Requirement 2.4. The institution has a clearly defined and published mission statement specific to the institution and appropriate to an institution of higher education, addressing teaching and learning and, where applicable, research and public service.

Full Compliance

Throughout the 2003 revision of the Georgia Southern Mission Statement, the University’s Strategic Planning Council (SPC) sought to insure that the guiding document for the institution was comprehensive and clear, and provided direction for the decision-making processes of the university. Care was taken during the revision process to ensure that the university’s faculty, staff, and students were instrumental in the process and that the final document would serve the whole of the university. Furthermore, the cyclical nature of the revision process of both the Mission Statement and the Strategic Plan speak to a commitment by the University to keep both current and flexible to the changing needs of the institution.

Georgia Southern’s mission statement was created to reflect the principles of the University’s Strategic Plan, whose basic tenets place teaching and learning first among the university’s priorities but also reflect a commitment to scholarship and service. The three primary areas of instruction, research, and service are addressed in the context of Georgia Southern's role within the University System of Georgia. In addressing the educational mission, the Mission Statement declares that the purpose of the University is to create an environment where faculty, students, and staff "embrace core values expressed through integrity, civility, kindness, collaboration, and a commitment to lifelong learning, wellness, and social responsibility.”

Although the Mission Statement identifies undergraduate students as the institution's primary constituents, the growing number and variety of offerings by the graduate program exemplify the University's continuing commitment and success in providing expanded educational opportunities. The University’s educational mission encompasses selected undergraduate and graduate program offerings, as well as “health care and human services, cultural experiences, scientific and technological advancement, athletics, and regional development.”

The Mission Statement articulates the value the University places on scholarly research in its own right, as well as for "the creation of learning experiences of the highest quality, informed by scholarly practice, research, and creative activities.” The research mission equally values accomplishments in the fine and performing arts such as literary writing, performance, and the visual arts. The University's commitment to service is influenced significantly by its assumption of responsibility for service to the region. As proclaimed in the Mission Statement, the University is “committed to advancing the State of Georgia and the region through the benefits of higher education, offering baccalaureate through doctoral degrees and a variety of outreach programs.” Students take part in research activities and service endeavors, faculty continue to teach even when immersed in research and service, and the University's staff support all activities.

The mission statement was revised in 2003 and approved by the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia on June 30, 2004. The text of the mission statement appears at http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/about/mission.html.