It is also based on commonly held assumptions about the planning process itself. Strategic planning at Sam Houston State University begins with the President's vision regarding the future of the institution and a commitment to the fundamental spirit of the Coordinating Board-approved mission statement. The current Sam Houston State University strategic plan is subject to change as societal, state, and local needs change and as the institutional mission evolves.
Environmental trends inform institutional directions in the strategic planning process.
The environmental scans and the general institutional goals and strategic directions are shared with faculty, administrative staff, and students for their discussion, understanding, and input. The strategic plan is tightly integrated into the budget planning process. A higher percentage of beginning freshmen who enroll in institutions of higher education will attend community colleges. The historic consistency of the proportion of nontraditional undergraduate students, including older students and those who are parents, at SHSU is expected to continue. The SHSU student body will become more diversified during the next decade.