Overview of the Strategic Goals and Key Themes UNT’s plan for its growth as a student-centered public research university is shaped by four goals and three themes. The four goals focus our energies in key areas of endeavor: education, research, engagement as a community/with our communities, and institu- tional effectiveness, directing our efforts in a way that will move us quickly forward. Our three themes speak to the underlying commitments that drive our work, emphasizing the importance of connection as a catalyst for change. They include a commitment to diversity, which draws a variety of voices into close conversation; to internationalization, which recognizes that global interchange is a vital part of education and research; and to collaboration, which includes partnerships within the university as well as alliances with external constituencies. These connections move the university forward, anchoring it within the context of a multicultural, interconnected, collaborative community and providing the synergy needed to accom- plish its goals. The themes are woven throughout our goals, in specific strategies and actions. We also highlight them by gathering the strategies most closely related to the themes in a single statement, clearly illustrating their importance to our growth. To change aspirations to reality, UNT is identifying strategies, performance measures, targets, and timelines for each goal. UNT will measure its success and learn from benchmarks and best practices gathered from across the nation, building our work on careful assessment, clear accountability, judicious use of resources, and creative adaptation. student-centered public research university 9