Mission Statements of Higher Ed Institutions

Mission statements provide organizations a succinct way to share their purpose. It can encompass goals, products/services, and who they serve. Higher Ed institutions serve such a multitude of stakeholders and provide a wide range of services that a mission statement has to go above what they do but Why they exist as an institution of learning.

University of Arizona

University of Arizona campus in Tucson

The University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ is a land grant university that was established in 1885. Arizona was not a state until 1912. The land in which UArizona exists wasn’t a part of the country until after the Mexican-American War that ended in 1848 (Gadsden Purchase 1854). As one could guess from who had lived in the state at that point in time, it makes sense that the University of Arizona is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). However, to even go further back on the history of the land, UArizona is built on traditional Tohono O’odham lands, a Native American group who lived in the area before colonization by the Spanish. The university’s mission statement is: “We will continuously improve how we educate and innovate so we can lead the way in developing disruptive problem-solvers capable of tackling our greatest challenges” (https://www.arizona.edu/about).

The reason UArizona is one of the institutions I chose to be in this blog on missions statements is that I have been a student and staff member over the years. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s of Engineering with an emphasis on Innovation, Sustainability, and Entrepreneurship. I remember innovation being a popular topic over the years and that aligns with its presence in the mission statement. I think it’s interesting that ‘disruptive problem-solvers’ is the phrase used to describe the student population. Do I think that it’s an appropriate way to describe some of the students who have spent their undergraduate careers at UArizona? Yes. However, I can’t say I recall any way that the University systematically did anything to encourage that mindset or action. I do believe that from my experience as a STEM student and staff member that UArizona has sought to continually improve the educational experience students have over the years.

“We will continuously improve how we educate and innovate so we can lead the way in developing disruptive problem-solvers capable of tackling our greatest challenges”

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, MD. Founded in 1876, its original purpose was dictated by Johns Hopkins himself, who set aside funds in his will for a hospital, training colleges, an orphanage, and an university. Known as a research university, Johns Hopkins University has a wide net of influence. The main campus for the university, Homewood, is the former estate of Charles Carroll, the son of a Declaration of Independence signer. The University’s mission, dictated by the first president, is:

“To educate its students and cultivate their capacity for lifelong learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world”

(https://www.jhu.edu/about/history/)

I would say that Johns Hopkins University was the first Higher Ed institution I was aware of as a child, primarily due to its hospital system, but later as a middle/high school student of the Baltimore City Public School system. I’d say that the university carries out its mission for lifelong learning by providing space for not only its students but others in the surrounding areas through programs such as Science Olympiad and the Center for Talented Youth. In the same way, if you were a Baltimore City public high school student and applied/got admitted to the University, tuition would be covered. Due to the high costs of Johns Hopkins, this lowered a barrier for many of those who are in lower socioeconomic standings. However, as one of the longest standing research institutions, it’s difficult to separate the University and the hospital, as in the case of Henrietta Lacks. While, many folks have received benefits off of the research utilizing cells taken from Mrs. Lacks, her consent was not received and begs the question of how many more black folk have been taken advantage of in the name of research, especially in a city like Baltimore where the disparity between the rich, often White folk and any Black/African American living in the city continues to grow.

Both the University of Arizona and Johns Hopkins University seek to provide their students with the knowledge and capabilities to change and benefit the world. If both institutions stay true to their missions, there should be a continued, positive, apparent impact.