Mission Background
The University of Alaska Board of Regents approved UAF's new mission statement at its April 21, 2000 meeting in Juneau. The following statement is now contained in UA Board of Regents Policy 10.01.03:
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, as the nation's northernmost Land, Sea, and Space Grant university and international research center, advances and disseminates knowledge through creative teaching, research, and public service with an emphasis on Alaska, the North and their diverse peoples.
Mission statement revision process
Memorandum
TO: UAF Deans, Directors, Faculty, Staff, Faculty Senate, Staff Council, ASUAF & UAF Advisory Groups
FROM: Marshall L. Lind, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
DATE: April 7, 2000
RE: Update on UAF Mission Statement Revision
Thanks again to all of you who have provided thoughtful and considered feedback on our mission statement revision process. Below is our final draft which will be submitted for review at the UA Board of Regents meeting in Juneau April 20 - 21.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, as the nation's northernmost land, sea, and space grant university and international research center, advances and disseminates knowledge through creative teaching, research, and public service with an emphasis on Alaska, the North and its diverse peoples.
Please send your comments to: fychanc@uaf.edu.
Memorandum
TO: UAF Deans, Directors, Faculty, Staff, Faculty Senate, Staff Council, ASUAF & UAF Advisory Groups
FROM: Marshall L. Lind, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
DATE: February 29, 2000
RE: Update on UAF Mission Statement Revision
I am pleased to report that we received excellent responses to our request for input on UAF's mission statement revision project. Thank you to all who took the time to submit thoughtful and constructive ideas.
As I mentioned in my first memorandum on the mission statement revision project, I now invite you to comment on the revised statement. Please send your comments to: fychanc@uaf.edu or ann.secrest@uaf.edu no later than 5 p.m., Friday, March 24.
Below is a statement that represents a synthesis of ideas from the campus community. Revised UAF mission statement:
As the nation's northernmost land, sea, and space grant university and major research center, UAF advances knowledge about life in the North through the integration of teaching, research, and public service.
Again, I look forward to receiving your reaction or any suggested changes that would further improve a precise description of UAF's mission.
Memorandum
TO: UAF Deans, Directors, Faculty, Staff, Faculty Senate, Staff Council, ASUAF & UAF Advisory Groups
FROM: Marshall L. Lind, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
DATE: January 28, 2000
RE: UAF Mission Statement Revision
We are beginning the ambitious project of reviewing and possibly rewriting the UAF Mission Statement -- and I would like you to be involved in the project. The existing UAF Mission Statement can be found on page 6 of the 1999-2000 UAF Catalog or on the web at: https://www.uaf.edu/univrel/facts/mission.html. The four draft mission statements can be found at: https://www.uaf.edu/uaf/about/mission.html/.
I would like your input on the content of the draft mission statements as it applies to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It is expected that the Board of Regents will review the final revision draft in April 2000. This timeline is linked to UAF's accreditation self-study. I encourage you to look at mission statements of other higher educational institutions as well.
If you need a hard copy of the four mission statement drafts, contact Ann Secrest in my office at x7112 or via email at ann.secrest@uaf.edu. The deadline for submitting your proposed mission statement is Friday, February 18, 2000 at 5 p.m. I encourage you to submit your proposed mission statement that best reflects the changing economic, cultural, and educational demands of a changing workforce.
You can also submit your proposed statement via email or campus mail. Via email, submit to: fymissn@uaf.edu or ann.secrest@uaf.edu.
Our expected timeline:
February 18 --Receive campus input
March 3--Distribute revised mission statement to the campus for second reading and comment
March 24--Receive all input on revised mission statement
April 20/21 --Board of Regents review
Comments and revisions from the campus community should also include input from all governance groups and advisory councils. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at fychanc@uaf.edu. I look forward to working with the entire campus community on this exciting collaboration.
Message from Provost Paul B. Reichardt
(December 17, 1999 Cornerstone):
At the Dec. 6, 1999 Faculty Senate meeting, Chancellor Lind announced he is starting a process which will lead to a new mission statement for UAF by the end of this spring semester. The present UAF Mission Statement was written in 1988, right after the system-wide restructuring which created the present UA system. In the intervening years we have learned a lot about how this rather unique system of higher education works, and some things have changed dramatically. While the dawning of the New Millennium provides an opportune time for revisiting our mission, initiation of the self-study for institutional accreditation provides an even more compelling reason for taking on this task at this time.
As I studied the topic of mission statements, two principles stood out. First, modern mission statements are brief; they are meant to be statements which people can remember, at least in essence. Second, a useful mission statement must be created by a process which engages the people who are most directly affected by the institution's mission. Chancellor Lind is devising a process to incorporate both principles, but it will only be successful if all of us get involved. As you get ready for the holidays, Y2K and the spring semester, I encourage you to think about your view of UAF's mission and how you will become involved in the process which will result in a new formal statement of what UAF is all about.
