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Strategic Plan Framework
Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts

Vision

Overall Vision Statement:

The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts at the University of Houston is the premier institution for education, scholarship and innovation in the arts at a major public research university.

Cultivating excellence. Generating experimentation. Fueling research.

Vision Element #1:

We are the first-choice public institution for innovative education in the arts.

Through a combination of innovative academic programming and a strong disciplinary foundation, we provide students an exceptional interdisciplinary arts education. We engage our students with critical concepts in the arts and develop their leadership, risk-taking, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to ensure their future success. An academic cornerstone of the University of Houston, the College is uniquely positioned both within the University and the city of Houston to support our emerging creative professionals through internships, apprenticeship programs and advanced research opportunities. Our graduates are highly sought after because of their well-rounded academic foundation coupled with professional experience.

Vision Element #2:

We embrace and reflect Houston’s cultural richness and diversity.

Every day we leverage the arts institutions and arts community of the city of Houston — our extended campus — to develop the next generation of artists, leaders and professionals. Located in a city on the forefront of the nation’s demographic future and at the gateway to the international arts community, we embrace and reflect the multiplicity of voices and experiences that create Houston’s cultural richness. The breadth of opportunities available in our city of the arts plays an integral role in the College’s educational experience and success. We prioritize civic and social engagement as a means to integrate the College into its neighborhood and its city. Through our civic partnerships, we emphasize the central role of the arts in shaping our society. The College is a laboratory for the arts that impacts Houston and beyond.

Vision Element #3:

We are a major arts and cultural destination on the University of Houston campus and in the city of Houston.

The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts is nationally recognized for producing and presenting unique, experimental and cross-disciplinary arts programming. As a laboratory for the arts, creative collaborations from our students, faculty, visiting artists and scholars, and staff create a first-choice destination for arts and cultural programming in the arts ecosystem of greater Houston. Our arts campus — centrally located in the city — and its state-of-the-arts facilities propel the University to the forefront of performing and visual arts research, practice and education.

Vision Element #4:

An engaged community network plays an active role in our success.

The success of the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts depends on a local, national and international community network of engaged alumni, professional partners and philanthropists. This community works steadfastly to support the College’s recruitment, mentoring, internship and advancement initiatives. Collaboration with our broad network of partners is among the strongest nationwide for a comprehensive arts program at a public research institution.

Vision Element #5:

We view scholarship and innovation in the arts — in both research and professional practice — as critical to our educational mission.

The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts cultivates an environment that supports the innovative practices of our leading creative professionals and researchers. As artists and scholars, we continually advance our individual disciplines and art forms through the production of new knowledge and creative processes. As educators, our research expands our pedagogy, modeling the highest level of contemporary professional practice and engaging students as our collaborators.

Core Beliefs

We believe in the transformative power of the arts for the individual, community, society and world.

Through the arts, we unlock the potential of faculty and students to positively impact society through their skills, contributions, convictions and education.

Core Purpose

Our primary purpose is the advancement of the arts, through research, practice and the cultivating of the next generation of creative professionals and audiences.

We educate and train our students to be resourceful, inventive and engaged creative professionals whose critical thinking and problem-solving skills empower them to profoundly influence their community and culture.

Goals and Strategies Framework

Academic Excellence
Enrich the College’s academic experience to attract and develop the best artists and creative professionals in the performing and visual arts.

Arts Destination
Become a destination on campus and in the city for performing and visual arts.

Image, Identity + Communication
Demonstrate and communicate the value of an arts education and the essential role of the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts in the city of Houston and nationally.

Resource Development
Develop and sustain a proactive and productive engagement with alumni and community partners.

Infrastructure for the Arts
Create a professional environment with the facilities and expertise required to advance the College’s vision.