University Strategic Initiatives

Driving IU’s most complex, cross-campus initiatives from idea to impact

University Strategic Initiatives (USI) serves as a strategic partner to university leadership, advising, coordinating, and mobilizing across campuses to advance Indiana University’s most complex institutional priorities.

USI operates at the intersection of academic, administrative, and system-level priorities, providing enterprise-level strategy, project leadership, integration, and execution for a select portfolio of high-impact initiatives that:

  • Cross or connect campuses, units, and core functions
  • Advance IU 2030 and presidential priorities
  • Require sustained coordination, governance, and delivery discipline beyond normal operational structures

Working in close partnership with stakeholders across the university, USI leaders help identify strategic needs; catalyze, design, and implement innovative solutions; oversee initiatives through completion; and establish reporting and assessment structures that support long-term success.

USI's strategic engagement model

USI’s work spans a range of initiatives, but its role is consistent: providing strategic leadership, coordination, and execution for efforts that matter at an enterprise level.

USI’s portfolio is organized into three primary engagement areas. Together, these engagement areas reflect how USI supports strategy from conception through sustained execution.

    1.  Enterprise strategy and presidential initiatives: USI supports the advancement of IU’s highest-level strategic priorities, including initiatives sponsored by the Office of the President and senior university leadership. In this role, USI helps translate institutional vision into coordinated action across campus and units.

    2. Institution-scale platforms: USI leads and supports complex, multi-year transformation efforts that introduce or modernize enterprise platforms critical to the university’s academic, administrative, and student success missions. These initiatives typically involve extensive stakeholder coordination, governance, and long-term change management.

    3. Strategic partnerships and catalytic initiatives: USI partners with campus and system leaders on high-priority, time-bound initiatives that benefit from strategic advising, project facilitation, and rapid coordination across units. These engagements are often exploratory or catalytic in nature, helping leaders clarify direction, mobilize stakeholders, and advance complex initiatives from concept to action.

When to connect with USI

USI is often engaged when initiatives: 

  • Span multiple campuses, units, or core systems
  • Require neutral, enterprise-level coordination
  • Involve high institutional risk, visibility, or complexity
  • Need disciplined execution beyond normal operational capacity

Engaging USI early can help shape initiatives for clarity, coordination, and long-term impact.

Campus leaders are encouraged to connect with USI during initial planning to explore alignment, scope, and the most effective path forward.

Key strategic projects and initiatives

IU 2030 Strategic Plan Advancement

USI is working with leaders across IU's campuses to advance the goals outlined in IU 2030: The Indiana University Strategic Plan and track and share the university's progress across the plan's three foundational pillars: student success and opportunity, transformative research and creativity, and service to our state and beyond.

Faculty 100 Strategic Hiring Initiative

USI supports IU Bloomington's campus-wide initiative to recruit 100 new tenure-track faculty whose work will be critical to ensuring student success and strengthening IU's research capacity in strategically important and rapidly growing areas.

Slate Admissions and Enrollment Tool

USI is facilitating the planning and implementation of the Slate software tool, which all undergraduate and graduate admissions offices across all IU campuses will use for recruitment and admissions work.

Stellic Student Success Tool

USI is leading broad collaboration across IU campuses and administrative units, including advising teams, registrar offices, and recorders, to implement the powerful Stellic platform, which streamlines and improves students' academic planning and progress tracking.

Raptor

USI is assisting enrollment services staff with the deployment of Raptor, an artificial intelligence tool designed to reduce the amount of manual work needed on student transcripts, which will greatly improve the applicants' experience, with quick and transparent insight into the handling of their records.

CourseLeaf

USI is working with stakeholders across the university to plan, develop, and execute components of CourseLeaf, a digital platform that will enhance the student experience by providing access to program requirements, available course options, and course syllabi during the pre-registration and registration processes.

Enterprise Texting (SMS)

USI is helping to establish a coordinated, university-wide approach to using SMS as a communications channel across IU and ensure that texting is used strategically, effectively, and responsibly to support student engagement and other institutional communications.