At Tarleton, the abbreviated version of our mission statement is that we are "Creating a Culture of Excellence for our Students." We have been committed to this brief conceptual guide since 1993. It has served us well and it continues to be an effective powerful communication tool for both internal and external audiences. The statement is flexible and inclusive, which allows our faculty, staff and administrators to view clearly their roles and understand the organizational context of expectations held for them. It gives them direction no matter their assignment. Persons from outside the Tarleton family have told me repeatedly that they find the short guide to be focused correctly-we have our attention placed squarely on the right targets, namely our students and excellence. Additionally, I often explain to audiences that the "ing" part of the word, "Creating", means we haven't arrived. We are in the state of becoming. Our development as an institution is continuous.

This strategic plan is Tarleton's short-hand version of how we intend to achieve our mission - a map to success. As this plan is implemented, Tarleton divisions and departments are encouraged to highlight two to three major goals each year. Perhaps by concentrating on a limited number of goals on a yearly basis, greater gains in the achievement for the eight goal areas present in this document may be noted in the next five years. Another highlight of the strategic plan is noted by Tarleton State University - Central Texas (T-CT) being featured in a separate planning document. T-CT's separate document reflects their continued maturation towards becoming an independent campus. This five year plan will guide us from now until the year, 2011. It outlines form, structure and movement. It points to expectations and action. It clearly provides strong clues as to who we are and who we want to be. In short, it provides Tarleton with "Steps to the Future."