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Dear ¹ú²ú¶ÌÊÓƵcommunity,

Today, I’m thrilled to announce the release of our blueprint for a bold future for the ¹ú²ú¶ÌÊÓƵ. The release of USF’s 10-year strategic plan follows approval today by the ¹ú²ú¶ÌÊÓƵBoard of Trustees. As a final step in our strategic renewal process, we will seek the Florida Board of Governors’ approval of the plan at its September 1 meeting.

USF’s strategic plan supports USF’s bold aspirations and aligns with the priorities of the state’s Board of Governors. Our aspirations include becoming eligible for membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) and becoming a Top-25 public university – while maintaining an enduring commitment to faculty excellence, student success and world-class research.

A key theme of our plan positions ¹ú²ú¶ÌÊÓƵas an urban research university, with campuses across our metropolitan region, as an indispensable intellectual engine to address the challenges of the increasingly urbanized American experience.

Our plan highlights seven strategic initiatives: Analytics and Data Science: Integrating ¹ú²ú¶ÌÊÓƵDigitally; Design, Arts and Performance; Global and National Security; Health, Society and Biomedical Science; Social Justice and Human Rights; Sustainability, Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences; and Synthetic Biology.

There also are 11 core commitments: Faculty excellence; student success; staff distinction; diversity, equity and inclusion; operational excellence; athletics; research support; institutional infrastructure; the value of the arts; sustainability; and engagement and outreach.

Our process of strategic renewal began with, and has been continuously guided by, the adoption of USF’s Principles of Community, which emphasize our commitment to inclusion, civility, freedom of expression, evidence-based deliberations and vigorous debate.

I am deeply grateful to professors Charles Stanish and Sylvia Thomas, chairs of the 19-member ¹ú²ú¶ÌÊÓƵStrategic Planning Advisory Task Force, and all the members of the task force for their exceptional dedication and hard work – over nearly 200 hours – to provide a framework for USF’s strategic plan. I also wish to thank members of my leadership team for their tireless efforts to support the task force and the overall planning process.

Importantly, I wish to thank you – the ¹ú²ú¶ÌÊÓƵcommunity – for your participation and engagement in this process. Your input through virtual town halls, interviews, surveys and a website has provided crucial shape and substance to the plan.

Thank you for your commitment to the future of USF!

President Currall