MISSION REVIEW PROPOSAL – FOR DISCUSSION
Rationale:
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About every ten years, the review of a mission statement can be an important part of
institutional renewal, a means of articulating and clarifying the institution’s goals and
values in the context of evolving priorities and challenges.
In the last site visit by the Middle States team, it was suggested that the college revisit
the format of the mission statement, separating out its goals in a way that made them
more transparent; this has not occurred.
General education is being revisited by the General Education Task Force, a process that
will continue into 2015-16; developments from this work can help to inform the
articulation of a new mission statement.
The next self-study will be due to Middle States in June 2019, and a review of the
mission and the general education objectives will demonstrate that the institution is
responsive to change. Since the self-study process is a two-year one, it would be more
strategic to have a new mission statement in place before fall 2017, when the self-study
working groups will begin their work.
Task force:
Establishing a Mission Review Task Force is proposed. Membership might include a senior
administrator, a faculty leader, faculty representatives from such committees as the CAPC, the
Senate Assessment Committee, and other committees as appropriate, and a HEO. Having under
ten members would be preferable. Formed in fall 2015, the task force would be charged with
reviewing the mission statement and developing a draft revision, to be submitted to the
Academic Senate by May 2016 for final review and approval.
Timeline:
When
Fall 2015
Spring 2016
Action
 Solicit members for Mission Review Task Force and form group
 Convene task force; vote to select a chair and secretary; arrange schedule of fall
meetings
 Research mission statements of other institutions
 Begin to draft document
 Arrange schedule of spring meetings and final deadline to meet May Academic Senate
agenda deadline
 Obtain update from General Education Task Force on the review and revision of the
general education outcomes and incorporate ideas into task force deliberations
 Complete a draft of new mission statement
 Submit draft to the Academic Senate for review and input at April meeting
 Make revisions to the draft based on input
 Submit final version of the mission statement to the Academic Senate for review and
approval