Mission Statement
The MSU College of Business educates, challenges, inspires, and mentors students in their pursuit of a high-quality business education through interactive and engaged learning experiences for their professional and personal betterment.
The College of Business…
...educates, challenges, inspires, and mentors…
Values:
- Students first
- Dedication, focus, proactivity, collegiality, nurturing
Actions:
- Impart knowledge, professionalism, and intellectual curiosity
- Develop skills and competencies
- Deliver programs
- Extend boundaries
- Initiate aspirations for leadership
- Build relationships
- Guide and advise
…students in their pursuit of a high-quality business education…
Values:
- Curricular integrity, excellence, rigor
- Professionalism
Actions:
- To serve undergraduate and graduate students, seminar and workshop participants, and prospective students and pre-college students in exploratory experiences
- Through on-campus, on-line, and off-site courses at MAFB, in Bismarck, and at international partner sites
- Delivered in BS, BAS, BSE, MS, and MEd degree programs in majors, minors, certificates, and concentrations
- With attention to assurance of student learning through regular program assessments, identifying specific outcomes and measuring results
- Maintaining professional business program accreditation
- Supported by continuous faculty improvement
…interactive and engaged learning experiences…
Values:
- Comprehensive, holistic, relevant
- Applications-focused
Actions:
- Utilize interactive and engaged learning experiences, characterized by:
student-faculty interaction
student-student interaction
student-community interaction (professional, business leaders, service organizations)
multiple delivery modes
advanced technology
- Demonstrate learning in courses and through participation in organizations and activities, with emphasis on:
business applications of theory
experiences such as internships, study-abroad tours and exchanges, student-faculty research, and competitive events
…for their professional and personal betterment.
Values:
- Commitment to life-long learning
- Pride and confidence; desire to succeed
- Civic responsibility and a strong work ethic
Actions:
- Develop graduates prepared for careers in local and global employment
- Instill a sense of place and unique appreciation for North Dakota
- Promote ethical behavior, good citizenship, and professional engagement
Based upon the strategies of Vision 2013, the new mission statement guides the College of Business in its future
direction to
- create a distinctive mission focused on engagement and place. (Strategy 1)
- foster engaged learning and place for the benefit of students. (Strategy 2)
- value faculty and staff within an engaged community. (Strategy 3)
- build a diverse and multicultural university climate. (Strategy 4)
- focus on student success and future achievements. (Strategy 5)
- create a commitment to civic engagement, service, and the common good. (Strategy 6)
- ensure future institutional viability, vitality, and growth. (Strategy 7)
Revision Process
The revised mission statement was written following a series of faculty and staff meetings considering comprehensive topics, with responses written on “sticky” notes and posted in our hallway for everyone to view. A Mission Revision Committee consisting of Joan Houston (Accounting faculty member), Sarah Walker (staff member), Tonya Critz (dean’s assistant, recorder), and Dean JoAnn Linrud, served continuously throughout the semester to organize and analyze results. The topics consisted of the following.- What, in our context, is relevant to our future? (assumptions to challenge, structure, community (ies), geography, culture, demography, regulation/policies, other); meeting February 8, 2011.
- Whom do we serve? (primary and secondary constituent groups, influential groups, creation of learning experiences, generation of intellectual capital, service to our constituent groups; our purpose); meeting February 17, 2011.
- What values do we embody?; meeting March 10, 2011.
- What should be our expectations for the future? (initiatives, events, activities by Spring 2012; initiatives in process by 2016; accomplishments further into the future); April 4, 2011, by e-mail.
Following these information-gathering activities, the Mission Revision Committee analyzed results of all previous meetings, other university mission statements, selected readings, and Vision 2013 strategies, preparing results for the Chairs’ Council and for discussion by CoB faculty and staff members. The CoB Chairs’ Council considered the results at its meeting on May 2, 2011, resubmitting recommendations to the committee.
A comprehensive discussion at the College of Business faculty and staff meeting on May 5, 2011, yielded general responses from the faculty and gave the committee further direction. The committee, meeting June 6, 2011, summarized results and recommended language to present to the faculty in the fall. College of Business faculty and staff approved the mission statement unanimously as presented, August 17, 2011.