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III. AGENCY MISSION

(The following is the official mission statement of the University of North Texas as approved by the UNT Board of Regents, May 25, 2000 and will be presented to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 2000)

• achieves high-quality instruction, scholarship, and service by:

  fostering excellence and innovation in teaching and learning;

  supporting research and creative activities that expand knowledge, strengthen undergraduate and graduate programs, and promote the application of knowledge for the benefit of society; and

  assuming the primary leadership role in addressing community needs of the metroplex region and the state;

maintaining academic integrity through free and open inquiry including the examination of values;

• stresses understanding and appreciation of the historical, intellectual, technological, scientific, and cultural nature of the search for knowledge;
  
  
• promotes the advancement and preservation of the arts;
  
  
• nurtures development of students by providing continuing opportunities for intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and career growth;
  
  
• supports a culturally diverse environment and advocates mutual respect for all members of the University community as they strive for excellence;
  
  
• provides a high quality residential environment and opportunities for lifelong learning; and
  
  
• enhances access to higher education through the use of emerging information and telecommunication technologies.

The University of North Texas will be one of the state’s top-tier universities - - a premier educational, intellectual, research and cultural resource. As the flagship of a multi-institutional university system and the leading university of its region, UNT will be recognized for education, research, creative activities, and public service, and for advancing innovations in the enhancement of learning. UNT will be an inclusive and diverse institution with an international perspective, helping to create an informed citizenry, high-quality graduates, and a workforce well prepared for the global economy.

To achieve this vision, the University of North Texas will:

• advance excellence in basic and applied research, original scholarship and artistic activities that expand the core of knowledge for future discoveries, lead to new technologies, devise solutions to problems facing society, enhance citizens’ quality of life, and instill a sense of discovery and creative insight in our students;

• employ its status as a major doctoral degree granting institution and the talents of its nationally and internationally recognized teacher-scholars to support strong undergraduate and graduate academic programs taught by the same faculty and providing research opportunities for students;

• emphasize selected academic programs and create new academic and professional programs that have or can achieve wide recognition for excellence;

• promote excellent, accessible, and affordable higher education to the region’s growing and demographically diverse population through partnerships with educational entities and the business, public, and not-for-profit communities;

• foster a residential learning environment for students living on or near its campus that promotes tradition, instills institutional and societal values, and encourages the development of a lifelong connection to the UNT community;

• lead in offering learners access to education through satellite locations, the Internet and other electronic resources, and partnerships with other institutions;

• serve as an important source for lifelong learning, professional education, and outreach activities and as a prime venue for artistic performances and exhibitions and sports events; and

• be an essential partner in meeting the expanding needs of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex,

the largest metropolitan area in the state.

As required by accrediting agencies, the mission of any university must refer to the principles of instruction, research, and service that are applicable to the institution. Each university mission will, by its nature, describe how it is similar to other institutions of higher education, and also how it is unique. The University of North Texas planning process includes a vision, mission, core values, and distinguishing characteristics that help to focus the institution so that areas of primary importance can be addressed in a timely manner.

The University of North Texas -- through its faculty and staff, students and alumni, nationally and internationally recognized research and creative activities, and partnerships and service -- will be recognized as the leading intellectual and educational resource in a region positioned to become the leading metropolitan region in the United States.

To achieve this goal, we must remember the core values on which our mission is based:

· Excellence in Teaching and Learning · Service to Students

· Excellence in Research and Artistic Endeavors · Teamwork, Collaboration, and Partnering

· Knowledge and Creativity · Diversity and Mutual Respect

· Academic Integrity · Commitment to Opportunity

· Free and Open Inquiry · Life-Long Learning

· Accountability to the Public · Fiscal Responsibility

We acknowledge that what distinguishes us as a metropolitan, research university is that

We are, through our teaching, research, and service activities, an institution that facilitates change, and seeks and shares ways to help improve the well being of the Metroplex and other metropolitan areas.

We support a strong learning-centered environment through research, creative activity, and the continual search for knowledge.

We have a wide-array of high quality undergraduate and graduate programs that contribute to a well prepared workforce.

We endorse a strong liberal arts core education as the foundation for the life-long learning essential to an informed citizenry and future individual fulfillment.

We have strong graduate programs that contribute to strong undergraduate programs through common faculty, rich research possibilities for both graduate and undergraduate students, and a bridging of knowledge across undergraduate and graduate levels.

We provide a rich university experience where students and faculty have opportunities to interact and learn outside the classroom.

We are, and have long been, an institution of opportunity where all types of students, faculty, and staff feel welcome to achieve their educational, professional, and personal goals.

We promote a high quality of student life through a wide variety of academic programs, and a rich array of student activities including a residential life experience, international study opportunities, exceptional visual and performing arts, and a full program of sports and intercollegiate competition.

We encourage faculty, staff, and students to work together to define and achieve common goals.

We continue to invest in a variety of opportunities and experiences to ensure that faculty and staff remain highly valued resources.