UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENTS!

Some of the common questions one could have about people and organizations/institutions are, “what are their values? Are these persons or organizations defined by their values?” For people the answers to these questions may be elusive, but for institutions, the values of the organization can be defined by the mission (or what is claimed to be the mission) of the institution. Institutions of higher education (IHE) are one of the major institutions the world over and are the lead body in shaping the minds and attitudes of people. It is only obvious then that understanding the values of IHEs gives a preview into the minds of its citizens (students and alumni). The values of IHEs are embodied in its mission statement, which is defined according to fond.co as an action-based statement that declares the purpose of an organization and how they serve its customers.

For this post, I am comparing the mission statements of two Universities in the united states against the backdrop of racial diversity. The two universities selected are, Colorado school of mines and Columbia University.

The mission statement of Colorado school of mines is “…united by our commitment to our timeless mission of educating and inspiring students from all backgrounds and advancing knowledge and innovations, with the aspiration that our graduates, ideas, actions, and innovations will have a transformative impact on individuals and society, leading to shared prosperity and sustainable use of the Earth’s resources.” From the highlighted portion, the timeless mission of the Colorado school of mines in the education of students from all backgrounds. However, what does the data show, according to datausa.io, “Colorado School of Mines is 67.4% White, 9.28% Hispanic or Latino, 4.84% Two or More Races, 4.39% Asian, 0.951% Black or African American, 0.317% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0604% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.” Colorado school of mines ranks 90th position among the rank of 100 universities ranked by diversity (https://priceonomics.com/ranking-the-most-and-least-diverse-colleges-in/).

The mission statement of Columbia University is “…seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.” The enrolled student population at Columbia University in the City of New York is 30.1% White, 12.3% Asian, 7.84% Hispanic or Latino, 4.75% Black or African American, 2.66% Two or More Races, 0.181% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0922% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

The contrast in the mission statement between the two universities reveals the racial disparity in the demography of the two universities. If this was a blind study and only the mission statements were provided for both universities, it would be evident what university attracts a more diverse student body. While Colorado school of mines is interested in the diversity of the student body only (as reflected in the mission statement), Columbia University is interested in the diversity of both the student and the faculty. As many studies have shown, minority students’ enrollment at IHE is affected by the number of minority faculty represented at the institution.