At the heart of Baylor's mission is a commitment to prepare men and women for careers of worldwide leadership and service. As we look to the future, we must not be satisfied by simply preparing our students for a world of "cutting-edge technology," we must immerse them in an environment that is "cutting edge." We must maintain the close faculty-student relationships and mentoring for which Baylor is known, while expanding our scope of scholarly activity, innovation and creativity.

Baylor's Vision for 2012, though continuous with our cherished past, seeks a new level of excellence. Baylor University aspires to what few institutions, if any, have ever achieved. Within the course of a decade, Baylor intends to enter the top tier of American universities while reaffirming and deepening its distinctive Christian mission. Baylor will build a faculty and a student body to provide leadership in a period of change and conflict. It will strengthen and expand its traditional sense of community. It will pursue athletic excellence with integrity. In doing all these things, it will take its place among the finest colleges and universities in the world.

Our vision will be accomplished over the next 10 years through several key objectives, including several in the area of academics:

• reducing the student-faculty ratio from 19:1 to 13:1;
• recruiting and retaining a world-class faculty and student body;
• expanding our student life and academic programs;
• strengthening and expanding the Graduate School; and
• renovating existing buildings and constructing new facilities.