Who We Are

The Division of Advancement strengthens the University of North Texas by building the relationships and resources that support one of the nation's largest and most impactful public universities. As a leading driver of social mobility in Texas, UNT serves a large student population whose success depends on access, affordability, and outcomes beyond graduation. Through philanthropy, alumni engagement, and strategic partnerships, Advancement connects generosity to opportunities that remove financial barriers, strengthen academic and workforce pathways, and ensure a UNT degree delivers lasting value for students, families, and communities across the state.

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Our Strategic Goals (2026–2030)

Students working in the Gupta Industry Connections Lounge at UNT Frisco

Expanding philanthropic support for student success and academic excellence

Develop
Grow private funding for scholarships, emergency aid, and completion initiatives that reduce financial barriers and improve graduation outcomes for UNT's diverse student population. Partner with colleges to fund faculty excellence and student-facing services, and leverage alumni networks to connect students with mentoring, career readiness, and workforce opportunities.

Our Implementation Priorities

  • Raise $70 million in philanthropic support by expanding outreach to high-capacity donors across DFW, strengthening the donor pipeline through alumni engagement, and growing annual giving to advance student success, retention, and UNT's research mission.

  • Increase alumni engagement within college and school programming and Braven mentoring initiatives; support the launch of the Corporate Concierge program in partnership with the President's Office to advance coordinated corporate and community engagement.

  • Build a more sustainable fundraising infrastructure by growing first-time donors, expanding annual giving, launching a new donor relations strategic plan, and evaluating technology systems to strengthen data-driven decision-making.

Core Metrics

1st to 2nd Year Retention
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UNT Baseline (2024/25): 77% | UNT Target (2030): 90%

Unit contribution to achieving targets:

  • Partner with colleges and units to maximize the disbursement of endowed scholarship funds.
4-Year Graduation Rate
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UNT Baseline (2024/25): 42% | UNT Target (2030): 65%

Unit contribution to achieving targets:

  • Endowments/scholarships fundraising
6-Year Graduation Rate
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UNT Baseline (2024/25): 61% | UNT Target (2030): 80%

Unit contribution to achieving targets:

  • Endowments/scholarships fundraising
Annual R&D Expenditures
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UNT Baseline (2024/25): $124M | UNT Target (2030): $250M

Unit contribution to achieving targets:

  • Driving philanthropic support around research
Doctoral Degrees Awarded
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UNT Baseline (2024/25): 286 | UNT Target (2030): 300

Unit contribution to achieving targets:

  • N/A
Time to Value
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UNT Baseline (2024/25): 6 years | UNT Target (2030): Decrease time for programs over median

Unit contribution to achieving targets:

Emergent Metrics

Important Dimensions of Our Success that Require New Approaches

Post-graduation placement:
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Percentage of graduates placed in high-demand occupations or graduate and professional programs

Support placement through fundraising for Texas Talent Accelerator and partnership with Braven; track funds raised and mentorships supported.

Career-aligned learning:
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Percentage of academic programs that integrate internships, industry-sponsored projects, or other work-integrated learning experiences

Partner with the President’s Office to expand corporate partnerships through Corporate Concierge; track partnerships and philanthropic support for applied learning.

Awards and recognitions:
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Prestigious awards, exhibitions, and performances achieved by our students, faculty, staff, and alumni

Track Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awards, alumni honors, engagement attendance, and sponsorships as indicators of visibility and engagement.

Innovation and entrepreneurship:
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New ventures, startups, and public impact projects launched by students, faculty, and alumni

Track philanthropic support and produce 12+ impact stories highlighting student success, donor impact, and presidential priorities.

Student and alumni engagement:
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Perceptions of how well UNT prepares graduates to pursue lives of meaning and purpose

Use Alumni Visibility, Outreach, Input, Communication, and Engagement (VOICE) survey and campaign feasibility study to establish baselines; conduct pulse survey(s) in coordination with and complementary to campus surveys aligned with presidential initiatives.

Unit Level Metrics

 

  • Increase employee engagement index in the Gallup Survey Employee Engagement Score: Track employee engagement and workplace health. Inform targeted training, staff development, and retention efforts.

 

 

  • Increase overall alumni engagement from 13,500 to 18,000 through giving, event attendance, volunteerism, and digital participation: Raise UNT visibility, support Better Look North initiatives, and cultivate new donors.

 

 

  • Grow the number of donors to 8,500: Expand donor base, fuel donor pipeline, and achieve fundraising goals.

 

 

  • Increase the number of alumni volunteers to 1,500: Deepen community volunteers' commitment to advance strategic efforts that support student success.