Draft 1
The historic cornerstone of higher education in the 49th state, the University of Alaska Fairbanks is committed to nurturing the spirit of independence and freedom that characterizes Alaska. UAF was founded in 1917 as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines on a ridge known to the local Athabaskans as Troth Yeddh. As the last traditional land-grant college to be established in the country, UAF is the home of the UA administration.
Through its network of campuses, UAF responds to local, regional and rural educational and vocational needs and is committed to continual development of technology-based distance delivery of education. The policy of open enrollment and early admission provides increased access to the university.
UAF encourage the life-long pursuit of intellectual and personal growth, and offers living and learning experiences supportive of all cultural heritages. In particular, UAF values its special relationship with Alaska's native and rural people.
UAF offers a broad range of educational programs, including short-term vocational/technical certificates, and research-intensive master's and Ph.D. programs. Through is baccalaureate core curriculum, UAF provides students with a solid foundation of knowledge and interpretive abilities with which to observe and accommodate the changing world. UAF prepares teachers for Alaska and the nation. UAF provides students with learning opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom, that take advantage of UAF's geographic location and special facilities, such as advanced computing capabilities, for studying the environment and natural resources of the North.
UAF serves as a center for the arts and maintains vigorous programs in the liberal arts to provide an educational environment that celebrates diversity of the human spirit. UAF promotes knowledge and appreciation of human history, though and culture. Enhancements to program will further expand students' appreciation of the breadth and depth of the human experience.
As Alaska's land-, sea- and space-grant university and the major research center for Alaska, UAF is committed to extending research-based knowledge to the people of the state through the integration of teaching, research and public service. Through basic and applied research UAF addresses emerging regional, national and international concerns and makes lasting contributions to our understanding of the cultural, biological and physical characteristics of the North.
UAF continues to develop partnerships with the public and private sectors-within Alaska, through the United States and internationally-to find new ways of enriching the university experience. UAF increasingly draws on the wisdom and support of this alumni and friends to promote its mission and plan for the future.
Draft 2
The University of Alaska Fairbanks exists to benefit the people of the State of Alaska by providing a wide range of instruction, research and service. It is the Land Grant, Sea Grant, and Space Grant University and the major research center for the State. Through distance delivery and branch campuses, UAF serves all of Alaska and places special emphasis on its relationship with Alaska's native and rural peope.
A broad spectrum of instructional opportunities is available at UAF. UAF provides vocational training, certificate programs, and associate degrees designed to meet specific State needs in addition to high quality degree programs at the baccalaureate, masters and doctoral level. UAF degree programs are based on a solid background in the liberal arts and sciences. With particular strengths in the sciences and technology, student research is a major component of both undergraduate and graduate study. Practical skills are emphasized through experiential learning and student internships with industries nation wide. As a major cultural center for the State, UAF provides opportunities in fine and performance arts. Studies in the liberal arts and social sciences place special emphasis on the heritage of Alaska. It is the goal of UAF to provide the student with the educational opportunities of a major research campus while maintaining the intellectual community of a small school.
Research is critical to the UAF mission. UAF is the home of a world-recognized faculty and includes research institutes devoted to the study of geophysical, engineering and biological phenomenon. Research at UAF is supported by a major supercomputer center. In both the sciences and social sciences, special emphasis is placed on the study of the arctic and its peoples. At UAF, research is the key component to understanding and education.
Through a wide range of outreach and extension programs, UAF provides specialized instruction, interprets and transfers research results, and provides service throughout Alaska. UAF plays a major role in the economic development and well being of the State.
As an institution of research and higher education, the mission of the University of Alaska Fairbanks is to provide the resource needed to move Alaska and its people into an intellectually stimulating and economically sound future.
Draft 3
UAF, Alaska's land, sea and space grant institution is a community of leaders and learners dedicated to advancing our State and its people through the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge, especially that knowledge which relates to living and working in the north.
Draft 4
As Alaska's Land Grant, Sea Grant and Space Grant University, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) offers a wide range of instruction, research and service programs for the entire State. However, UAF places special emphasis on its commitments to Interior Alaska, to its relationship with Alaska's rural and native people, to its role as the major research center for the State. Although UAF possesses particular strengths in the sciences and technology, its instructional programs-from certificate through Ph.D.- are firmly rooted in the liberal arts and sciences. Experiential learning and the integration of research and teaching are important components of UAF's effort to provide each student with the educational opportunities of a research campus while maintaining the intellectual community of a small school. Through the coordination of programs in instruction, research and public outreach, UAF seeks to provide the resources needed to move Alaska and its people into an intellectually stimulating and economically sound future.