STRATEGIC GOALS

1. Advance the University’s academic, research, scholarship, and service priorities, consistent with a top tier university, and continue to promote growth and national prominence in these areas.

• Promote and enhance areas of academic, scholarship, and research excellenc.
• Increase the recognition of the University’s service priorities that enhance the quality of life for all Alabamians.
• Improve communication and increase collaboration among academic and administrative units.
• Align resources to most effectively support academic, scholarship, and research excellence priorities.
• Effectively use course offerings and class size to support priorities.
• Streamline administrative functions and improve their effectiveness.
• Sharpen assessment activities of all campus functions and link those to an enhanced planning process.
• Develop the research infrastructure and enhance the library resources necessary to be competitive for grants and contracts.
• Provide infrastructure and promote the utilization of intellectual property generated at the University.

2. Retain and recruit outstanding faculty and staff to support the teaching, research, and service mission of the University.

• Provide competitive salaries and benefits for faculty and staff.
• Ensure performance-based merit salary increases.
• Create new types of faculty and staff positions that reflect the changing role of technical, research, creative, and clinical activities.
• Increase the number of graduate research and teaching assistants and provide them with competitive salaries and benefits.
• Improve communication among all constituent groups in campus decision-making processes.
  
• Enhance relationships among community and University of Alabama leaders to promote excellent quality of life for faculty, staff, and students.
• Expand the University’s emphasis on global and cultural studies.
• Promote collaborative research approaches to address large scale problems of regional and national interest.

3. Enhance the university’s learning environment to attract and retain excellent students.

• Develop Honors College to attract and retain outstanding students.
• Expand the development of living/learning communities.
• Encourage and reward creative strategies for engaging students in learning and life-long learning.
• Increase involvement of undergraduate students in research and scholarly activities.
• Continue progress in achieving diversity among faculty, staff, students and administration.
• Develop a pedestrian core area with supporting transportation system.
• Maintain and revitalize many of the campus’ architecturally significant buildings.
• Equip classrooms, libraries, and laboratories for state-of-the-art learning.
• Ensure user-friendly support services for students, faculty, and staff.
• Continue to modernize information technology resources.
• Increase attention to, and rewards for, excellence in teaching.
• Increase the level of academic scholarship support.
• Ensure the campus environment is safe for all members of the campus community.
• Provide career preparation and employment services that lead graduates to satisfying and productive careers and professions.

4. Develop a University-wide emphasis on leadership as a primary role of the flagship university of the State of Alabama.

• Provide leadership in addressing economic, social, and cultural issues in Alabama through research and outreach activities.
• Promote collaboration with business, non-profit, and governmental agencies to advance the economic, social, and cultural condition of Alabama.
• Produce scholars who will become academic and civic leaders in their disciplines.
• Produce graduates who will serve as effective leaders in Alabama’s government, businesses, educational systems, health care, the arts, and other professions, and who will be leaders in their communities.
• Develop and reward leadership skills among students, faculty, and staff.
• Promote leadership development among Alabama’s community leaders, businesses, educational systems, healthcare systems, government agencies, arts organizations, and other vital areas of the state.
• Support our alumni in serving as leaders in their professions and communities.
• Emphasize the creation of leaders as a core component of an education at Alabama’s flagship university.