3.1 Institutional Mission

Comprehensive Standard:  The institution has a clear and comprehensive mission statement that guides it; it is approved by the governing board; is periodically reviewed by the board; and is communicated to the institution’s constituencies.

X  Compliance
     Partial Compliance
     Non-Compliance

Narrative:

The mission statement of Georgia State University, which is published in the undergraduate catalog [1], and the graduate catalog [2], is as follows:

As the only urban research university in Georgia, Georgia State University offers educational opportunities for traditional and nontraditional students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels by blending the best of theoretical and applied inquiry, scholarly and professional pursuits, and scientific and artistic expression.  As an urban research university with strong disciplinary-based departments and a wide array of problem-oriented interdisciplinary programs, the goal of the university is to develop, transmit, and utilize knowledge in order to provide access to quality education for diverse groups of students, to educate leaders for the State of Georgia and the nation, and to prepare citizens for lifelong learning in a global society.

This statement is comprehensive in that it addresses teaching and learning, research, service, outreach, lifelong learning, and the unique role of Georgia State University as the only urban research university in the State of Georgia.

The current mission statement of Georgia State University was approved by the Board of Regents on July 9, 1996 (memorandum to President Carl V. Patton from former Chancellor Stephen R. Portch). [3] In addition, the Board of Regents has a specific procedure for reviewing Mission Statements. [4] As discussed in section 2.5, the mission statement drives both the University's five-year strategic plan and its annual action plans.

The Georgia State University mission statement is communicated to its constituencies and is published both in the undergraduate and graduate catalogs and on its website. [5]

Supporting Documentation:

  1. Mission Statement, Georgia State University Undergraduate Catalog
  2. Mission Statement, Georgia State University Graduate Catalog
  3. Memorandum (July 1996) from Chancellor
  4. Board of Regents Procedure for Reviewing Mission Statements
  5. Mission Statement, Georgia State University Website