Comprehensive Standard #3.1.1 (Institutional Mission)

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

Compliance Certification

The College of William and Mary is in compliance with this comprehensive standard.

Explanation

William and Mary's mission statement addresses all three of the university's primary functions: teaching, research, and public service. It emphasizes the historical and contemporary role as a residential college with a unique mix of high-quality graduate programs. The mission statement is published in the Arts and Sciences graduate and undergraduate catalogs and in the graduate catalogs of the following schools: Business, Education, Law, and Marine Science. (See College of William and Mary Mission Statement, William and Mary Mission Statement in Law School webpage, William and Mary Mission Statement in School of Education webpage, William and Mary Mission Statement in School of Marine Science webpage, and William and Mary Mission Statement in School of Business webpage.)

The Board of Visitors, the Graduate and Professional Student Association, the Student Association Council, and the Faculty Assembly approved the mission statement in 1994. It was reviewed and confirmed by the Board of Visitors and by faculty and staff in 1999 as a part of the review of the 1993-1994 strategic plan. Since that time, it has guided a variety of planning efforts and is reflected in the following documents: Campaign for William and Mary (Charting Our Destiny ), Decision 2010 (a vision statement), and the 2004-2008 Strategic Plan for SCHEV, which was written in response to the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia's (SCHEV's) most recent strategic plan. It is reflected also in documents establishing the general education objectives that guide both the creation of the general education curriculum and the development of assessment at William and Mary. There are, of course, subtle differences in language and emphasis among the various documents.

The Compliance Team, which is largely responsible for the drafting of the compliance certification document, completed an analysis of the above described documents, seen from the point of view of the College's mission statement. That analysis supports the following conclusions:

• The College's mission statement establishes four key themes, which are broadly reflected in the planning documents:
  1. To provide excellent and broad liberal education in the best traditions of a residential undergraduate college
  2. To enhance undergraduate educational experiences by linking them with the opportunities afforded by a modern research university
  3. Through integration of the undergraduate college and selected graduate and professional programs, to optimize opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and faculty members to engage in deep and extended scholarship that links to teaching and learning, leads to preservation, transmission, and expansion of knowledge, and provides the foundations for service to Commonwealth of Virginia , the nation, and the world
  4. To teach the practical value of academic learning
• Other goals emerge that are consonant with the College's stated mission. One example is the goal of making athletics an integral part of learning experiences at the College. This goal was the subject of intensive study by a Provost-appointed task force. The Athletics Task Force determined that the College is succeeding in making athletics an integral part of liberal education for William and Mary students.
• The College's mission statement should serve more formally to guide planning. It should be included explicitly in planning documents. The long and special history of the College until now has allowed the mission to guide implicitly. The newly implemented Process of Institutional Effectiveness incorporates the mission statement as an integral part of planning and evaluation. (See Core Requirement 2.5.)

The process of institutional effectiveness includes a planning model and calendar and begins with the College's mission statement. All core institutional activities are linked to the mission statement through purpose statements. Accordingly, the mission statement will be more salient and will become a part of the ongoing planning and review procedures. The planning calendar includes a schedule for the regular review of the mission statement.

References

• The College of William and Mary Mission Statement
• William and Mary Mission Statement in Law School webpage
• William and Mary Mission Statement in School of Education webpage
• William and Mary Mission Statement in School of Marine Science webpage
• William and Mary Mission Statement in School of Business webpage
• Campaign for William and Mary
• Decision 2010
• 2004-2008 Strategic Plan for SCHEV
• General Education Objectives
• Process of Institutional Effectiveness
• Core Requirement 2.5