The below compilation arises from a quick web search of the Mission statements from UTK peer institutions and in some cases where I could find them of the university systems of which these are a part: Compiled by Louis Gross August 15, 2007 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- University of North Carolina Statement of Mission The University of North Carolina is a public, multi-campus university dedicated to the service of North Carolina and its people. It encompasses the 16 diverse constituent institutions and other educational, research, and public service organizations. Each shares in the overall mission of the University. That mission is to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society. This mission is accomplished through instruction, which communicates the knowledge and values and imparts the skills necessary for individuals to lead responsible, productive, and personally satisfying lives; through research, scholarship, and creative activities, which advance knowledge and enhance the educational process; and through public service, which contributes to the solution of societal problems and enriches the quality of life in the State. In the fulfillment of this mission, the University shall seek an efficient use of available resources to ensure the highest quality in its service to the citizens of the State. Teaching and learning constitute the primary service that the University renders to society. Teaching, or instruction, is the primary responsibility of each of the constituent institutions. The relative importance of research and public service, which enhance teaching and learning, varies among the constituent institutions, depending on their overall missions. http://www.northcarolina.edu/content.php/system/mission.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------- University of Florida http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalogarchive/02-03-catalog/intro/mission.html Institutional Purpose: The University of Florida is a public, land-grant research university, one of the most comprehensive in the United States and it encompasses virtually all academic and professional disciplines. It is the oldest and largest of Florida's eleven universities and is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). Its faculty and staff are dedicated to the common pursuit of the university's threefold mission: education, research and service. Teaching-undergraduate and graduate through the doctorate-is the fundamental purpose of the university. Research and scholarship are integral to the education process and to expanding humankind's understanding of the natural world, the mind and the senses. Service is the university's obligation to share the benefits of its knowledge for the public good. ------------------------------------------------------------------- University of Maryland http://www.provost.umd.edu/Strategic_Planning/Mission2000.html Long statement Approved by the Board of Regents, October 27, 2000 Approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission November 30, 2000 One small piece is # Build a strong, university-wide culture of excellence in graduate and professional education, research, scholarship and creative and performing arts by increasing the number and proportion of its faculty who are regarded by their national and international peers as being among the best in their disciplines; by continuing to improve the excellence of its best research and graduate programs while also increasing the number of programs of recognized excellence; by increasing the University's success in recruiting, developing, and placing outstanding and diverse graduate students; and by developing and facilitating access to scholarly information in all formats to support cutting-edge research, scholarship, teaching, and learning; -------------------------------------------------------------------- University of Michigan The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future. For more details including "A general statement of aims of a university, prepared by the Faculty Senate subcommittee on the Proper Role of the University of Michigan" see http://www.provost.umich.edu/reports/slfstudy/ir/criteria/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- University of Georgia http://www.usg.edu/inst/uga/mission.phtml Longish statement including: The University of Georgia shares with the other research universities of the University System of Georgia the following core characteristics: * a statewide responsibility and commitment to excellence and academic achievements having national and international recognition; * a commitment to excellence in a teaching/learning environment dedicated to serve a diverse and well-prepared study body, to promote high levels of student achievement, and to provide appropriate academic support services; * a commitment to excellence in research, scholarship and creative endeavors that are focused on organized programs to create, maintain, and apply new knowledge and theories; that promote instructional quality and effectiveness; and that enhance institutionally relevant faculty qualifications; * a commitment to excellence in public service, economic development, and technical assistance activities designed to address the strategic needs of the State of Georgia along with a comprehensive offering of continuing education designed to meet the needs of Georgia's citizens in life-long learning and professional education; * a wide range of academic and professional programming at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Texas A&M University http://www.tamu.edu/home/statements/mission.html Texas A&M University is dedicated to the discovery, development, communication, and application of knowledge in a wide range of academic and professional fields. Its mission of providing the highest quality undergraduate and graduate programs is inseparable from its mission of developing new understandings through research and creativity. It prepares students to assume roles in leadership, responsibility, and service to society. Texas A&M assumes as its historic trust the maintenance of freedom of inquiry and an intellectual environment nurturing the human mind and spirit. It welcomes and seeks to serve persons of all racial, ethnic, and geographic groups, women and men alike, as it addresses the needs of an increasingly diverse population and a global economy. In the twenty-first century, Texas A&M University seeks to assume a place of preeminence among public universities while respecting its history and traditions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- LSU http://appl003.lsu.edu/acadaff/aaffairs.nsf/$Content/LSU+Mission+Statement?OpenDocument LSU Mission Statement As the flagship institution of the state, the vision of Louisiana State University is to be a leading doctoral/research-extensive university, challenging undergraduate and graduate students to achieve the highest levels of intellectual and personal development. Designated as both a land-grant and sea-grant institution, the mission of Louisiana State University is the generation, preservation, dissemination, and application of knowledge and cultivation of the arts. In implementing its mission, LSU is committed to: Offer a broad array of undergraduate degree programs and extensive graduate research opportunities designed to attract and educate highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students; Employ faculty who are excellent teacher-scholars, nationally competitive in research and creative activities, and who contribute to a world-class knowledge base that is transferable to educational, professional, cultural, and economic enterprises; and Use its extensive resources to solve economic, environmental, and social challenges -------------------------------------------------------------------------- VPI http://www.president.vt.edu/mission.php Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) is a public land-grant university serving the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world community. The discovery and dissemination of new knowledge are central to its mission. Through its focus on teaching and learning, research and discovery, and outreach and engagement, the university creates, conveys, and applies knowledge to expand personal growth and opportunity, advance social and community development, foster economic competitiveness, and improve the quality of life. 2001 Mission Statement adapted in 2006, by the Board of Visitors -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Auburn University http://www.auburn.edu/administration/trustees/policymanual/vision_and_mission.html MISSION STATEMENT Auburn University's mission is defined by its land-grant traditions of service and access. The University will serve the citizens of the State through its instructional, research and outreach programs and prepare Alabamians to respond successfully to the challenges of a global economy. The University will provide traditional and non-traditional students broad access to the institution's educational resources. In the delivery of educational programs on campus and beyond, the University will draw heavily upon the new instructional and outreach technologies available in the emerging information age. As a comprehensive university, Auburn University is committed to offering high-quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to its students. The University will give highest priority for resource allocation for the future development of those areas that represent the traditional strengths, quality, reputation, and uniqueness of the institution and that continue to effectively respond to the needs of students and other constituents. Consistent with this commitment, the University will emphasize a broad and superior undergraduate education that imparts the knowledge, skills, and values so essential to educated and responsible citizens. At the same time, the University will provide high-quality graduate and professional programs in areas of need and importance to the state and beyond. To accomplish these educational goals, Auburn University will continue to compete nationally to attract a faculty distinguished by its commitment to teaching and by its achievements in research, both pure and applied. The University will strive to attract a faculty that will bring distinction and stature to the undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs offered by the University. Because research is essential to the mission of a land-grant university, Auburn University will continue development of its research programs. The primary focus of this research will be directed to the solution of problems and the development of knowledge and technology important to the state and nation and to the quality of life of Alabama citizens. The University's research programs will make important contributions to instructional programs through the involvement of graduate and undergraduate students and the renewal of the faculty. Research will also provide the knowledge base for outreach programs. In carrying out its research mission, the University will emphasize established areas of strength and will focus available resources in those areas of research and doctoral study that are, or have the potential to develop into nationally and internationally recognized centers of excellence. Extension and outreach programs are fundamental to the land-grant mission because these programs directly affect the lives of all citizens in the state. The University will maintain the strengths of its traditional outreach programs and will increasingly involve the broader University in outreach programs that respond to the changing needs of the society in which we live. The University will continue to seek new and innovative ways to reach out to the people it serves. The Statement of Vision and Mission was developed by the Task Force on Mission established in 1995 and was approved by the Board of Trustees on March 20, 1997 and amended May 7, 2004. This statement replaces the Auburn University Statement of Role that was approved on June 5, 1989. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NCSU http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/strategicplan/mission.htm The mission of North Carolina State University is to serve its students and the people of North Carolina as a doctoral/research-extensive, land-grant university. Through the active integration of teaching, research, extension, and engagement, North Carolina State University creates an innovative learning environment that stresses mastery of fundamentals, intellectual discipline, creativity, problem solving, and responsibility. Enhancing its historic strengths in agriculture, science, and engineering with a commitment to excellence in a comprehensive range of academic disciplines, North Carolina State University provides leadership for intellectual, cultural, social, economic, and technological development within the state, the nation, and the world. Approved by: * Strategic Planning Committee, 3/5/96 * Administrative Council, 4/3/96 * NC State University Board of Trustees, 4/19/96 * UNC Board of Governors, 11/8/96 Revised by UNC Board of Governors, 9/14/2001 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- University of Texas http://www.utsystem.edu/osm/mission.htm Mission Statement: The University of Texas System Mission Statement: The University of Texas SystemThe mission of The University of Texas System is to provide high-quality educational opportunities for the enhancement of the human resources of Texas, the nation, and the world through intellectual and personal growth. This comprehensive mission statement applies to the varied elements and complexities of a large group of academic and health institutions. Individually, these institutions have distinct missions, histories, cultures, goals, programs, and challenges. Collectively, these institutions share a common vision and a fundamental commitment to enhance the lives of individuals and to advance a free society. Through one or more of its individual institutions, The University of Texas System seeks: * To provide superior, accessible, affordable instruction and learning opportunities to undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students from a wide range of social, ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds, thereby preparing educated, productive citizens who can meet the rigorous challenges of an increasingly diverse society and an ever-changing global community; * To cultivate in students the ethical and moral values that are the basis of a humane social order; * To engage in high-quality, innovative research that entails the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge; * To render service to the public that produces economic, technical, social, cultural, and educational benefits through interactions with individuals and with local, Texas, national, and international organizations and communities; * To provide excellent, affordable, and compassionate patient care through hospitals and clinics that are of central importance to programs of teaching, scholarship, research, and service associated with medicine and related health sciences; * To enrich and expand the appreciation and preservation of our civilization through the arts, scholarly endeavors, and programs and events which demonstrate the intellectual, physical, and performance skills and accomplishments of individuals and groups; * To serve as a leader of higher education in Texas and to encourage the support and development of a superior, seamless system of education ? from pre-kindergarten through advanced post-graduate programs, and encompassing life-long learning and continuing education. To accomplish its mission, The University of Texas System must: * Attract and support serious and promising students from many cultures who are dedicated to the pursuit of broad, general educational experiences, in combination with the pursuit of areas of personal, professional, or special interest; * Acquire, retain, and nourish a high-quality, dedicated, diverse faculty of competence, distinction, and uncompromising integrity; * Recruit and appropriately recognize exemplary administrators and staff members who provide leadership and support of the educational enterprise in an energetic, creative, caring, and responsible manner. * Create and sustain physical environments that enhance and complement educational goals, including appropriate classrooms, libraries, laboratories, hospitals, clinics, computer and advanced technological facilities, as well as university centers, museums, performance facilities, athletic spaces, and other resources consistent with institutional objectives; * Encourage public and private-sector support of higher education through interaction and involvement with alumni, elected officials, civic, business, community and educational leaders, and the general public. Approved February 2004 -----------------------------------------------------------------------