Dear Colleagues and Friends,
We are pleased to share with you some of the recent administrative developments at The Institute of World Politics. In recent months, there has been significant progress on a number of fronts.
Our impression is that the sense of purpose and positive rhythm at the Institute has never been stronger. This fall, we welcomed the largest incoming class in IWP’s history. The school’s accreditation requirements are being successfully met. Staff morale is high, and members of our IWP team are working together in an effective and collegial way. Students and faculty are fully engaged in the important work of preparing leaders for our nation.
A new ten-year contract has been signed with IWP’s founder, President and Chancellor-elect, John Lenczowski. His leadership has been critical to our progress. John has recruited an excellent new Executive Vice President, Noah Rudolph, and together they have initiated a number of administrative and programmatic improvements.
We have commenced a search for a new president, and have made progress in our Institutional Advancement department with the advent of a new consultant, planning process, and structure.
It is comforting to see the Institute’s prudent stewardship of our investments, and we are as committed as ever to the school. The Institute of World Politics is a national treasure, and we Trustees are committed to providing the resources and leadership to realize its growth potential. To that end, the leadership team and Trustees are mapping ambitious plans.
Based on the report below, supporters of the Institute should be encouraged and excited about the major progress on many fronts at the IWP campus. Your friendship, active involvement, and donations have made the difference.
Respectfully,
Owen Smith
Chairman
John Lovewell
Vice Chairman
Progress: IWP Administration, Fall 2013
Strategic Planning – The leadership and staff at IWP have revised our last Strategic Plan into a new, detailed, ambitious but achievable agenda. The staff has also produced detailed departmental action plans to which they and the senior leadership are fully committed.
Student Information System – On September 1, IWP successfully completed the complex process of replacing our former administrative management software system with our new EMPOWER student information system. This system provides:
- A secure, FERPA-compliant system to manage student information
- A system through which prospective student information will be managed
- A portal through which students can select classes, track progress against degree requirements and manage administrative needs (paying bills, requesting transcripts etc.)
- A portal through which professors will manage administrative tasks
- A database to manage the full life-cycle of IWP’s interaction with our stakeholders (interested party, prospective student, student, alumni, donor)
- A tool to manage the application process for interested IWP students
Our success in implementing this system is a direct reflection of the IWP staff’s willingness to think critically about the implementation, proactively identify trouble spots and allocate resources accordingly.
Facilities – In the past several months, we have carpeted, painted and installed networks on the second floor of Bently Hall. These offices now house six Senior Army Fellows as well as several other IWP administrative functions.
Additionally, several functions have moved from the lower level of the Marlatt Mansion to Bently Hall (Student Recruitment, Registrar, Financial Aid and one classroom). The lower level of the Marlatt Mansion is being repurposed to house several functions that do not require a full-time presence (Career Services, Student Government Association, and Alumni Association, student groups, and equipment storage).
Alumni Relations – Our focus on Alumni Relations is anchored in a very simple concept: when students choose IWP, they are telling us that they are committed, deliberate and principled; this is a group of stakeholders with whom we need to cultivate deep and lasting relationships. We have made progress on three projects:
- Networking Partners – In the last month, Alumni Relations has kicked off our “Networking Partners” program. This program, designed to link alumni with students interested in their organization/profession, has already attracted over 50 alumni. The program’s intent is to create information sharing/networking/mentoring opportunities for current students.
- Alumni Course Discount – IWP has recently announced a 50% discount program for MA graduates interested in auditing an IWP course.
- Total accounting – As we bring the EMPOWER system online, we are taking time to validate our alumni records such that we can maintain contact with alumni long after they graduate from the school.
Website – The IWP website has a new look and feel. The staff universally agree that the website feels much more professional and is in keeping with the IWP brand. This is just the first step as we continue to add new capabilities to the website.
Advertising – IWP recently developed a comprehensive advertising plan for the 2013-14 academic year. This plan includes both an online and print media campaign.
Student Recruitment – Over the past two months, the Student Recruitment office has made great strides in spreading the word about our programs:
- Attended 13 graduate school fairs.
- Identified over 155 prospective students.
- Cultivated relationships with professors at several colleges and universities.
Security – A new access system has been installed on the doors of Marlatt Mansion and Bently Hall. Access to these buildings will require an IWP issued identification card rather than an access code. The new system has been installed and will be operational upon distribution of identification cards.
Student Government Association (SGA) – The SGA is off to a strong start for the year. SGA has developed a newsletter, Denial and Deception in addition to other modes of communication with students, has co-hosted a welcome party, and hosted a Halloween party. They have held several open meetings with students. IWP has allocated office space for SGA (and a few other alumni/student organizations) in the lower level Marlatt Mansion, where SGA has established office hours.
Accounting Systems – In conjunction with the Empower implementation, IWP also introduced a completely new accounting system. The new system, Intact, has been configured to work with the new student information system and is the “live” accounting system for the 2014 fiscal year. This system has already proven to be much more user-friendly and scaled to the needs of IWP.