Indiana State University’s Board of Trustees on Friday (Feb. 22) approved a revised mission statement and value statements that reflect a commitment to research, public service and a well-rounded education.
“Indiana State University, a doctoral research university, combines a tradition of strong undergraduate and graduate education with a focus on community and public service. We integrate teaching, research, and creative activity in an engaging, challenging, and supportive learning environment to prepare productive citizens for Indiana and the world,†the mission statement declares.
The statement was developed by a committee of faculty, staff and students chaired by C. Jack Maynard, Indiana State’s provost and vice president for academic affairs.
“I would like to commend Provost Maynard and his committee for leading this effort and express my appreciation to all those who participated in the process as we worked through many drafts and revisions,†ISU President Lloyd W. Benjamin III said.
Development of the mission statement and accompanying value statements, also developed by the committee, is a critical component of preparations for re-accreditation of the university by the North Central Association on Accreditation and School Improvement, Benjamin said.
Value statements approved by the board state:
• We value high standards for learning, teaching, and inquiry.
• We provide a well-rounded education that integrates professional preparation and study in the arts and sciences with co-curricular involvement.
• We demonstrate integrity through honesty, civility, and fairness.
• We embrace the diversity of individuals, ideas, and expressions.
• We foster personal growth within an environment in which every individual matters.
• We uphold the responsibility of University citizenship.
• We exercise stewardship of our global community.
ISU trustees also approved room and board rates that reflect average increases of between 4 and 4.5 percent.
The annual residence hall rate for 2008-09 will be $6,972.04. As in the past, returning students who have maintained continuous enrollment, excluding summers, and who have earned 56 or more ISU credit hours, will have their room and board rates frozen at the applicable level during their sophomore year. The rate for students with 56 to 86 ISU credit hours will be $6,671.48, and the rate for students with 87 or more hours will be $6,294.08.
The rates also include an average increase of $23 per month for University Apartments.
“Our room and board rates continue to be among the lowest in the state and we believe that next year they will be the lowest among the four-year institutions that have a comparable board program,†Tom Ramey, vice president for student affairs, said. “We believe our students are getting a very big bang for their buck.â€Â
Also during the meeting:
• Trustees adopted a new policy implementing criminal background checks for all new part-time temporary and full-time faculty as well as graduate assistants. The policy was earlier approved by the university’s Faculty Senate.
• Benjamin reported that Indiana State has, for the second straight year, been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
• Michael Chambers, interim director of international affairs, reported that enrollment of international students has climbed to nearly 450, reversing a slight decline in the years following Sept. 11. International students had a $43.9 million impact on the Terre Haute economy between the 2002-03 and 2006-07 academic years, Chambers said. During the same period, Indiana State received nearly $900,000 in grants for international cooperative activities and the number of ISU students studying abroad climbed from 34 in 2002 to 137 in 2007. The university has 20 bilateral partnerships with colleges and universities in other countries.
• Trustee Ron Carpenter, chair of the board’s presidential search committee, reported the committee has narrowed the list of semi-finalists to seven. The committee will interview the semi-finalists over the next few weeks before recommending three to five finalists to the Board of Trustees. Two or three finalists are expected to be brought to the ISU campus in late April, Carpenter said. Benjamin will step aside as ISU president on June 30.
Contact: Teresa Exline, university spokesperson, Indiana State University, 812-237-7783 or texline@indstate.edu
Writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu