Strategic Plan

At UT Tyler, educating students is our core purpose - it’s why we exist – to prepare them for challenges they cannot imagine and jobs that do not exist yet. We are committed to ensuring that every student who enrolls with us not only completes their degree but also grows, thrives, and enjoys a fulfilling journey along the way. Through enhanced support services, and enriched campus life, innovative degree pathways, and flexible programming, we aim to create an environment where students can excel academically while also engaging socially, building lasting connections, and discovering new passions. By deeply understanding and addressing their needs, we aim to eliminate barriers, foster engagement, and prepare our students for a lifetime of success and meaningful impact.

Goals

• Expand student success initiatives focused on retention, degree completion, and flexible programming.
• Promote student engagement.
• Prepare students for the workforce.

Initiatives

• Strengthen post-enrollment support services, particularly academic counseling, tutoring, mental health, and financial services to help every student be successful through degree completion.
• Develop a deep understanding of our students and establish a sustainable process to continuously gather insights into their needs, preferences, and attributes. Use this knowledge to enhance flexibility in course offerings, elevate student satisfaction, and deliver support services where most needed.
• Continue to develop more flexible degree pathway opportunities such as accelerated baccalaureate programs, credit for prior learning, and co-enrollment partnerships with community colleges.
• Accelerate the use of digital technology in delivery of education, such as online and hybrid course offerings.
• Cultivate a vibrant campus culture and foster student traditions by investing in initiatives that bring students together, fostering pride and a sense of belonging at UT Tyler.
• Enhance campus accessibility and wayfinding to make UT Tyler feel welcoming to all.
• Create dynamic, student-centered spaces that prioritize student life in the Campus Master Plan - reconfiguring spaces to enhance housing, recreation, engagement, and learning opportunities across campus
• Enhance student employment prep programs to prepare graduates for a successful transition to the workforce.
• Align programs with documented workforce needs to ensure our offerings remain relevant, valuable, and focused on student success.
• Elevate and grow a wide range of internship sites for students in coordination with workforce leaders.
• Aggressively grow academic programs and micro-credentials/certificates that meet specialty and critical workforce needs.
• Leverage the unique relationship between UT Tyler and UT Health East Texas to develop a dynamic feedback loop to continuously refine curricula and workforce training in current and new degree programs, ensuring UT Tyler graduates are exceptionally prepared to meet the evolving needs of health systems.

Quality teaching is the cornerstone of transformative higher education, shaping both the intellectual and personal growth of students. At UT Tyler, we recognize the critical role of innovative and effective instruction in preparing students for real-world challenges and lifelong success. By prioritizing professional development, celebrating excellence in teaching, and continuously refining our curricula, we aim to foster an academic environment where students thrive, faculty are empowered, and education creates lasting societal impact.

Goals

• Enhance teaching practices and strengthen faculty-student interactions.
• Increase quality of academic and cocurricular programs across all disciplines.
• Strengthen research infrastructure and support research that enriches our students and serves our community

Initiatives

• Create a Presidential task force focused on making teaching excellence a top priority across the university to support student success.
• Celebrate innovation and creativity in faculty and staff who exemplify a deep passion and commitment to student learning and success.
• Grow professional development programs to stay abreast of best-in-class teaching methods.
• Work toward being ranked on the U.S. News & World Report Best Ranked Undergraduate Teaching list
• Strengthen annual faculty evaluation systems and peer observations to encourage the dissemination of innovative and best teaching practices.
• Strengthen the institution’s pre-professional programs, such as pre-law and pre-med.
• Regularly review academic program curricula to address emerging workforce demands and enhance real-world problem solving.
• Continue to grow the Honors College by building on its transition from a program to a dynamic living and learning College for high-achieving students, fostering dynamic teaching and learning experiences.
• Develop a student co-curricular leadership program.
• Invest in research infrastructure that enhances faculty support, streamlines grant management processes, and strengthens policies to ensure accountability and regulatory excellence.
• Support research that directly increases experiential opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate students.
• Support research tied directly to improving the health and wellness of the region and training the next generation of healthcare professionals, especially by leveraging our clinical partnership to attract industry sponsored clinical research trials.

UT Tyler embraces its role as a pillar of the East Texas community, dedicated to enriching lives, fostering progress, and becoming a beloved cornerstone of the region. We strive to be a source of pride and opportunity for East Texas. We are committed to building meaningful partnerships, enhancing operational excellence, and aligning our resources to meet the needs of students, patients, and residents. By fostering economic growth, advancing healthcare, and creating vibrant cultural and educational opportunities, we aim to forge a strong bond with our community, serving as a trusted partner and an enduring symbol of progress and collaboration.

Goals

• Ensure UT Tyler is meaningfully engaged with the East Texas community.
• Ensure operational excellence in service to our stakeholders: students, patients, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and taxpayers.

Initiatives

• Grow UT Tyler brand awareness and favorability across East Texas.
• Enhance internal coordination of external engagements to strengthen our stewardship and improve our connection with the community.
• Optimize the operations of the Cowan Center as well as other UT Tyler facilities, such as athletics, to ensure ease of usage and accessibility to community members.
• Enhance financial transparency and accountability throughout the institution and ensure accurate financial analysis and reporting.
• Establish robust training programs through mentorship and professional development for faculty, staff, and administrative leaders.
• Identify and meet technology infrastructure needs that will support long-term growth.
• Conduct a design thinking initiative to address and streamline some of the most complex and challenging experiences for our students and employees. Focus on eliminating bureaucratic hurdles to enhance efficiency and support - such as improving financial aid or advising services for students or HR, IT and procurement process for employees.
• Develop programs and processes that foster lifelong relationships and engagement between the university, students, alumni, and donors.