Vision & Goals

Fulfilling Our Public Responsibility

Public expectations for higher education, and American research universities in particular, have changed dramatically since The University of Texas at Austin’s founding more than 130 years ago. Today, Texas is widely recognized as one of the world’s most accomplished public research universities, due to the strength of of its undergraduate and graduate programs, the power of the research, discoveries, and innovations it has originated, and its ability to transform lives by expanding educational, economic, and cultural opportunities for its students, the Greater Austin community, the state of Texas, and the United States.

Texas fulfills its public responsibility as a university of the first class through demonstrated commitments to excellence and continual innovation across four general domains.

Unlocking students’ potential through education

Identifying, enrolling, educating, and graduating an excellent, high-potential student body from all backgrounds.

Preparing students as citizens and leaders, empowering them to improve their lives and their communities through high-quality, transformative and affordable learning experiences.

Supporting students’ educational and personal success, from college through career development and lifelong learning.

Advancing knowledge, understanding, and creativity

Fostering discovery, creativity, and intellectual impact of faculty and students through world-class disciplinary and interdisciplinary academic programs and initiatives.

Developing scholarly, artistic, and professional leaders through top-ranked graduate education.

Bridging academic disciplines to empower researchers and scholars to address the most pressing challenges of the state, the nation, and the world.

Revolutionizing personal and public health

Redesigning academic medicine, including the medical school curriculum and business model.

Taking care of people and improving population health through innovative design of healthcare, direct services and strategic partnerships.

Advancing innovation in medical discoveries, health technology, health policy design, and multi-professional models of care.

Benefitting society

Increasing both supply and demand for human knowledge, skills, and creative capabilities.

Leveraging and catalyzing business, innovation, and culture within Austin and the state of Texas.

Developing partnerships across disciplines, industries, and institutions to create new opportunities that meet local, state, national, and global needs.

Setting New Standards as the Leading American Public Research University

The breadth of The University of Texas at Austin's educational and research activities and its public responsibility implies that the University must advance excellence across multiple domains to provide the future leadership and competitiveness of the nation, the state, and the University. As a starting point for planning and strategy development, President Fenves has identified three general goals and associated strategic priorities for the University.

Educating Future Leaders for Our State, Our Nation, and Our World

Drive intergenerational social mobility

Transform the undergraduate experience

Align undergraduate education and post-graduate needs

Accelerating the Benefits of Research to Society

Increase the number of top-ranked graduate and undergraduate programs

Enhance support for interdisciplinary research

Invest in key research areas

Increase student participation in research

Transforming Health and Healthcare

Develop innovative healthcare leaders

Design and implement new models of care

Increase academic health’s benefit to society

Improve health in Travis County