An essential part of the Beyond Boundaries initiative is the work of the four thematic area groups: Advancing as a Global Land-Grant Institution, Preparing Students for the World, Envisioning the Campus of the Future, and Discovering New Funding Models. The groups have been diligently working over the course of the fall semester to lay the groundwork for the Steering Committee to use in constructing its vision of Virginia Tech at its 175th anniversary in 2047.

Each group approached both the process they undertook and the tools enclosed in this document in an organic fashion to take into account both the talents of their group members and the particularities inherent to their thematic areas.