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President's Vision and Priorities

Renu Khator“Since assuming the presidency of the University of Houston, I have been instructed and inspired by a number of important directives, policies and principles. Below you will find some of the vital Vision & Priorities documents that guide our efforts and help us define success.”

— Renu Khator

Our Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Houston is to offer nationally competitive and internationally recognized opportunities for learning, discovery and engagement to a diverse population of students in a real-world setting.  The University of Houston offers a full range of degree programs at the baccalaureate, master's, doctoral and professional levels and pursues a broad agenda of research and creative activities.   As a knowledge resource to the public, the university builds partnerships with other educational institutions, community organizations, government agencies, and the private sector to serve the region and impact the world.

Shared Values of the Mission

As its primary goal, the University of Houston is dedicated to becoming a nationally recognized institution in the 21st century. The university will anticipate and respond to changing demographics in an increasingly diverse and globally interdependent world. It will use its resources to:

  • Meet the challenges of educating a dynamic mix of nontraditional and traditional students.
  • Promote excellence within the context of basic and applied research and scholarship.
  • Identify and respond to the economic, social and cultural challenges affecting the quality of life in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the world through its education, research and service.

Strategic Principles

  • Institutional Excellence
    UH will continue to strive for academic excellence in all undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, as well as in research and public service.
  • Student Access
    UH will continue to provide broad access to higher education opportunities in the upper Gulf Coast region and Texas.
  • Diversity
    The diversity of UH is a strength that distinguishes us among universities nationwide. Increasingly, the faculty, staff, administration and students of UH will reflect the city of Houston's diversity.
  • Research
    The cornerstone of higher education is the creation and dissemination of new knowledge, through which the UH System universities will enrich the educational experience of students, enhance the cultural life of our constituents and contribute to economic development.
  • External Partnerships
    Partnerships with business, industry, government, the community and alumni are critical to achieving institutional goals of excellence and ensuring the financial health of UH.
  • Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention
    Faculty and staff constitute the most valuable assets of UH. As such, they must have access to career opportunities that are competitive with those at other universities.
  • PK-16 Partnerships
    Partnerships among UH, public schools and community colleges are critical to increasing the college-going rates of Texas students to the national average.
  • Accountability and Administrative Efficiency
    UH will be accountable for student learning and for the effective use of resources.

Strategic Goals 

  1. National Competitiveness: 
    UH will strengthen its status as a nationally competitive public research university as measured by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Top American Public Research Universities (TARU) and will seek to meet the threshold needed for its entry into Association of American Universities (AAU).
  2. Student Success:
    UH will have a student profile consistent with a nationally competitive public research university by creating an environment in which student success can be ensured.
  3. Community Advancement: 
    UH will commit to fulfilling regional and state workforce needs while becoming the primary engine of social, economic, and intellectual development.
  4. Athletic Competitiveness:
    UH will provide a comprehensive educational experience to its students and within this context, it will seek to build the strongest athletic program possible.
  5. National and Local Recognition:
    UH will be known for its accomplishments locally and nationally.
  6. Resource Competitiveness: 
    UH will build a resource base that enables it to accomplish its mission and realize its vision.

Strategic Initiatives

  1. The UH Energy Initiative
    This is bringing together nearly six dozen of our finest faculty from eight colleges, 14 centers and institutes, and multiple disciplines to pursue the highest and broadest level of energy research, including fossil fuels, bio-fuels, wind, and solar power. The initiative will facilitate relationships with industry partners to understand their needs and increase our capacity to provide the workforce, the technologies, and the business innovations needed by Houston not only to compete, but also to lead the energy industry globally. See: http://www.uh.edu/uh-energy/
  2. The UH Health Initiative
    This builds on another of Houston’s strengths, healthcare. Houston is home to the world’s largest medical complex, the Texas Medical Center, and UH has many health-related research programs, including science and engineering, social science and social work, and pharmacy and optometry. Our strength lies in the integration of these disciplines. We will expand our presence and our partnerships with Texas Medical Center institutions, filling gaps that currently exist, and advancing strengths already in place. See: http://www.uh.edu/uh-health/
  3. The UH Arts Initiative:
    It is equally important to our future. The Arts Initiative will position UH as a world-class arts destination and as a national innovator in commissioning new work, employing and training thousands of artists and sponsoring world class arts series. Houston’s arts scene attracts nearly 11 million people and generates $625 million in economic activity each year. The arts programs at UH are a big part of that success. We pledge to expand and strengthen our partnerships with theaters, museums, performance venues and arts organizations. In conjunction with this, our faculty will strive for overall excellence in the liberal arts by pursuing a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. See: http://www.uh.edu/uh-arts/
  4. The Star Initiative:
    This initiative reinforces our existing commitment to strengthen our centers of excellence, sometimes referred to as “star programs.” Many of these enjoy high national rankings, including entrepreneurship, health law, optometry, hotel and restaurant management, social work, psychology, chemical engineering, music and creative writing. Under our fourth initiative, the Star Initiative, we plan to make our stars shine even brighter.