Strategic Plan

Overview

man with white hair and white mustache smiling at the camera in suit — Dean of Arts and Sciences Dr. Mark J. Zoran

Dear ArtSci Faculty, Staff, Students, and Former Students,

I announced at my 2024 State of the College address that we would be creating an inaugural strategic plan for the newly created College of Arts and Sciences over the next year. The legacy colleges of Geosciences, Liberal Arts, and Science were merged in 2022. We have made great strides integrating the legacy colleges’ three distinct cultures and missions to build a single unified college that emphasizes excellence in our teaching, research, and service to our communities, Texas, and the world.

It is time to take the next step and chart our future guided by a vision of achieving preeminence in the Arts & Sciences. I have titled the plan, A Foundational Future: 2025-2035 College of Arts & Sciences Strategic Plan. My hope for the strategic plan is to develop a framework for goals and actions that cement our newly formed College firmly as the foundational future of the Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University.

Our strategic planning process began in August 2024 and will continue through the 2025 fall semester. This website provides an overview of the strategic planning process we will be using and will also furnish progress updates.

Strategic Planning Process

A visualization of the proposed planning process described below can be found in the strategic planning process flowchart. The charge letters, membership, and reports for each working group can be found at the Working Group Information and Reports page.

In August 2024, the Office of the Dean identified four goals that would form the basis of an inaugural plan for the College of Arts and Sciences:

Amplify excellence in research and creative activities.
Champion undergraduate learning, engagement and success.
Elevate the preparation of graduate students to become accomplished scholars and professionals.
Build a culture where the people and missions of the college are valued

The four goals reflect foundational activities that the college must pursue to achieve national and international preeminence.

The planning process has been organized into three phases described below.

Phase 1: Developing Recommendations for Goals (August 2024-May 2025)

Phase 1 centers on collecting and analyzing relevant data for each goal and formulating a set of recommended objectives, actions, and strategies for measuring success. Chairs and Co-Chairs were appointed by the office of the Dean for each goal to coordinate data collection and analysis as well as the formulation of recommendations. The Working Groups have been and will continue to meet during Spring 2025. They will conduct a series of facilitated focus groups with key stakeholders to collect feedback to help develop a Final Working Group Report. A faculty and staff forum and online survey will be conducted in April to help the Working Groups finalize their reports.

Phase 2: Writing a Draft of the Strategic Plan (June 2025-August 2025)

A draft strategic plan will be collectively written by the Office of the Dean during Summer 2025 primarily based on the Final Working Group Reports, faculty input generated by the forum and online survey, and feedback provided by the Dean’s External Advisory Development Council (DEADC). The reports and input will also be used to develop the mission, vision, and values of the college. Preliminary feedback will be solicited from key stakeholder groups to refine the draft plan during August 2025.

Phase 3: Soliciting Feedback and Finalizing the Strategic Plan (September 2025-October 2025)

The draft strategic plan will be shared with ARTSCI faculty and staff during the Dean’s State of the College Address in September 2025. Additional opportunities for faculty and staff feedback on the plan will be available prior to finalizing the college’s new strategic plan.

Progress Bar

Phase 1 In Progress

Phase 2 Forthcoming

Phase 3 Forthcoming

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A visualization of the proposed planning process described below can be found in the strategic planning process flowchart. The charge letters, membership, and reports for each working group can be found at the Working Group Information and Reports page.

In August 2024, the Office of the Dean identified four goals that would form the basis of an inaugural plan for the College of Arts and Sciences:
1. Amplify excellence in research and creative activities.
2. Champion undergraduate learning, engagement and success.
3. Elevate the preparation of graduate students to become accomplished scholars and professionals.
4. Build a culture where the people and missions of the college are valued
The four goals reflect foundational activities that the college must pursue to achieve national and international preeminence.

The planning process has been organized into three phases described below.

Phase 1: Developing Recommendations for Goals (August 2024-May 2025)

Phase 1 centers on collecting and analyzing relevant data for each goal and formulating a set of recommended objectives, actions, and strategies for measuring success. Chairs and Co-Chairs were appointed by the office of the Dean for each goal to coordinate data collection and analysis as well as the formulation of recommendations. The Working Groups have been and will continue to meet during Spring 2025. They will conduct a series of facilitated focus groups with key stakeholders to collect feedback to help develop a Final Working Group Report. A faculty and staff forum and online survey will be conducted in April to help the Working Groups finalize their reports.

Phase 2: Writing a Draft of the Strategic Plan (June 2025-August 2025)

A draft strategic plan will be collectively written by the Office of the Dean during Summer 2025 primarily based on the Final Working Group Reports, faculty input generated by the forum and online survey, and feedback provided by the Dean’s External Advisory Development Council (DEADC). The reports and input will also be used to develop the mission, vision, and values of the college. Preliminary feedback will be solicited from key stakeholder groups to refine the draft plan during August 2025.

Phase 3: Soliciting Feedback and Finalizing the Strategic Plan (September 2025-October 2025)

The draft strategic plan will be shared with ARTSCI faculty and staff during the Dean’s State of the College Address in September 2025. Additional opportunities for faculty and staff feedback on the plan will be available prior to finalizing the college’s new strategic plan.

Progress Bar

Phase 1 In Progress Phase 2 Forthcoming Phase 3 Forthcoming

Working Groups

Four strategic planning working groups were established that aligned with the strategic goals established by the Dean’s Office. This Working Group Information and Report page provides the charge letters that established the working groups, their membership, and working group reports.

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