“PVAMU will be bold, dynamic, and united, infused by our rich history. This strategic plan guides our ambition and pushes for progress. We remain committed to improving the world-class, innovative education we provide to our students, the environment in which our faculty and staff work, and the communities we serve,” she added. “Our focus on increasing academic excellence, on retaining and hiring the best and most creative faculty and staff, and on encouraging pathbreaking research will continue to underpin all of our future activities. Similarly, our traditional core values and shared ethical principles will always guide our actions.”

Right now, the institution sits at No. 14 in the U.S. News & World Report ranking, according to The Houston Chronicle, and at No. 23 in the overall HBCU ranking. To develop the plan, Prairie View partnered with Kennedy & Company, a higher education consulting firm.

Goals include higher graduation rates and enrolling students in the top 25% of their high school graduating class. LeGrande also wants the HBCU to attract more graduate students, students who did not complete their college degrees, as well as international students.

“Everything that we will do at Prairie View is focused on making sure that we are delivering on being a public good,” she said, according to The Houston Chronicle. “That we are providing opportunity and access to students, but we’re giving them a quality experience, graduating them at high rates, and helping them get employment or graduate school soon after graduation.”

Focusing efforts on research is part of this initiative. In 2022, Prairie View reached the Research 2 Carnegie Classification. The distinction is given to institutions that award at least 20 doctoral degrees and spend at least $5 million in research expenditures every year. LeGrande hopes to expand these efforts and award 70 Ph. D.s annually. Additional goals include identifying student housing needs, opening a childcare center, prioritizing mental health among students and expanding career-building opportunities.

LeGrande noted the importance of needing additional funding from the state, federal government and donors to reach these goals. This past year, Prairie View received a nearly $1.7 million donation from bp and Shell Energy to establish an energy trading program; a $495,012 federal grant to address diversity in the teaching body; a grant by Mozilla Foundation for computing students; and PRISE grants to faculty members for research on global challenges.