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The north star that guides everything we do at the University of Kentucky must be to advance Kentucky — from its economy to its health and from its culture to its levels of educational attainment so critical to progress.
The UK Board of Trustees approved a new Strategic Plan that will serve as a roadmap for our progress together.
It clearly articulates for our campus — and all those who invest in and care about this special place — how we are working to advance the Commonwealth.
These principles will serve as the foundation of how UK will operationalize honoring its mission as a land-grant institution in the 21st century.

Strategic Plan Team Rosters

View a list of individuals on the team for each Strategic Plan principle.

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Mission Statement

The University of Kentucky is a public, land grant university dedicated to improving people’s lives through excellence in education, research and creative work, service and health care. As Kentucky's flagship institution, the university plays a critical leadership role by promoting diversity, inclusion, economic development and human well-being. 

The University of Kentucky:

  • Facilitates learning, informed by scholarship and research.

  • Expands knowledge through research, scholarship and creative activity.

  • Serves a global community by disseminating, sharing and applying knowledge.

The University, as the flagship institution, plays a critical leadership role for the Commonwealth by contributing to the economic development and quality of life within Kentucky’s borders and beyond. The University nurtures a diverse community characterized by fairness and equal opportunity.

Putting Students First

They are why we are here. Whether it is a maintaining a modern curriculum that prepares our students for success, providing appropriate support for graduate students or ensuring that doctoral students start and complete their programs successfully, we must put students first.

Taking Care of Our People

We will only accomplish our mission of advancing Kentucky when our people are compensated - in terms of pay and benefits - and supported in ways that lead the state, too.

Inspiring Ingenuity

How do we embed innovation and discovery into every aspect of our institution? The breadth and depth of programming and offerings on one campus makes us distinctive in higher education. How do we incentivize the spark of ingenuity throughout our campus?

Ensuring Greater Trust, Transparency and Accountability

We are Kentucky's institution. And that mantle holds with it heightened responsibilities around accountability and transparency. But we need to do more to instill a sense of trust in each other on issues ranging from shared governance to open accountability for how we perform and what we measure.

Bringing Together Many People; One Community

UK is among the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth. Our students will enter a world riven by divisions, but more interdependent than ever before. How do we model unity amidst diversity for our state?

Past Strategic Plan

The University of Kentucky's strategic plan for 2015 to 2020 included five important objectives. 

1. Undergraduate Student Success

2. Graduate Education

3. Diversity and Inclusivity

4. Research and Scholarship

5. Outreach and Community Engagement

Read Past Plan