Understanding Our Mission: Living it every day

Understanding and appreciating YSU’s mission and how it applies to the university’s daily activities is the focus of a new website.

“For us to function at our maximum effectiveness and for us all to be pulling in a shared direction, it is important for everyone on campus to be familiar with the university’s mission,” Provost Martin Abraham said. “But it goes beyond memorizing the mission statement.

“What this website does is to help break down the mission into general themes and then provide examples of real life stories and activities and accomplishments that show how we are achieving in those particular areas. It’s a great way to link what we are doing with what we say we are doing.”

On the website, the mission statement is divided into 10 key and overarching themes: creativity, diversity, engagement, excellence, global perspectives, knowledge, service, student success, sustainability and technology. Each theme has a separate webpage, with links to examples of how that theme plays out on campus.

For instance, under “Engagement,” examples include the Williamson College of Business Administration’s free VITA tax prep program, the Alta Head Start program in the Beeghly College of Education and the partnership between YSU and Mercy Health-Youngstown. In addition, under “Knowledge,” links are provided to stories about the new Friedman Chair in additive manufacturing, a prestigious NSF grant to a professor in CSIS and a general list of faculty achievements.

An assessment team from the Higher Learning Commission will visit campus next spring, and Abraham said it is important for everyone to have a good understanding of the mission as the team arrives.

“We encourage employees and students to visit the new website on a regular basis to learn more about our mission and how we live it every day on campus,” he said.