Beginning in January 2023, IWU students, faculty, staff, administration, trustees, community leaders, and alumni engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning process that culminated in the fall of 2024 with the Board of Trustees’ approval of a five-year $85M Momentum Plan budget, 56% of which has already been secured through grants, fundraising efforts, and operating budget reallocations.
PRIORITY GOALS There are three priorities we are leaning into over the next five years.
Priority Goal 1 – Fully Engaged People: We will have a robust system in place for attracting and engaging highly gifted people who embrace and embody our mission.
Priority Goal 2 – Collaborative Strategic Partnerships: We will have an effective process for developing and stewarding strategic partnerships that amplify our values.
Priority Goal 3 – Innovative Educational Pathways: We will have expanded our market reach by creating and enhancing educational pathways that encourage lifelong learning. STRATEGIC INITIATIVES The twelve strategic initiatives in our plan are aligned with our mission and values, and will help us achieve our three priority.
#1 ORG. CULTURE OF HOSPITALITY & EMPLOYEE CARE
Through our organizational culture of hospitality and employee care initiative, we will implement an “unreasonable hospitality” campaign with all employees; we will improve our employee onboarding process, first-year employee mentoring programs, and professional development opportunities; and we will retrofit one of our current buildings on the Marion campus into a premiere Welcome Center.
#2 INSTITUTIONAL ALIGNMENT INTIATIVE
Our institutional alignment initiative will ensure that we are operating as a unified institution without silos or invisible barriers between our different principal academic units, and that all employees are aligned theologically with The Wesleyan Church.
#3 EXPANSION OF INTERNTIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Wesley Seminary and IWU N&G will be focusing on the expansion of international education programs in an effort to build on the momentum we have gained in recent years.
#4 EXPANSION OF TEXAS TEACHER PROGRAM
IWU N&G is gaining traction with our teacher education programs and is seeking to expand the Texas teachers program to two additional states.
#5 I AM THIRD ARENA
We recently celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the I AM THIRD arena on the Marion campus, which will provide opportunities for the expansion of the IWU Basketball program vision for discipling student athletes in what it means to live a life that puts God first, others second, and self third.
#6 HOTEL & ASSOCIATED ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
A new hospitality center (connected to the I AM THIRD arena) and associated academic programs will provide opportunities for us to embody our values and demonstrate unreasonable hospitality to overnight guests on the Marion campus.
#7 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER
We will be renovating a building on the Marion campus into an early childhood education center that will benefit our employee families and Grant County.
#8 CENTER FOR FAITH & LEARNING
Establishing the Center for Faith & Learning will provide resources and professional development opportunities for our faculty as they seek to integrate their faith into their teaching and scholarship.We will be renovating a building on the Marion campus into an early childhood education center that will benefit our employee families and Grant County.
#9 21st CENTURY CHURCH CURRICULUM INITIATIVE
The Wesley Seminary 21st Century Church Project will help us bridge the gap between theological education and the local church by fostering mutually beneficial educational partnerships between scholars and practitioners.
#10 ON-CAMPUS WESLEY SEMINARY EXPERIENCE
The new on-campus Wesley Seminary experience will provide residential housing and programming options for our students who desire in-person graduate theological education.
#11 INDY NORTH TECH CENTER & FT. WAYNE HEALTH HUB
The Indy North Tech Center will be the site for our reimagined DeVoe School of Business, Technology, and Leadership, and the Ft. Wayne Integrated Health Hub will provide an innovative educational solution to healthcare challenges in our region.
#12 VOCATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Our vocational apprenticeship program will help address the nationwide shortage of technicians by inspiring and equipping new generations of skilled trade workers.
INSTITUTIONAL MISSION
Indiana Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered academic community committed to changing the world by developing students in character (Philippians 2:5), scholarship (Proverbs 4:13), and leadership (Romans 12:6,8).
INSTITUTIONAL VISION
Indiana Wesleyan University will be the evangelical Christian university for every generation.
INSTITUTIONAL VALUES
- Kindness – We value loving others through generosity, compassion, and respect. (Luke 7:11-17)
- Humility – We value putting others first and having the attitude of Christ. (Mark 10:42-45)
- Belonging – We value an intentional community comprised of different people with different gifts—serving one aim—honoring God. (1 Corinthians 12)
- Integrity – We value being consistently ethical, honest, and trustworthy. (Matthew 5:8)
- Courage – We value acting on conviction, even in the face of fear. (Acts 1:8; 9:1-2)
- Innovation – We value creative solutions that help solve real-world problems. (Romans 12:2)
- Agility – We value systems thinking and the ability to adapt to current realities. (Philippians 2:5)