Forward thinking: College of Arts and Sciences’ strategic plan charts course for next five years – News
Illinois State University’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) has unveiled a bold vision for its future in the College of Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan: 2024-2029. Aligned with the University’s latest strategic plan, Excellence by Design, the new CAS strategic plan sets a path forward and affirms the college’s mission, vision, values, and goals.
“This new plan highlights our strong advocacy of a liberal arts mission as well as the values that correspond to it,” CAS Dean Heather Dillaway states in the strategic plan’s preface. “I appreciate how thoughtful and engaged faculty, staff, and students have been in shaping the goals and objectives laid out in this document. I am indebted to all college committees, councils, and individuals who have provided feedback.”
Efforts to update the college’s strategic plan began in 2022. A diverse collection of college stakeholders was assembled to serve as a steering committee. The group collected feedback from the CAS community to update early drafts before a final version was approved by the College Council and endorsed by Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Ani Yazedjian in November 2024.
The document states clear goals but also serves as a “living document, subject to change each academic year, so that we can make sure that action items stay relevant for our ever-changing, higher education environment and global society,” Dr. Dillaway said.
The largest of Illinois State’s seven colleges, CAS reaffirms its mission to serve as Illinois State’s academic and cultural core that impacts all students. CAS offers most of Illinois State’s general education courses, providing foundational knowledge and experiences for students pursuing fields of study both in and outside the college.
“This strategic plan will focus our priorities and initiatives for the next five years. I look forward to seeing what we can do with this plan as our guide.”
—Dr. Heather Dillaway
With 19 schools, departments, and interdisciplinary programs, CAS is the most academically diverse of Illinois State’s seven colleges. CAS embraces that diversity but also recognizes the throughlines that connect them. CAS stands for a comprehensive liberal arts education, including critical inquiry, disciplined thinking, scientific investigation, broadened horizons, intercultural knowledge and understanding, collaborative effort, and personal and social responsibility.
The CAS plan also endorses values stated in Excellence by Design: excellence in teaching, learning, and scholarship; individualized attention; equity, diversity, access, and belonging; collaboration; community and civic engagement; respect; and integrity.
Mission Statement
As the University’s largest and most intellectually diverse college, we serve as Illinois State University’s academic and cultural core, impacting all students. Our commitment to teaching and learning, research, scholarly and creative activity, and service transforms thinking and knowledge. Our liberal arts foundation develops lifelong learners from diverse backgrounds who have the tools to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex, diverse, and changing global society.
Vision Statement
The College of Arts and Sciences will lead Illinois State as a nationally recognized model for public education that prepares engaged citizens and creates knowledge and understanding for an ever-changing future.
Values
The College of Arts and Sciences stands for the values of a comprehensive liberal arts education, including critical inquiry, disciplined thinking, scientific investigation, broadened horizons, intercultural knowledge and understanding, collaborative effort, and personal and social responsibility. The College of Arts and Sciences also supports and upholds Illinois State University’s values as stated in the University’s new strategic plan, Excellence by Design: 2024-2029: 1) excellence in teaching, learning, and scholarship; 2) individualized attention; 3) equity, diversity, access, and belonging; 4) collaboration; 5) community and civic engagement; 6) respect; and 7) integrity.
Dillaway hosted a strategic plan town hall with the college’s chairs, directors, faculty, and staff on April 25. Additional forums for CAS stakeholders will come in future semesters to operationalize and adjust the “living document.”
“This strategic plan will focus our priorities and initiatives for the next five years,” Dillaway said. “I look forward to seeing what we can do with this plan as our guide.”
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