"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

- William Butker Yeats (1865-1939)

Those universities that are still "filling a pail" shall be of a secondary stature in the next century. Those that will be "lighting a fire" will lead higher education. The University of Cincinnati has spent a decade transforming itself from the "filling a pail" model of old to building a fire filled with aspirations, dreams, and learning. We welcome all to bring their dreams to the university. This century's dreams will be the next century's reality. The University of Cincinnati will be one of the few universities defining the next centuryís higher education reality.

Visit the University of Cincinnati today, and you immediately understand that something important is happening. The campus is undergoing a dramatic renovation, and visitors are instantly aware of the excitement created by our new surroundings. No matter who visits our campus - whether the parents of a prospective student, a distinguished scholar, or a guest from one of our 49 worldwide sister universities - the first question is always about the new buildings. You must look closer, and listen longer, to realize that the bricks and mortar, grass and trees are only one symptom of a fundamental transformation.

As a comprehensive, Research I institution, we have followed, to transform ourselves, a strategy involving nine areas of focused transformation. These areas are:

• Pedagogy: The Art of Learning
  
  
• Faculty Development
  
  
• Convergence of Knowledge
  
  
• Innovative Research and Scholarship
  
  
• New Analytical and Technological Tools
  
  
• Global Perspective and Involvement
  
  
• Community and Environment for Learning
  
  
• Financial Viability
  
  
• Return on Investment

Each of these initiatives is directed toward one goal: Placing the University of Cincinnati among the best centers of learning and innovation in the next century.