150 Forward Strategic Plan Finalized, Metrics Added to Track Progress

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With a renewed emphasis on its Land-Grant Mission, the University of Arkansas now has an updated framework for future strategic endeavors. The 150 Forward Strategic Plan provides an overview of three overarching pillars, and goals and objectives to advance the university’s mission, as well as key metrics to assess progress.

“The fundamental purpose of the 150 Forward Strategic Plan is to ensure that our colleges, schools and units are moving in the same direction, attaining institutional alignment with our goals as One University,” Chancellor Charles Robinson said.

The completed plan and additional resources, including metrics to track progress, are now available at the 150 Forward Strategic Plan site.

The plan does not include a list of day-to-day operations for the entire institution. It provides a shared framework to follow as individual units set specific goals and tactics and evaluate their work and the impact to the university’s mission.

The 150 Forward Strategic Plan was developed through a campuswide, collaborative effort. Simple by design and intentional in its brevity, the directive from Chancellor Robinson to “tease out more and better outcomes in achieving the university’s mission” underpinned the process and the plan, resulting in three strategic priorities or pillars that undergird the campus direction:

• Student Success 

• Research Excellence 

• Employer of Choice  

One University 

The concept of One University emerged as a rallying call from Chancellor Robinson to reinforce that the U of A is a singular entity, comprising many parts, but always with a shared sense of purpose and priority. 

“While considering our university’s future, I often come back to one of our country’s traditional mottos: e pluribus unum - Out of many, one. There are great things ahead for this university, but the future is even brighter if we adopt the mindset that we are one University of Arkansas,” Robinson said. 

One University is a paradigm to guide the institution’s next 150 years, reminding the campus that we are one institution and should make decisions, policies, programs and priorities that keep top of mind the good of the whole.   

“On such a large campus, it is natural to get siloed into our respective areas. However, we can realize so much more of our potential by collaborating with people and units across campus,” Robinson said. “It is important for us to remember that while the U of A consists of many colleges, schools, departments and units, we are One University with a shared land-grant mission.”

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.