Montana State University will be the university of choice for those seeking a student-centered learning environment distinguished by innovation and discovery in a Rocky Mountain setting.

The mission of Montana State University is:

• To provide a challenging and richly diverse learning environment in which the entire university community is fully engaged in supporting student success.
• To provide an environment that promotes the exploration, discovery, and dissemination of new knowledge.
• To provide a collegial environment for faculty and students in which discovery and learning are closely integrated and highly valued.
• To serve the people and communities of Montana by sharing our expertise and collaborating with others to improve the lives and prosperity of Montanans.

In accomplishing our mission, we remain committed to the wise stewardship of resources through meaningful assessment and public accountability.

For FY03 UPBAC will plan and develop the budget around three university-wide priorities: Recruitment, Retention, and Quality Enhancements. All of these priorities are essential to providing access and success for our students.

Recruitment. In this priority area emphasis will be placed on: (1) enhancing student recruitment efforts; (2) expanding the graduate student population; (3) increasing student scholarships and fellowships at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; (4) increasing access to university programs both on campus and throughout the state.

Retention. In this priority area emphasis will be placed on: (1) improving the university's overall rate of retention; (2) fulfilling student interests/preferences for specific academic programs; (3) sustaining increased enrollment; (4) recognizing enrollment growth in specific academic programs.

Quality Enhancements. The emphasis here will be on: (1) sustaining and enhancing the quality of our academic offerings; (2) supporting the development, retention, and recruitment of high quality, dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators; and (3) sustaining and enhancing the quality of our physical and technological infrastructure.

To be successful in FY03, and for the longer term, it is essential that MSU-Bozeman seeks to increase both public- and private-sector support for higher education, and fosters the growth of beneficial partnerships within the MUS, with the public sector, and with the private sector.

Moreover, it is a priority of MSU, as a land grant university, to sustain and enhance programs that address issues of Montana's traditional industries, contribute to the development of knowledge- and technology-based industries, and contribute to the state's need for well-educated citizens who can participate and lead in an increasingly knowledge-based, technologydependent global economy. MSU-Bozeman must position itself to provide the excellent educational, professional, and cultural programs required by the contemporary needs of a complex and rapidly changing state.