What is the IEP 5-Year Extension?
The objective of the IEP 5-Year Extension process is to reaffirm the institution’s commitment to economic engagement, to ensure that their Growth and Improvement Plan and their economic engagement enterprise is consistent with current conditions and goals, and to ensure that the IEP designation continues to serve as a mark of excellence that distinguishes IEP universities.
Every five years from either the institution’s original designation or most recent 5-year Extension Application w/ new Growth & Improvement Plan, the IEP University will apply for an extension of the designation for an additional five years.

Post IEP Designation
Once designated an IEP university, institutions continue to participate in the community of practice. The optional annual designee engagement opportunities include identifying goals for the coming year, presenting at the IEP annual summit, and writing an annual reflection memo that summarizes the institution’s accomplishments for the year and sets goals for the coming year. Members may also author blog posts, compete for awards, and offer webinars to the IEP community as part of their engagement within the community of practice.
The goal of the IEP designee community is to increase the value of the IEP Designation by:
- Advancing the understanding and practice of effective economic and community engagement
- Providing peer support to the IEP Community
- Ensuring that the IEP Designation maintains its value as a mark of excellence – a signal of an institution’s continued commitment to effective economic engagement
- Communicating the value of university economic engagement, specifically, the value of IEP Designation
IEP 5-Year Extension Process Information and Supporting Documents
- IEP Community of Practice
- 5-Year Extension Overview Training
- 5-Year Extension Process Document
- 5-Year Extension Practice Application
- IEP 5-Year Extension Frequently Asked Questions
- 5-Year Extension Deadline Calendar
IEP Momentive Software
APLU’s IEP program uses Momentive software for designation, extension, and award applications. Please use the following link to access the portal: aplu.smapply.io
Instructions for submitting your extension application be found below.
If you are a previous reviewer or interested in becoming an IEP Designation or Awards reviewer, please reach out to iep@aplu.org to receive Momentive training materials.
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