Showing My Cards

I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Kibbs that a mission statement could go a long way in helping us verbalize our place in the Calvin community and articulate Calvin's relationship with Grand Rapids. I think it could also help us push the envelope better by giving us a framework with which to hold Calvin accountable to the third leg of its mission. Finally, it could help us set some exciting goals for integrating service-learning work with the missions of other student organizations like the Social Justice Committee and the Environmental Stewardship Coalition. If we have a mission statement that invokes the value of social justice, we could maybe then garner more visible recognition among the student body as a resource for students who want to engage in action for social change. A lot of our student staff do this kind of work already, but we have recognized some disconnect between our work and the work of many students who do service-learning.

One of my projects this year has been examining the mission statements and organizational structures of service-learning programs at peer institutions. This is a fascinating topic - well, at least to me!

To get the ball rolling, I've selected a few of the most interesting mission statements from the institutions I studied. Let me know - do you find them articulate, vague, wordy, provocative, stimulating, thought-provoking? What parts would we want in a mission statement of our own?
The Service Learning Institute
Cal State University, Monterey Bay"The mission of the Service Learning Institute is to foster and promote social justice by cultivating reciprocal service and learning partnerships among CSUMB students, faculty, staff and the surrounding tri-county community."

The mission statement comes with a longer Philosophy Statement and the following Student Learning Goal: "Our goal is for CSUMB students to become multicultural community builders: students who have the knowledge, skills and attitudes to work effectively in a diverse society to create more just and equitable workplaces, communities and social institutions."
Elon University
Kernodle Center for Service Learning"The Kernodle Center for Service Learning at Elon University, in partnership with local and global communities, advances student learning, leadership, and citizenship to prepare students for lives of active community engagement within a complex and changing world."

Marquette University
Service Learning Program"Following in the Jesuit tradition of faithful service, the Service Learning Program at Marquette University facilitates student academic learning through meaningful service experiences, which encourage and enable Marquette's faculty and students to positively impact the community. The Service Learning Program seeks to bring campus and community together in partnership to share resources, meet real community needs, and help to educate women and men to become the change agents of tomorrow."
Trinity College (CT)
Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement"The mission of the Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement is to build strong, sustainable partnerships with the Hartford community and to strengthen service, community commitment, and civic responsibility as central to Trinity's institutional mission as well as to the experience of each member of the Trinity College community. The Office realizes this mission through the creation and implementation of a comprehensive and cohesive array of civic and service programs that engage students, faculty, administration, staff, and alumni."