The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) is charged with producing a statewide plan every four years that clearly outlines the priorities and major goals for the State's postsecondary system. The 2013-2017 State Plan for Postsecondary Education, "Maryland Ready," fulfills this charge and is the result of a year-long, collaborative planning process. The first section of the plan presents seven significant issues that the State has identified as both challenges and opportunities that must be addressed in the ensuing years. This section is followed by a discussion of six overarching goals, which provide direction for moving the postsecondary community forward over the next four years. The goals include: (1) maintaining and improving the quality and effectiveness of postsecondary institutions and the postsecondary sector; (2) outlining a plan of action for access, affordability, and completion over the next four years to ensure that Maryland and its citizens continue to excel; (3) ensuring equitable opportunities for academic success and cultural competency for an increasingly diverse population; (4) harnessing innovation to propel the State forward in delivering and evaluating postsecondary institutions' offerings, instructional methods, and training models and systems as a way of facilitating student success; (5) stimulating economic growth and vitality by supporting a knowledge-based economy; and (6) creating and supporting an open and collaborative environment of quality data use and distribution related to postsecondary education.