A year after adopting a new strategic plan – Vision in Action: The Academy of Tomorrow – the university has already made progress in elevating its academic profile and national reputation, Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. said in September at the 141st Convocation.

Boschini ticked off a list of recent accolades achieved by the institutions and its schools and colleges, including five students were awarded Fulbright Scholarships, the most ever in a TCU class.

“They are a true validation for what we’re doing,” he said. “That is because of you – our students, faculty and staff, and all the Horned Frogs that have gone before us.”

Superior teaching and authentic mentoring has helped TCU increase its stature nationally, he said.

The university added 46 new faculty members, 17 of whom are filling new positions, he said. “TCU must continue to keep class sizes small and the student-faculty ratio steady to maintain a person-centered environment,” he said. “This is the foundation upon which we can do even more to benefit our students and our society.”

TCU will continue to seek a diverse student population from around globe, he said, and to achieve this, the Board of Trustees removed its mandate that 60 percent of students come from Texas. The incoming class of 2017 features only 45 percent from the Lone Star State.

The university will also fine-tune its size and balance by staying at a cap of 10,000 students. “What’s changed is the 8,500 target for undergraduates and 1,500 target for graduates,” he said. Total enrollment stands at 9,925, and the 1,934 new freshmen is a university record. Graduate enrollment is below target at 1,285, but up 1.1 percent from 2012.

A third element of the strategic vision is the creation of the optimal campus environment, including the Intellectual Commons in east campus.

Key points from Boschini

– Three imperatives of The Academy of Tomorrow are to enhance TCU’s academic profile and strengthen its reputation; to fine-tune the size and balance of the student body; and to create an optimal campus environment.

– TCU moved up 10 spots to No. 82 in the 2014 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

– To achieve The Academy of Tomorrow, TCU must maintain its unique, personalized culture that provides learning from extraordinary teachers, engaging in meaningful research, benefiting from mentors, learning to live in a diverse society and growing in leadership and character.

– Forty-six new faculty added to maintain student-faculty ratio of 14:1 or better.

– TCU’s two most recent classes have emerged from 40,000 applicants and boast the highest scores on the SAT and ACT. The Class of 2017 features 55 percent from outside of Texas.