Mission Questions

Value Proposition

Why does our college or university exist? What is our purpose?
What are the key attributes of our identity?
What does our institution provide to our students and communities?
Why was our institution founded? Is the rationale still relevant?
What is the role of our religious affiliation or origin (if applicable)?
What is our impact? What outcomes do we produce? With what evidence of effectiveness and success?
What are we doing that maximizes mission attainment? What are our key obstacles?
What are the primary features, advantages and/or benefits of our college or university? How are these unique, and how do we know?

Who does our college or university serve?
What energizes and excites our current and potential constituents?
What numbers and types of students should be served? What are their characteristics and needs, and how do we serve them now?
What is our value proposition for students? How is it communicated?
Do we have different missions for different student constituencies?
Is our mission congruent with our recruiting geographic reach? Can technology extend our reach?
How does our mission adapt to changing student demand and preferences?
What are our intended student learning outcomes?
How is student success a part of our mission?
Are there new potential student populations that might strengthen our mission?
What political, social or economic changes might reduce or increase our access to new populations?

What does our community need?
Is market demand growing? How do changing demographics impact mission attainment?
What market factors and local/regional/national/international trends support or hinder our mission?
How do we become “market smart” yet remain mission centered? How do we use market factors to benefit our mission?
What external partners can help support our mission? How are we positioned to work with them?
What is our competition? What advantage(s) do competitors offer in accessibility, price and/or program features and quality?
How are we positioned to address external threats to our mission or our ability to support the mission?
Are we perceived as a leader among partners, governments and employers? Why or why not?
What do our accreditation processes (and other external reviews) tell us about our mission? Are accreditation criteria aligned with our mission?
Is our mission aligned with the priorities of the state?
Do the multiple expectations of higher education—including education, workforce development, and social service—confuse our mission?
Does our mission still adequately reflect our environment?
How will our mission respond to new models of credentialing and learning pedagogies and pathways?
Do we have the nimbleness required to respond to the changing environment?

Is there a shared understanding of mission across campus?
Are the mission and goals clearly stated and communicated across the organization? To external constituents?
How can we better communicate/market our mission and value? Do external stakeholders connect to our mission?
Does our “brand” adequately and appropriately communicate our mission?

How does our culture reflect and support our mission?
What is the role of research in our mission? Does it compete with or complement our instructional and service missions?
How do we measure the value of our research mission?
Are athletics part of our mission? How do athletics serve our mission?
How do nonacademic programs and services support the mission?
How do we assure that our business and academic models align with each other and with our mission?
Does our strategic plan align with our mission, and are both broadly shared, understood and implemented? Are unit goals linked to institutional mission and plan?

How have we adapted our mission to change and disruption?
Of all of our initiatives, which is likely to have the greatest positive impact? Given limited resources, which is most critical to accomplish in the next 12 months?
What opportunities does our mission create for innovation?
Are there more currently relevant ways to manifest the mission?
Is our mission relevant and meaningful over the long term?
Does our mission create a lifelong relationship with our students?