POSSIBLE NEW MISSION STATEMENT

VERSION TWO

DRAFT – JUNE ASSEMBLY, 2003

Our University:

Eastern Oregon University [EOU] is “the small college option” within the Oregon University System and, as a public liberal arts institution, endeavors to prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in a rapidly changing society and evolving global economy. Attracting a culturally diverse student body of varying ages and experiences, EOU draws its campus population primarily from the Eastern region of Oregon, other states, and Pacific Rim countries while our distance student body comes from the United States and Canada. EOU offers campus and distance baccalaureate degrees in the liberal arts, education, and business, as well as cooperative degrees in agriculture, nursing and fire services administration, and a master’s degree in teacher education.

Our Mission:

As an institution of higher learning, EOU seeks to provide excellence in teaching as well as in scholarly research, creative pursuits, and service to the communities of the regions it serves. To this end, the university seeks the enlargement of student and faculty knowledge through a wide range of experiences in the liberal arts and sciences and in professional programs on our campus and, via technology, to our distance students. As an academic community dedicated to lifelong learning, EOU serves the region by fostering cultural appreciation and by making available its resources, including its programs, services and the expertise of its faculty, staff, and students.

Our Values:

At EOU, we value:

· Thinking critically and analytically, questioning, and searching out concepts;

· Communicating effectively using verbal, numerical, and other symbolic systems,

· Appreciating diverse perspectives;

· Exploring values openly and critically;

· Examining, understanding, and applying relationships among disciplines, concepts, and areas of study;

· Developing depth of knowledge within chosen fields of interest.

In fulfilling its role as an institution for higher learning, EOU is building a community of active scholars, artists, professionals, and intellectuals engaged in broadly based educational experiences necessary for fostering an enlightened society.