When we embarked on our quest to create a meaningful and purposeful strategic plan for the Institute of Agriculture, a good friend of mine shared some timeless advice: “Keep it simple.” That friend, none other than Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher, often reminds me that, to be effective, you need to keep the message straightforward and clear.
I believe we’ve achieved just that with Growing Greatness: A Five-Year Strategic Plan. This document outlines our vision for success with five simple yet impactful goals that will guide us into a bright and exciting future:
- Expand Educational Opportunities
- Foster Innovation and Discovery
- Encourage and Increase Collaboration
- Share Our Collective Success
- Nurture our Talent
This isn’t to say that the process didn’t involve long hours, hard work, and complex thinking. It certainly did, thanks to the dedication of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and stakeholders who met with colleagues across the state to identify the goals that would have the greatest impact on our organization. There is much more to explore in this plan, and we are excited to share it with you.
In this issue of Land, Life and Science, you’ll learn more about our strategic work and its implementation—from assisting with disaster relief to pioneering research that will enhance biobased energy and products. You’ll also discover how veterinary students are taking their expertise into the field and how our Herbert students are literally reaching for the stars.
The impressive work produced by our team of faculty and staff in support of agriculture in Tennessee and beyond is only possible because of their talent, creativity, and passion. Our mission and vision are quite simple: We provide Real. Life. Solutions. through teaching, research, and outreach, and as a land-grant institute, we aspire to improve people’s lives—one discovery, one community, one classroom, one home, and one farm at a time.
Now that is definitely Charlie approved!
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