Suite 200 | Des Moines, IA 50309

iacampuscompact.org | (515) 235-4684

IACampusCompact | @IACampusCompact

Special thanks to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines for their financial support of the strategic planning process.

Deepening the civic engagement capacity of member institutions has been IACC’s most prominent strategy during its first ten years.

Iowa Campus Compact will refine and enhance its programming to deepen member capacity. This will be achieved by introducing a new system of bi-annual conversations and self-assessment with each IACC member.

This allows Iowa Campus Compact to better align services with member needs and goals, to increase member use of existing opportunities, and to track progress in deepening civic engagement capacity among the membership.

Systematic review of each member‘s capacity and goals through regular conversations with IACC staff.Action

Short-Term Change | IACC Members:l Growth in each member’s civic engagement capacity.

Long-Term Change | IACC Members:l Strong student outcomes accrue from civic engagement.l Campus civic engagement efforts result in community successes.

Understand and deepen each member campus’ civic engagement capacity.

Results

Why?

Strategy 1

DEEPENING CAPACITY

In addition to strengthening each member campus, this strategic plan also focuses on strengthening Iowa Campus Compact as an organization and as a network. As an organization, Iowa Campus Compact will focus on demonstrating value to each member and increasing the number of members (see strategy 1).

In the time since the last strategic plan was developed, the power of networked organizations has been well-documented. While many members know one another, IACC has not intentionally developed a networked model. The 2015-2020 plan includes an intentional focus on networked and collective action (see strategy 3). The network has the potential to deliver new knowledge and resources to individual members and to increase the power of IACC’s voice in the public.

In response to conversations, adapt program offerings to increase alignment of member goals and IACC services.

Increase connections among members:l to bring knowledge and resources to individual members.l to increase power of IACC’s voice.

Action

Connect campuses to one another to build member and network strength.

Why?

Short-Term Change | IACC:l Increased member participation in IACC offerings.l Increased network strength among members.

Long-Term Change | IACC:l Members perceive high return on investment for dues.l Increased market share for IACC.l Increased member retention.

Results

Strategy 2

BUILDING NETWORKS

New to the 2015-2020 strategic plan is a focus on changing the public dialogue about higher education; specifically, improving the perceived value of the civic mission of higher education.

Iowa Campus Compact has always seen improving public awareness as an outcome of its efforts. However, not many of its strategies were designed to specifically focus on changing opinions of leaders outside of the IACC network.

During the surveys, interviews, and focus groups, participants voiced concern that the civic mission of higher education could be lost to only private, career-oriented goals for higher education. Participants called for increasing the public’s recognition that growing into a responsible citizen is an important reason to attend college. While specific actions must still be designed, early feedback indicates that Iowa’s policymakers and elected officials, and parents of prospective students are key audiences.

Bring leaders together to launch a strategy to increase positive perceptions of the civic mission of higher education among key audiences.Action

Why?

Short-Term Change | Community:l Media devote increased attention to civic mission of higher education.

Long-Term Change | Community:l Increase in perceived value of civic engagement as an outcome of

higher education.

Results

Work together to give voice to the civic mission of higher education.

Strategy 3

GIVING VOICE

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