fsfaculty: Mission Statement

["Delores Hudson" <dhudson@Senate.msstate.edu>]

Dr. Phil Oldham, Chair of the SACS Committee on Institutional Purpose, has
asked the Faculty Senate to review the university mission statement their
committee has proposed, make recommendations, and forward these
recommendations to Dr. Lee.  This task has been assigned to the Faculty
Senate Charters and Bylaws Committee.  Our committee would like to present a report with our recommendations to the Faculty Senate at the special meeting on April 26, 2002.  Please review this final proposed draft of
"The Mission of Mississippi State University" and forward any comments to
Linda Pote, Chair of  the Charter and Bylaws Committee.  In order for your
comments to be considered, we need them by Thursday (April 18 ) at 5 p.m. 
We apologize for the short turnaround on this.

The proposed mission statement is as follows:   

D R A F T

The Mission of Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University, a public, land-grant,
doctoral/research/extensive university, is committed to excellence and
inclusiveness in fulfilling its mission through the exploration of
ideas and the interpretation, application, and dissemination of
knowledge.  Serving a population of diverse ethnic, cultural, and
economic backgrounds, the university promotes citizenship and
leadership by guiding its students toward moral and intellectual
maturity.  It fosters in them an understanding of their shared history
and culture, an appreciation of the arts, a tolerance for opposing
points of view, a facility with written and spoken language, an
understanding of scientific principles and methods, a command of modern
technologies, a competence in analyzing and solving problems, a
commitment to life-long learning, and a spirit of inquiry into the
universe and the human condition.

Enhancing its historic strengths in agriculture, natural resources,
science, and engineering, the university enters the twenty-first
century with additional strengths in a comprehensive range of graduate
and undergraduate programs.  These include architecture, the arts,
business, education, the humanities, the social and behavioral
sciences, and veterinary medicine.  Through integration of its programs
in learning, research, and service, through traditional scholarship,
through statewide extension and outreach, and through engagement with
business and industry, communities, organizations, and government
agencies, the university is committed to advancing the social,
cultural, economic, and educational welfare of the people of
Mississippi, the nation, and the world.




Thanks,

Linda Pote 
lpote@cvm.msstate.edu