The University's strategic plan for 2014 to 2020, UWA 2020 Vision, reaffirms the objective, 'to advance the welfare and prosperity of the people' through educational and research activities, first defined when the University was founded by the University of Western Australia Act 1911.

Mission

To provide world-class education, research and community engagement for the advancement of the prosperity and welfare of our communities.

Vision

We aspire to be recognised as one of the world's top 50 global universities by 2050.

Values

We value respect, passion, excellence, integrity and diversity and remain committed to:

• a culture of high performance and continuous improvement, designed to achieve international excellence;
• academic freedom to encourage staff and students to engage in the open exchange of ideas and thought;
• equity and merit as the fundamental principles for the achievement of the full potential of all staff and students;
• fostering the values of openness, honesty, tolerance, trust and responsibility in social, moral and academic matters;
• the achievement of Aboriginal peoples' rights, aspirations and potential, and the recognition of Indigenous knowledge, culture and values; and
• sustainability in environmental, economic and social dimensions.

Strategic priorities

UWA 2020 Vision, our strategic plan, defines our strategic objectives across three pillars:

Education: UWA will be recognised as a global leader in university education:

• Teaching practices will be designed to engage, challenge and transform students throughout their degree.
• Students will be provided with a variety of learning experiences that connect them to the local, global, research and professional communities.
• We will offer a supportive, collaborative learning environment with a vibrant student experience.

Research: UWA will deliver an international research agenda of relevance to the communities we serve:

• Problem-oriented multidisciplinary teams will focus on areas relevant to our strengths, assets, geography and partners to solve global challenges.
• Our funding base will be diversified and our culture high-performing.
• Scholarship resources will be built to support world-class research training.

Community and global engagement: UWA will contribute intellectually, culturally and socially to our communities locally, nationally and internationally:

• broadening our international brand and reputation as a leading global university, by communicating our successes and demonstrating our impact to the communities we serve;
• connecting and partnering with industry locally and internationally to collaborate towards a better future; and
• recognise and engage with Indigenous people as the traditional custodians of the land.

In 2017, the University implemented a major organisational restructure to create a new operating environment to support future success. The academic structure was reduced from nine faculties to four to:

• encourage cross-discipline collaboration in research, teaching and innovation;
• align the organisational structure with University strategy; and
• promote identity and student attachment.

The administrative structure was redesigned to functionally align professional support services end-to-end, and create Service Delivery Centres focused on local delivery.

This creates:

• integrated and standardised functional units to minimise duplication, drive continuous improvement and improve service quality;
• clear delegation and lines of accountability; and
• optimises strategic planning and decision making.

The renewed operating model builds the foundation for a more resilient and agile institution, allowing us to be more competitive in uncertain environments and within fluctuating markets. This enables the commitment of funding to strategic investment to develop our education and research capabilities.

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