Foundational Guidelines for Mission Statement Writing at the University Level

Purpose and Use

Specifically, the treatment of mission statement writing as a constructed response task constitutes the university’s proposed articulation of its general description, function and short-term / long-term objectives. Here, the underlying purpose and use of this action-oriented summary is to declare the goals and values that an organization will then serve to its audience. Beyond this, it is a way of exemplifying how a university may stand out against its competitors. Therefore, it is important that these powerful statements of purpose make a declaration, take a stance, and stand for something important. In doing so, the assembled framework should emphasize the interests of alumni, government, businesses, students, and faculty.

Additionally, these descriptions of purpose in higher education may often be referenced as the guiding principles for navigating difficult conditions. As a result, these points of reference remind administrators of the direction in which the university is aiming for. This is important as these mission statements should be flexible enough that their enactment welcomes revisitation. As a measurable goal, the articulation of purpose in higher education should be evaluated and revised when necessary in the future.

Effectiveness 

As each university defines their brand through the use of a mission statement, they are aiming to impose lasting values that extend far beyond their current state and practice. As readers engage with and interpret the presented verbiage, they will hopefully capture the intended essence of what is reflected in the university’s objective.

This style of discourse employs powerful genre specific actions verbs to captivate the intended audience and convey the organization’s framework. The following verbs can help create dynamic and visual images that inspire action:

Mission statements often use verbs in the simple future tense. The tense is constructed as follows:

subject + auxiliary will + main verb

This construction refers to a time later than now, while expressing things that are seemingly factual or certain. Trends suggest that this utilized tense may convey a message that will explain core values. Specifically, who they are and where they are going. For example, notice the use of the simple future tense in the University of Miami’s mission: “We will strive to transform the world in positive ways through innovative education, impactful research and scholarship, and the translation of knowledge into solutions”

In the following mission statements from three different universities, notice how language is used, including action verbs, descriptive language, and terms to identify community and relationships.

Example Mission Statements

Wake Forest University Mission Statement:

Wake Forest is a distinctive university that combines a liberal arts core with graduate and professional schools and innovative research programs. The University embraces the teacher-scholar ideal, prizing personal interaction between students and faculty. It is a place where exceptional teaching, fundamental research and discovery, and the engagement of faculty and students in the classroom and laboratory are paramount.

The University continues to fulfill its ideal of a more diverse learning community, providing students and example of the world they will be called upon to lead. The University sustains a vibrant residential community with a broad-based program of service and extracurricular activities. The University recognizes the benefits of intercollegiate athletics conducted with integrity and at the highest level.

Central to its mission, the University believes in the development of the whole person – intellectual, moral, spiritual and physical. From its rich religious heritage, Wake Forest is committed to sustaining an environment where vital beliefs and faith traditions can engage secular thought in a climate of academic freedom and an unfettered search for truth. The University embraces the challenges of religious pluralism.

While national in scope, the university has been shaped by a culture that is distinctively North Carolinian. This history provides it with a sense of place and community responsibility. In extending its reach, the University has made a priority of international study and international understanding. Wake Forest seeks to be a place where a vibrant and diverse learning community weds knowledge, experiences and service that lift the human spirit.

The University of North Carolina Mission Statement

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, serves North Carolina, the United States, and the world through teaching, research, and public service. We embrace an unwavering commitment to excellence as one of the world’s great research universities.

Our mission is to serve as a center for research, scholarship, and creativity and to teach a diverse community of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to become the next generation of leaders. Through the efforts of our exceptional faculty and staff, and with generous support from North Carolina’s citizens, we invest our knowledge and resources to enhance access to learning and to foster the success and prosperity of each rising generation. We also extend knowledge-based services and other resources of the University to the citizens of North Carolina and their institutions to enhance the quality of life for all people in the State.

With lux, libertas – light and liberty – as its founding principles, the University has charted a bold course of leading change to improve society and to help solve the world’s greatest problems.”

The University of Miami Mission Statement:

We are committed to freedom of inquiry-the freedom to think, to question, to criticize, and to dissent. We will pursue excellence in our research and educational missions with the single-mindedness that marks great commitments. We will prepare our students for rewarding lifelong careers and will instill in them a continued and permanent dedication to the search for knowledge and the search for truth. We will provide them with the foundations for ethical citizenship and service to others, a respect for differences among people, and a commitment to high standards of thought and communication. We will provide service to our community and beyond, including the delivery of high-quality, compassionate care through an academic health system. We will strive to transform the world in positive ways through innovative education, impactful research and scholarship, and the translation of knowledge into solutions.

Founded in 1925 by a group of Miami citizens who believed that an institution of higher learning was necessary for the development of their young and growing community, the University has matured into a major research university and academic health system. Located within one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world, the University is a distinctive community with a variety of races, ethnicities, customs, genders, and faiths. Its geographic location uniquely positions the University to be both local and global in outlook and outreach.

