Strategic Plan

Bold leadership from the College of Natural Sciences is key to our campus-wide aspiration to be the world’s highest-impact public research university, including for science.

Community. Discovery. Impact at Scale.

Professor at chalk board with students in class

Inspired by our community, by a spirit of discovery and by a determination to have impact at scale, we are committing in our strategic plan to becoming the highest-impact college of science at a public research university. To do this, we must advance people, place and pursuits — through experiences, education and research — here in Texas Science.


Mission & Values

Our college mission is to provide an excellent, research-oriented education in science, mathematics and computing that fosters the success of its students, to discover important new knowledge through research and to create an intellectually and scientifically enriched environment that advances a vibrant Texas, nation and planet.

Our college aim is to become the world’s highest-impact public research university for science, mathematics and computing.

Girl with petri dish in lab

Community, discovery and impact at scale are the foundation for our accomplishments today and serve as points of focus for our work moving forward.

Our ability to do everything we want to do requires having a welcoming and connected community; a spirit of discovery to fuel our research and teaching mission; and a readiness to embrace our size and scale so we can amplify our impact.”

Dean David Vanden Bout


Our Plan at a Glance

The College of Natural Sciences — UT Austin’s largest college and home to more top-10 ranked programs than any college at UT Austin — is primed to continue and grow in its role as a transformative leader on campus, nationally and in the world. To guide the development of the college strategic plan and aspirations to carry us through the next five years, we conducted listening sessions, forums, conversations and open surveys with hundreds of Natural Sciences students, faculty, staff and stakeholders. We are focusing now on how we will change the world.

PEOPLE


Faculty, staff, students: discovery starts with us

PLACE


Amplifying the unmatched potential here

PURSUITS


...and changing the world through… 

transformative EXPERIENCES

Experience priorities

transformative EDUCATION

Education priorities

transformative Research

Research priorities


Progress to Date

We continually update and add to the initiatives described in our strategic plan, ensuring we are supporting a new generation of leaders in pursuing answers to societal and scientific problems and bringing benefit to society through our education, research and service. 

Fall 2024

Latest Progress

Fall 2023

Year Two Progress

Fall 2022

Year One Progress