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Mission Statements

1. NorthCentral University- website URL is https://www.ncu.edu/#gref
   The university’s mission statement is “Northcentral University educates professionals throughout
   the world and provides an accessible opportunity to earn a U.S. regionally accredited degree.
   Northcentral mentors students one-to-one with highly credentialed faculty via advanced delivery
   modalities. Northcentral commits to helping students achieve academically and become valuable
   contributors to their communities and within their professions”.
2. Capella University- website URL is https://www.capella.edu/
   The mission of Capella University is “to extend access to high-quality bachelor’s, master’s,
   specialist, doctoral, and certificate programs for adults who seek to maximize their personal and
   professional potential. This mission is fulfilled through innovative programs that are responsive
   to the needs of adult learners and involve active, engaging, challenging, and relevant learning
   experiences offered in a variety of delivery modes”.
3. Southern New Hampshire University- website URL is https://www.snhu.edu/
   Mission: “Southern New Hampshire University transforms the lives of learners. Our success is
   defined by our learners’ success. By relentlessly challenging the status quo and providing the best
   support in higher education, Southern New Hampshire University expands access to education
   by creating high quality, affordable and innovative pathways to meet the unique needs of each
   and every learner”.

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Mission statements are one of the tools used to define a university’s position, strategy as
well as brand in a highly competitive environment of higher learning. mission statements have
capabilities to shape the internal governance of institutions. They contain strong and directive
words, which if followed would guide and inspire employees as they carry out their daily
functions. Employees know what is expected of them even before thy join an institution. Upon
becoming members, they can work to fit the mission of the institution and get effective results
from across different departments. The mission statement helps achieve strategic alignment
across all levels within an institution. Employees work to achieve a common goal as outlined in
an institution’s mission. According to Chunoo & Osteen (2016), although mission statements for
different institutions vary, they always initiate transformative change. They are a collection of
words that inspire employees to work in a pre-determined direction.
However, an institution’s mission may as well be meaningless and may thus limit the role
of an institution. Chunoo & Osteen (2016) hold that sometimes, mission statements are
“intentionally vague” and this implies that applying them n real practice can be very frustrating.
They can thus limit creativity and innovation among employees because they limit them to work
in a specific direction as dictated in the statements. Similarly, Kosmützky & Krücken (2015),
state that mission statements are “weak instruments” which are ineffective in the internal
micromanagement of institutions. They are criticized for being too formal and disconnected to
the activity structure. Thus, when employees try to follow mission statements, they may find
themselves unable to carry out their duties as assigned by their immediate supervisors.
Although mission statements can be vague and often impractical, they can still be used to
position an institution in a particular niche. An institution of higher learning can use mission
statements to build their brand and identify their position. For instance, the institution can have a

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mission that directly aligns with the needs of the immediate environment and the available
resources. For instance, an institution that operates within a highly homogenous environment
may include a part in its mission where it positions itself as an institution that fosters and
embraces diversity. Thus, the minority stdunets in the community will fell encouraged to apply
in such an institution. Consequently, employees will create structures within the institution that
create an inclusive environment where student populations from all communities feel appreciated
and respected.
Mission statements can be powerful and can shape activities within an institution. For
instance, an institution whose mission statement states that they offer education via online
platforms to students from across the globe can put in place systems to ensure that students
receive education remotely from wherever they are. Such an institutions can employ many
student services professionals to work remotely and to provide quality services to stdunets via
established online systems. However, such a mission statement may limit the institution’s
activities in a huge way. For instance, even when the university wants to introduce offline
learning on campus, it may not be able as that is not captured in its mission statement.
The leaders within an institution have a role to ensure that the mission is taken seriously
by all employees and consequently achieved. They can do so by first engaging the employees
and enquiring what they think about the mission statement. The mission statement is a tool that is
designed and developed with the employees in mind. They play a critical role in its achievement,
as such, their opinion about it matters and should be valued. Leaders should ask employees for
suggestions on how to improve the mission and factors about it that they find limiting. Also,
leaders should not be afraid to change the mission. It is an alive statement that can be edited to fit
in a dynamic work environment. After an ideal mission is set, the leader should provide guidance

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and supervision where necessary to ensure that employees are playing their part in achieving the
mission. Leaders should emphasize on the role of the mission, and provide the necessary
resources to facilitate achievement of the mission. It is also important to remind employees the
institution’s mission from time to time so that they remain on track in its achievement.

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References

Chunoo, V., & Osteen, L. (2016). Purpose, mission, and context: The call for educating future
leaders. New Directions for Higher Education, 2016(174), 9-20.
https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20185
Kosmützky, A., & Krücken, G. (2015). Sameness and difference: Analyzing institutional and
organizational specificities of universities through mission statements. International
Studies of Management and Organization, 45(2), 137-149.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00208825.2015.1006013