UTEP 2030 Strategic Plan Kickoff
Last Updated on January 30, 2020 at 12:00 AM
Originally published January 30, 2020
By Heather Wilson
UTEP President
The next decade will be an exciting time to be at UTEP. Our mission matters, and our community needs us to help meet the challenges of a new century.
This year, UTEP will conduct a strategic planning process intended to help our campus community identify and assess viable strategies to advance our mission and have an even greater impact on the students and community we serve.
The future we build will stand on a strong foundation. In 2019, UTEP earned the prestigious Research 1 Carnegie designation, which is given to less than 5% of all four-year institutions. We achieved this status without compromising access to excellent education for all students, and especially for those who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education. We are one of the top ten institutions in the nation for graduating Hispanic students and for moving undergraduate students from the lowest economic quintile to the highest.
We’re as good as we have ever been. And now, we will chart the course to get even better.
An effective strategic planning process must be inclusive, imaginative and allow every member of the campus community to contribute. There will undoubtedly be more good ideas than we can possibly accomplish. An effective planning process will help us make choices and sequence good ideas so that we prioritize the most important things for our future.
UTEP’s senior leadership will guide the planning process with the assistance of the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee drawn from across the university and a Communications/Writing Team. Additionally, we have hired MGT Consulting Research Group to facilitate the planning process.
Every member of our campus community and each of our stakeholders will have the opportunity to participate in group meetings, charrettes, and public forums. I encourage each of you to share your thoughts and provide feedback to the members of the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee group or through the Strategic Planning Website, where you can find more information about the 2030 Strategic Planning process. https://www.utep.edu/strategic-plan/
In 1928, Harry Yandell Benedict, while serving as both President of the University of Texas and President of the College of Mines, expressed his vision for this university to be a great “University of West Texas,” coequal in stature with any other institution of higher education in the nation. In 2020, we are that and so much more.
As we look to 2030, we will reflect on our purpose and how we will continue to fulfill the promise of our state constitution by establishing a “university of the first class” for El Pasoans, for Texas, and for the nation.
