With a Campus Master Plan that had not been updated since the mid-1970s, the University of Texas at Tyler undertook a master planning process to examine the environment for higher education in East Texas, realign its mission and vision, and establish new goals, objectives and strategies that provide a map to follow for its next academic decade.

The update to the campus Master Plan included a new mission and goals statement, review of existing campus conditions and a study of future campus needs, including a planned doubling of enrollment by 2010.