VISION  

lnter American University of Puerto Rico in the XXI Century

In light of the new conceptions of time and space which stem from the application of information and telecommunication technology, we perceive Inter American University as being at the forefront in the configuration of the new postsecondary curricula of the beginning of the XXI century. Inter American University's distance education capability will project us as leaders in the Caribbean Region and Latin America. The Distance Education Center will be a place for socio-technological debate and analysis and for the ethical discussion of the transformations generated in the Information Technology and Knowledge Era. The University will distinguish itself for the efficiency and effectiveness of its services. It will incorporate the most advanced techniques to facilitate the establishment of a dynamic organization and management in agreement with the realities of a post-capitalistic world.

As an integral part of its organization, the Inter American University of the XXI century, will consolidate its ties with civic, social, government, and business organizations, for the purpose of strengthening the development of its educational centers as gateways to knowledge. A new model will emerge that will integrate the university and the business sector to facilitate the development of the educated person. This university enterprise model will impart more dynamism to the management and application of knowledge, as well as to the discussion of its social implications.

The educated person who is a product of this University will use knowledge and information technology in an ethical way and will seek the utmost in productivity and development of the organizations where he/she is employed. This person will know about the possibilities of being an entrepreneur among other options of production organizations. The person will learn the most refined research skills used for the transmission and development of emerging social knowledge. The educated person will be an example of good character and virtues. This will be a person with a global vision and knowledgeable of Puerto Rican and other world cultures. In addition, this person will be able to communicate in several languages.

To make this vision a reality, the University will direct its efforts to:

• Develop students who assume responsibility for their learning, are self-directed and are co owners of the teaching and learning processes. The graduate will stand out for his/her social commitment, appreciation for the culture, ecological conscience, critical thought, management of multi modal communication skills, skillful use of technology, and constancy in seeking continuous personal and professional improvement.
   

• Transform the faculty into facilitators of learning. The faculty will be alert and quick to respond to the growing demand for interdisciplinary approaches in the development of the educated person. The faculty will be agents of change, creative, trained in the use of the most advanced technologies that lead to quality in teaching, and promote innovation and research. In addition, they will be sensitive to students' needs.
   

•  Establish an academic offering that is advantageous to its development as a university without boundaries which offers a flexible curriculum with multiple educational modalities. The curriculum will be interdisciplinary and will reflect the continuous pragmatism among human experience, reasoning, science, technology, and creativity, which are fundamental elements for the development of knowledge and the formation of the educated person.
   

• Develop a model infrastructure, through the merger of technology with all academic processes and services, by adapting the physical plant to technological advances. This infrastructure will guarantee that all sectors of the university community have access to distant information.
   

• Adjust its services to the changes in the students' profile in order to take care of their needs and to the continuing education of the community. These services will stand out for their diversification, pertinence and integration with the learning experiences of the Institution.
   

• Consolidate a University management that is agile, dynamic and skilled in the use of information technology. In addition, it will be a facilitative management which will promote participation, creativity and continuing education. These managers will be distinguished for their integrity, commitment to the Institution and universal ethical values.
   

•  Provide the appropriate environment for the development and well being of its human resources from a holistic conception of the person who respects different cultures.
  
   

• Enlarge the University's fiscal base for its self sufficiency and decrease its dependency on income from tuition and fees. The University will develop cooperative and research programs, consortia with public and private organizations and actively participate in the local and international economy through service delivery and external enterprises.
   

• Expand its international presence within the context of the globalization of education and the economy.
   

• Propitiate the discussion and dissemination of ethical and moral standards as they apply to social coexistence, the family, the professional sector, the economy, and the governmental sphere.
   

• Promote reflection and research about Christianity in an ecumenical context. It also will foster the development of moral individuals who are committed to their ethical values and society.
   

• Inform the public about the quality of its academic programs, as evidenced by the results obtained from institutional assessment.

This Statement of a Vision encompasses the expectations of the university community regarding the immediate and future task of Inter American University of Puerto Rico. It will be the basis for the strategic and operational planning that will transform our university system and keep it at the forefront in the new millennium.

Inter American University of Puerto Rico faces the challenges of the present with a firm vision of the future, relying on its capacity, strengthened by its values and traditions and convinced that, in its one hundred years of existence, it will be a model of excellence among the higher education institutions in Puerto Rico and America.