Planning Principles
seeking. All actions suggested by planning should value and emphasize educational opportunity afforded students as the central purpose of WT. This is our focusing purpose, and it is academic in nature. 4. CORE PROGRAMS AND DISTINCTIVE COMPETENCIES At West Texas A&M University, various core programs define the University experience. There should be access to excellence in foundational educational programs, the core body of knowledge that allows a person to be an educated human being, a U.S. citizen and a member of society. Each academic program should provide distinctive, excellent core experiences for students. Additionally, each program should provide something to the greater university and to the state of Texas that is available nowhere else in the state. Strength in core programs and distinctive competencies will mark West Texas A&M University’s excellence. 5. DEEP INTERDEPENDENCE A s West Texas A&M University evolves into a Regional Research University , the variety and type of offerings must be tailored to the strengths of each program represented and its relationship to our faculty’s skills and interests and regional challenges, needs and opportunities. 6. QUALITY AS THE CORNERSTONE Defining and assessing quality is an immense challenge. Quality is not always easily characterized in words and numbers. Some aspects of quality in higher education defy any quantification; most require multiple indicators. For
The following 12 planning principles will be evidenced in all decision-making as the future of WT is realized.
1. PEOPLE FIRST West Texas A&M University is first composed of people. Every effort will be made to recruit, retain and reward students, faculty and staff who share this commitment. Students are WT’s purpose for existence. Recruiting and retaining the very best, by our measure, requires much more than test scores and class rank. We seek those who will lead. Excellent faculty are needed to work with excellent students. The high quality of WT’s faculty and the work environment the University nurtures are important to ongoing success. Graduate students, under the leadership of faculty in creative and scholarly work, are at once learners and leaders. Staff, who also support the academic enterprise, should be appreciated for the commitment to excellence that they bring. 2. SERVANT LEADERSHIP The foundation of all leadership decisions in the planning process will be the extent to which a decision allows WT to lead by serving. Decisions will be made by understanding the highest interests of WT in its many dimensions. Work will be directed to serving those interests through leadership at every level. 3. LEARNER-CENTERED UNIVERSITY West Texas A&M University must provide a nurturing yet rigorous educational environment for learners of all levels, both on- and off-campus, degree seeking and non-degree
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