UC Merced's "north star" for the next 10 years is switched on. The university's first long-range strategic plan – a set of goals and a roadmap to reach them – was set in motion this fall. Viewed broadly, the strategic plan steers the UC system's youngest university to an enrollment of 15,000 by the 2030-31 academic year, supports the ambition to become a research institution with a Carnegie R1 designation, and supports a campus culture of equity and respect.

"We have any number of reasons to be immensely proud of where we are today and how far we have come since our early days," Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said. "But we should not rest on those laurels, nor will we."

The 31-page document lays out not only primary goals and targets, but how the strategic plan will be implemented and how an annual budgeting and resource allocation process will be informed by it. There also are examples of targeted and campus-wide strategic initiatives that could help UC Merced meet its goals. There's a lot in there. It's worth setting aside some time to read.