2008 Winter - University Of Southern Indiana

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Regional focus groups contribute to report findingsWhen members of theUniversity of SouthernIndiana President’s TaskForce on Workforce and EconomicDevelopment came calling, leaders inGibson County, Indiana, stepped forward.They not only provided informationabout their county’s priorities andconcerns, they also took advantage ofthe chance to learn about themselves.USI President H. Ray Hoopsappointed the task force to assessUniversity curricular needs, study economictrends, analyze economic impact,and seek community input and awareness.At work since October 2006, thetask force released its report in August.The task force findings will serve as aguide in long-range planning as theUniversity continues to educate theregional workforce and work withemployers and regional leaders tofacilitate economic development.Connie Wellmeyer ’84 is assistantgeneral manager of corporate planningfor Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indianain Princeton, Indiana. She served onthe task force’s Community AdvisoryPanel and participated in the GibsonCounty focus group, one of nine focusgroups conducted throughout the southwesternIndiana, southern Illinois, andwestern Kentucky region. Wellmeyer isa member of the board of the GibsonCounty Economic DevelopmentCorporation (GCEDC).“It was a good flow of information,”Wellmeyer said of the Gibson Countyfocus group meeting.“It was beneficialfor me as amember of theGibson CountyEconomicDevelopment Boardand, in terms of myWellmeyerjob at Toyota, ithelped me understandthe needs of the community.”The focus group included otherGCEDC board members, representativesof corporations from manufacturingto banking, and participants fromOakland City University and GibsonCounty schools. George Rehnquist,a Princeton attorney, served on thecommittee. He is a member of the boardof the Quad County DevelopmentCommission, a multi-governmentalagency serving Gibson, Posey,Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties.He also is a member of the IndianaCommission for Higher Education.Wellmeyer said a major issue for thePrinceton group was the forth comingdevelopment of Interstate-69. The groupbrainstormed about how to prepare forthe economic development the newhighway will bring. They expect workforceneeds in logistics, supply chainmanagement, and construction managementand want students to be educatedwith the knowledge and skills they willneed for these jobs.Discussion in the Gibson CountyGroup also prompted USI to survey itsemployees’ volunteerism. See Inside theReport (next page).The first President’s Task Force onWorkforce and Economic Developmentwas conducted in 1999-2000.
Inside the reportUSI employeesMaking a difference in the communityUSI’s employees are making important contributions to the regionthrough their volunteerism. As a result of their civic engagement, USIemployees make a difference in improving lives, strengthening communities,and creating value within the region.In a survey of employees, in which 324 (100 support staff, 108administrative staff, 100 full-time and 45 part-time faculty, and 13 temporarystaff) responded, there were 32,652 volunteer hours reportedannually. Calculated at the national volunteer wage of $18.77 per hour,the annual monetary value of volunteer activity is $612,878.With an average of 88 volunteer hours per year, USI employeescontribute almost double the average volunteer hours of 44.2 per year inthe state of Indiana.USI’s contribution to the creative classOne of the best-read books in popular economic literature in recentyears is Richard Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class. The bestseller,published in 2003, indicates that creativity has a growing role in theeconomy. Florida said more and more people are involved in living andworking as “creative types” and their lifestyles, work, values, and choicesare changing the economy.Related research indicates that unlike many other inputs into thegrowth process (such as natural resources) which experience diminishingreturns, creativity is associated with increasing returns. An expansionof the creative class in a region can be expected to significantlyboost its economic growth.These occupations are considered to place a greater demand oncreative abilities:• Computer and mathematical occupations• Architecture and engineering occupations• Life, physical, and social science occupations• Education, training, and library occupations• Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations• Management occupations• Business and financial occupations• Legal occupations• Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations• High-end sales and sales managementThe USI President’s Task Force on Workforce and EconomicDevelopment subcommittee on economic impact used data from annualalumni surveys to measure USI’s contribution to the creative class,revealing that a significant proportion of USI graduates are joining theranks of the creative class in the region and enhancing the region’shigh-end growth potential.The charge to theTask ForceUniversity of Southern IndianaPresident H. Ray Hoops appointed aUniversity Task Force on Economicand Workforce Development to studyeconomic and workforce trends andto assess institutional programs toserve regional employers and theregional economy.The charge to the task force was:• Audit existing curriculum,education and training programs,and communityengagement activities, andrecommend needed changes.• Study the existing and newlyemerging economic and socialtrends in the regional economyto identify gaps betweenthe existing program offeringsand the changing needs ofarea employers.• Conduct a study of USI’s economicimpact on the regionaleconomy.• Mount a regional effort togenerate awareness of theseissues and to solicit feedbackon the role of the Universityas an agent for economicdevelopment.More informationRead the report online atwww.usi.edu/president/taskforce/.Request a copy of the report or apresentation of the findings to yourprofessional or civic group by callingthe USI Office of Advancement at812/464-1755 or e-mailing akrug@usi.edu.www.usi.edu/president/taskforce
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