Statement of Institutional Purpose

Mississippi State University was founded as a land-grant institution in 1878 to meet the needs of the people, institutions, and organizations of the state, the region, and the nation through undergraduate and graduate education, basic and applied research, and service to institutions and organizations. The university's fundamental purpose is to develop knowledgeable and skilled people who engage in the pursuit of intellectual truth, help constitute an informed electorate, and contribute to economic growth and prosperity. Mississippi State is committed to performing basic research to expand the bounds of knowledge, to using applied research to translate knowledge into practice, to providing service to institutions and organizations, and to providing education to its students.

Educational Philosophy - Mississippi State's primary responsibility is to provide a high quality educational opportunity to all adequately prepared students in the state and region. It seeks to inculcate in its students a lifelong love of learning; an appreciation of the cultural, intellectual, and historical impact of the search for truth and knowledge; the opportunity for professional specialization and emotional and social development through out-of-class experiences. All students are expected to master the skills that enable them to communicate clearly, to use mathematics, and to understand their cultural heritage and that of others. The university seeks to develop in its students the ability to think independently, to accept responsibility to interact with people different from themselves, to assess ideas, to challenge orthodoxies, and to criticize opinions in order to achieve the intellectual, ethical, and aesthetic maturity expected in educated citizens. Mississippi State affirms the right of all students to achieve an educational level limited only by their own commitment and ability.

Academic Freedom and Responsibility - Freedom of inquiry and expression is fundamental to the idea of a university and to a democratic society. Mississippi State affirms this principle and vigorously defends it. At the same time, faculty are obligated to exercise good judgment, to maintain the highest professional and personal standards of intellectual integrity, and to ensure that the free exchange of ideas is marked by both accuracy and relevance of information to the subjects or issues under consideration. Mississippi State recognizes the value of diverse opinions in decision making and pursues its mission in an atmosphere of shared governance and open communication. Faculty and staff are involved in policy formulation and in implementing the learning, research, and service missions of the university. Faculty and staff also recognize their shared accountability for the performance of the university in carrying out its mission.

Curricular Offerings - Mississippi State offers high quality education at the bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral levels. The university offers a liberal education for all students in a broad-based curriculum of the sciences, the arts and the technological disciplines to prepare them for productive careers and positions of leadership. Methods of inquiry and critical thinking are emphasized to prepare students to solve complex societal problems and to engage in lifelong learning and exploration. As a comprehensive land-grant university, Mississippi State serves both in-state and out-of-state students through instruction in engineering and agriculture, along with significant elements of the humanities, sciences, arts, business, and education. Besides a comprehensive range of undergraduate academic programs, the University offers outstanding graduate programs, capitalizing on the unique ability of a research university to expand the horizons of its students.

Traditional and Non-Traditional Education - The university affirms its mission to address education as a lifelong process by providing appropriate opportunities for continuing education and interacting with the pre-college educational system to prepare students for university study. Mississippi State continually assesses both traditional and innovative educational delivery systems in order to provide education in the most efficient and effective ways to as many citizens as possible.

Research - Research is an integral part of the mission of Mississippi State. It expands the frontiers of human knowledge and provides practical applications of accumulated knowledge. The university fosters an environment in which faculty, together with students, can establish and maintain high quality research. The university makes available the results of its research to improve the well-being of the citizens of the state and to enhance the competitiveness of the state and nation in a global society. Research is essential to the instructional mission of the university. It brings state-of-the-art knowledge into the classroom and inspires superior undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning.

Responsibility to Constituencies - Mississippi State is responsive to numerous and rapidly changing constituencies. The university provides rigorous education to the state's citizens, preparing students for careers and positions of leadership in state, regional, national, and world institutions and organizations. Mississippi State's public service mission stresses problem-solving, economic development, social and ethical responsibility, and aesthetic awareness among the individuals, governments, businesses, and communities it serves. Recognizing its legal and ethical responsibilities, the university is committed to enhancing the cultural, artistic, and intellectual life of these multiple constituencies. This commitment includes sharing expertise through cooperative extension, technical assistance, professional development, and technology transfer.