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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Putting Our Strategic Plan into Action

Dear Friends and Members of the Advisory Council:

Innovation, diversity, excellence, access, and student success: These values have defined The University of Texas at Arlington over the years. But the achievements of the past are only as good as the vision they inspire for our future. Our world is changing around us, and we must adapt or become obsolete. To reach our full potential, we must focus collectively, embrace collaboration, and be innovative and entrepreneurial. In short, we must think new, think big, and think now.

Over the past 18 months, we have been engaged in developing our strategic plan, “Bold Solutions, Global Impact,” and I hope you have followed its progress through our Web pages, as faculty, staff, students, community leaders, and alumni have contributed to its completion.

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of presenting the plan to The University of Texas System Board of Regents for approval, and I’m pleased to report that it was received enthusiastically. I invite you to view a video of the Board of Regents presentation below.

This ambitious plan has a single focus—enabling a sustainable megacity—that provides context for engagement and impact. Four guiding themes provide strategic areas of emphasis that cross disciplinary bounds and will guide our academic and research excellence through this decade: Health and the Human Condition, Sustainable Urban Communities, Global Environmental Impact, and Data-Driven Discovery.

Through the plan, UT Arlington will be a leader in the discovery, integration, and application of information and knowledge while setting new standards for a transformative educational experience not bound by the confines of time, space, and location. Our strategic plan is about much more than fulfilling our mission; it’s about excelling in all we do. The progress we make will be made together and will embody unparalleled excellence in research, teaching, and community engagement. This is UTA—diverse, innovative, and first choice. This is who we are, and this is who we aspire to be—the “best of the best”—setting standards that others will follow.

Our future is not in a year, five years, or some other time in the distance. It is now, and with your guidance and support, we not only will become an internationally renowned institution of higher education, but a pre-eminent place for intellectual pursuits and the model, 21st century urban research university.

I hope you will join us in this journey as partners, visit us often, and support our students and faculty as UTA shapes its future through bold solutions and global impact.

With much appreciation for your ongoing support,

Vistasp M. Karbhari, President
The University of Texas at Arlington