University Letter

UND's faculty and staff newsletter

Strategic Plan update: Feedback sought on proposed Mission, Vision and Core Values

The Strategic Planning Committee prepared a draft of UND’s new Mission, Vision and Core Values and would like to hear your feedback.

UND’s Mission, Vision and Core Values are meant to be the foundation for all activities at the University. Together, the declarations guide strategy development (including the creation of the new UND Strategic Plan), help communicate the University’s purpose and inform the goals set to determine whether the strategy is on track.

With that in mind, a draft of the proposed Mission, Vision and Core Values is below. And to better enable members of the University community to offer their feedback, the Strategic Planning Committee has developed a survey that can be completed online.

The short, 10-minute survey is available here. It’s meant to gather information to help inform the work of the Strategic Planning Committee, and will be open until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16.

Copies of the survey also are available by email from Karla Stewart, vice president for finance and operations, and Beth Hellwig, interim vice president for student affairs.

We invite you to read the draft and respond to it via the survey, and we thank you for helping to plan the future of UND!

***

UND Empowers Action

MISSION:  UND empowers people to be leaders. With a commitment to affordability and access, we provide unmatched educational experiences that enrich lives and generate a high-quality workforce. We serve our students, the people of North Dakota, and the global community through innovative research, excellent teaching, and community engagement.

VISION:  To inspire a sense of wonder, a love of discovery, and a commitment to serve the greater good.

Core Values: LEADS

Learning. We are committed to providing the strong liberal arts foundation and dynamic educational experiences that are essential for living intellectually curious, personally fulfilling, and socially responsible lives. Learning and discovery occurs not only in the classroom and the laboratory–both physical and virtual–but also through professional development opportunities, engagement in our university community and experiences beyond our physical campus. We value all those involved in supporting the learning process at every stage and promote lifelong learning, inquiry, and advancement of knowledge and practice.

Equity. We respect diverse peoples, perspectives, and ideas and support actions that are inclusive of all members of the UND community. We are committed to promoting fair and equitable living, learning, and working environments by removing barriers to inclusion—environments characterized by mutual respect and equal access to resources and opportunities. We view inclusivity and equity as more than mere words: we seek to use these values to empower all members of the UND community.

Aspire. Guided by our commitment to excellence and integrity, we aspire to the highest standards of ourselves and others as we strive for truth, honesty, and transparency. We take responsibility and are accountable for our words and actions, including those which promote sustainable practices critical to the long-term health, well-being, and success of the university community.

Discovery. We advance research, creative activity, and scholarship through our spirit of inquiry and our desire to better understand the world around us. Rooted in the liberal arts traditions of critical thinking, problem-solving, and intellectual risk-taking, our commitments to the principles of innovation and creativity are reflected in our research, our partnerships, our creative work, and our teaching. We embrace the ways discovery adds to humanity’s body of knowledge.

Service. The people of UND strive to serve, using our talents and resources to make our campus and broader communities better. We are committed to embracing the strengths of others, building on what we share and valuing differences as opportunities to grow and learn. The ties that unite us as a university family enable our communities to rise together and serve the needs of the state of North Dakota and beyond.