Mission
Training students to become citizen and professional planners through a process that emphasizes skill development, civic engagement, experiential learning and practical knowledge.
Vision
The IUP Regional Planning Program strives to be the best undergraduate program in the Mid-Atlantic.
Goals
Goal 1 Curriculum Development
Curriculum should be oriented to the development of professional skills, expanding, community outreach and student needs.
Objective: Streamline core curriculum of the Regional Planning program to improve course access and facilitate timely program completion.
- Tactic: Realign course offerings with the PAB standards
- Tactic: Offer a 1 credit professional development course
Objective: Redefine and increase planning content within our two program concentrations.
- Tactic: Require 9 credits within concentration areas to include Specialization to incorporate competencies in knowledge, skills, ethics and values
Objective: Redesign course content to better focus on local municipal planning practice and functions.
- Tactic: Revise content in the following core courses, Urban Landscape, Introduction to Community Planning, Planning History and Theory, Policy planning, Implementation and Administration
Goal 2 Student Success
Strengthen students' critical thinking, technical, writing and communication skills.
Objective: Assess student learning in written, oral and visual communication.
- Tactic: Participate in analytical and writing projects
- Tactic: Enforce standards for academic achievement via minimum GPA and progress towards degree completion.
Objective: Expand the pallet of technical tools within the program.
- Tactic: Restructure core and concentration courses to include technical tools (GeoDesign and Visualization, Graphic Design and Communications)
Goal 3 Student Life
Create an environment where interaction and exchange between students, faculty, planning professionals and the community at large is encouraged, supported and maintained.
Objective: Increase student and faculty participation in the PSO.
- Tactic: Require students to earn service hours in the department (X number of hours per semester)
- Tactic: Promote a speaker series to increase student and faculty participation
Objective: Increase interaction and exchange between the PSO and "sister" organizations.
- Tactic: Utilize PSO to connect with Indiana County Office of Planning and Development (ICOPD) Student Planner Program
- Tactic: Connect PSO members with other student organizations on-campus (Eco Club)
Objective: Involve PSO members in professional and community outreach activities.
- Tactic: Establish a formal linkage with PA chapter of APA
- Tactic: Support student participation in PA-APA Annual Conference
Objective: Maintain cohort and inter-cohort identification among planning students.
- Tactic: Require inter cohort students to participate in the 1-credit Professional Development (PD) course
Goal 4 Marketing and Enrollment
Increase recruitment to an average of 15 students per cohort while actively recruiting a more diverse student body.
Objective: Use existing media channels and other opportunities to increase program exposure while highlighting faculty and student accomplishments.
- Tactic: Make IUP Public Relations (PR) office aware of significant Regional Planning program initiatives.
- Tactic: Create web stories in timely fashion describing community engagement and outreach activities of the program students and faculty.
Objective: Target and distribute program media to high schools and community colleges throughout the state and Southwest Pennsylvania.
- Tactic: Use social media to highlight the scope of our profession.
- Tactic: Schedule PowerPoint presentations in high schools and community colleges.
Objective: Develop systematic procedures and mechanisms to collect and report program data.
- Tactic: Conduct an alumni employment survey using Qualtrics
- Tactic: Conduct an a student exist survey of program graduates
Goal 5 Community, Professional and Alumni Relations
Expand, enhance and maintain relationships between the planning program, local communities, planning professionals and program alumni.
Objective: Establish formal agreements between the Regional Planning program and community partners.
- Tactic: Inventory existing community partners.
- Tactic: Identify new opportunities for student experiential learning (internships) and community engagement.
- Tactic: Host and support events that draw together faculty, alumni and community partners.
- Tactic: Host two events a year involving the Regional Planning Advisory Board
Goal 6 Research, Practice and Teaching
Promote applied research funding and visibility to enhance student learning, faculty scholarship, professional development and community engagement.
Recognize scholarship activities appropriate to a professional degree program such as Regional Planning and facilitate a scholarship of engagement.
Objective: Reward faculty for securing research grant funding for student support, equipment and student professional development.
- Tactic: Use alternate workload assignments to reward faculty working with students on applied projects
- Tactic: support and encourage faculty AICP certification
Objective: Increase exposure of Regional Planning faculty research activities and student community service projects
- Tactic: Engage partners in cooperative projects that benefit communities, students and faculty.