We aspire at the University of Miami: to be a global university with an intentionally hemispheric strategy, pursuing inclusive engagement as a bridge across the Americas to the rest of the world; to be an excellent university, striving to achieve the highest standards of performance in every aspect of our work; to be a relevant university, connecting scholarship to real-world solutions; and to be an exemplary university, offering a model to society through the steadfast achievement of our mission.

Aspects of Effective Mission Statements (Checklist!)

•  Written with clarity
•  Provide institution’s uniqueness, purpose & methodology
•  Answers “What? – by when?”
•  Action-oriented statement
•  Measurable / evolves with time
•  Maintains a degree of flexibility
•  Emphasize interests of alumni, government, business, students, and faculty

Beware!

Higher education mission statements should define, not limit, the campus focus (Donachie). Specifically, these goals should outline the focused potential without limiting the demands too narrowly. Meaning, it is important to maintain a degree of flexibility in order to “help schools navigate difficult economic and external conditions . . . [and] help administrators feel emboldened to steer the institution in ways that are helpful rather than harmful for its long-term strength” (Free, as cited in Donachie). By avoiding constraint and welcoming future growth, administrators can pursue decisions that enhance ensuing viability.

For example:

We are committed to freedom of inquiry – the freedom to think, to question, to criticize, and to dissent. We will pursue excellence in our research and educational mission with the single-mindedness that marks great commitments. We will prepare our students for rewarding lifelong careers and will instill in them a continued and permanent dedication to search for knowledge and the search for truth (University of Miami).

Think Twice

Amending mission statements may introduce new issues to campus life. It is paramount that institutions affirm that their current proclamations are adequately upheld. In part of such values, students will often make the decision to attend the university (or not). Therefore, if the outlined principles are lacking, their credibility will become tainted.

In fact, many campus protests have emanated from the false claims that university’s market in their mission statements. When administrators in higher education claim to value diversity and inclusion, their actions that then ensue should validate their declaration. Yet, many students report that their living and learning community lack these values in practice. Specifically, College Pulse’s ‘Student Discrimination’ survey engaged with more than twelve hundred students across eight hundred four-year institutions. These students were asked to respond to a variety of questions that aimed to gain access to their perception of campus climate. Of these surveyed, “64 percent of student say there is ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ discrimination” evident at their institution (Gottschling). This finding certifies that there is a misalignment between the objectives of an institution and the resulting practice.

Recently, students protested Albany State University’s mission statement after its revision. This Historically Black College and University (HBCU) was forced to merge with Darton State College – a predominantly white university (Lynch). Still operating under Albany’s visual representation, students were astonished when changes to their school’s mission statement omitted their status and roots of being an HBCU. Most of the student body chose to attend Albany State University because of their rich history and cultural significance; however, after the stark change in their campus’ mission statement, they felt as if their school was being taken away from them. Campus wide walkouts and protests occurred almost immediately. The point of this is to remind institutions of the ways in which their mission statement can affect their student body.

Practice

Let’s practice! In the space below draft your university’s goals and objectives. Here it is beneficial to articulate both internal and external motivations.

For reference, internal objectives should be outlined to guide the decision making of university officials / administrators. These desires should aim to define the focus and future direction of the institution. Next, external aims will generally extend the [university’s] personality beyond its physical walls (Madden). This aspect should resonate with the students, parents & alumni that engage with the mission statement. In other words, this aspect should distill a strong sense of identity.

Works Cited

Gaff, Jerry, and Jack Meacham. “Learning Goals in Mission Statements: Implications for Educational Leadership.” Association of American Colleges & Universities, 17 Dec. 2014. aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/learning-goals-mission-statements-implications-educational.

Gottschling, Grace. “New Survey Reveals College Diversity, Inclusion Efforts Fail Miserably.” Campus Reform, 4 June 2019, www.campusreform.org/?ID=13290.

Hull, Patrick. “Answer 4 Questions to Get a Great Mission Statement.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 Jan. 2014, www.forbes.com/sites/patrickhull/2013/01/10/answer-4-questions-to-get-a-great-mission-statement/#cc3443a67f57.

Lynch, Matthew. “Students Protest Albany State’s New Mission Statement.” The Edvocate, 15 Jan. 2017, www.theedadvocate.org/students-protest-albany-states-new-mission-statement/.

Madden, Susanne. “Writing an Actionable Mission Statement.” Physicians Practice, 13 Sept. 2011, www.physicianspractice.com/writing-actionable-mission-statement.

Wang, Jinhao, et al. “Thematic Differences in Mission Statement Between Four-Year Public Institutions and Two-Year Colleges in Texas.” Texas A&M University , 2017, files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ987299.pdf.