Central to the scholarly and intellectual life of the campus is the University Library, a resource for both the University and the state. Excellence requires selectivity and focus. Institutional vitality depends upon maintaining and building from existing strengths, and judging new proposals according to the University's resource base and mission. Priority is given to programs that meet the needs of society, in particular those of the state and surrounding community, or that build on the University's particular strengths and demonstrated excellence. In the development of graduate and research programs, we will continue to reflect our state's and our region's globally oriented economic base, its internationally recognized cultural institutions, and its particular geographical, social, and ecological environment.
Mission statements are, by design, non-transitory.
They can and should provide an ongoing philosophical grounding for institutional practices and operations. Goals and objectives related to mission statements may be altered over time to reflect changing emphases in programs and environmental conditions, but they too, if appropriately developed, should be stable. Rather, it is an occasion for ongoing introspection to ensure that the University remains on its charted course.