It’s out with the old and in with the new for the University of Oregon’s mission statement.
Scott Coltrane, chief academic officer and vice president, and Brad Shelton, a UO mathematics professor, led a forum on May 2 to discuss efforts in changing the current mission statement. Current and past UO faculty members were present.
Coltrane saw a need to make changes within the statement such as eliminating the section that discusses the Oregon University System, seeing that it no longer exists. He also saw a need for cleanup within the statement so that there was a better flow.
“People are often dubious of the value of a mission statement, but a good mission statement will be very helpful in accurately representing the institution to the state and the larger world,” Shelton said.
Vice Provost of Academic Affairs Barbara Altmann said that by changing the statement this university is allowing a historical moment to occur in UO’s history by emphasizing who we, the university, truly are as a school.
“This is a pivotal moment in the history of the university, so it’s a great time to state more clearly who we are, what we do, and the values that define us,” Altmann said.
Because the UO is building a new governing structure alongside of other Oregon universities, it is vital to compose a mission statement that reflects this change.
The new board of trustees will approve or deny the new statement.
In the past, the Higher Board of Education would have approved the statement, but seeing that a change in legislation is in the works, the board of trustees is currently stepping in.
The current statement was drafted in 1995, later reaffirmed in 2005 and again in 2008, when the new academic plan was outlined.
Coltrane noticed the UO’s statement is three times longer than comparable universities around the country. The UO’s mission statement is three times longer than necessary, suggesting that much of it states information that is unnecessary. A shorter statement allows universities to effectively get the point across of who they are.
It is common for statements to be about a half page in length.
By drafting a new statement, Coltrane will focus on three aspects: vision, mission, and value.
Coltrane emphasizes that it is vital that all students, staff, and community members can see themselves within the new statement.
“Its important that everyone who is a part of the university community can see themselves in the mission, from the people who are groundskeepers to cooks, everyone should be able to feel like they are a part of the mission because they are,” Coltrane said.
Coltrane and Shelton will be holding one more forum to discuss the revision of the mission statement on May 20 in the Knight Library Browsing room from 10 to 11 a.m.
The Academic Student Affairs Committee will meet on May 29, and again June 12, along side the board of trustees to discuss adopting the new statement.
The new statement will then be sent the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, who will meet in September to approve or deny the statement.
Students and staff interested in submitting comments for the revision of the statement can contribute to this online portal. https://oregon.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3mI69Nic5W11uvP