UTEP Strategic Plan Annual Report Released

Last Updated on August 04, 2022 at 12:00 AM

Originally published August 04, 2022

By MC Staff

UTEP Marketing and Communications

One year ago, we launched UTEP’s 2030 Strategic Plan after a 15-month planning process. The document that emerged from that process focused on the University’s strategic advantages – our place, our people, our culture of care and our partnerships – and laid out a roadmap to leverage those advantages to achieve four goals during the next decade.

One year ago, we launched UTEP’s 2030 Strategic Plan after a 15-month planning process. The document that emerged from that process focused on the University’s strategic advantages – our place, our people, our culture of care and our partnerships – and laid out a roadmap to leverage those advantages to achieve four goals during the next decade.

In the first year of UTEP’s Strategic Plan implementation, we established some baseline figures for each goal area and began to make progress on each of the goals and their respective initiatives. You can read more about the first-year progress in our new Strategic Plan Annual Report at www.utep.edu/strategic-plan/pdf/2022-annual-report.html, but here are some of the highlights.

In the area of teaching, learning and the student experience (Goal 1), we began to implement a marketing strategy to increase recruitment within Region 19 and expand into secondary markets. With the support of The University of Texas System, we were able to increase our Paydirt Promise funding to cover all tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduates whose families make up to $75,000 a year. We also made strides to increase student engagement by expanding Miner Welcome programming during the first weeks of each semester and promoting additional engagement activities throughout the year.

Research and scholarship (Goal 2) flourished in spite of the pandemic, with research expenditures in 2020-21 reaching a new high of over $109 million. In addition, Academic Affairs established a faculty development leave program to give faculty the opportunity to pursue research and other academic interests during paid time off from teaching.

UTEP established or enhanced several partnerships in the last year as part of efforts to increase community impact and public service (Goal 3). This included renewed partnerships with El Paso Community College and El Paso Electric, and new agreements with eight regional and national banks through the establishment of the UTEP Banking Academy.

To honor the legacy of UTEP President Emerita Diana Natalicio, the University established the Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success with a leading gift from The University of Texas System. The creation of the institute is one way UTEP is shaping the future of higher education and supporting its status as the nation's leading Hispanic-serving university (Goal 4).

I am encouraged by the progress we made in this first year of the Strategic Plan implementation, and by the commitment of the UTEP team to continue to work toward these goals. Although there is much left to be done, we can all be energized knowing that each step we take toward our goals benefits our students and our community.


Heather Wilson
President