Mission

The mission of Southwest State University is to provide high quality liberal arts, professional, and technical programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. Southwest State University is dedicated to excellence in teaching and to preparing students to be life-long learners in a changing global, social, and natural environment. The University has a special commitment to the educational needs of people in its service region. This commitment is reflected in the curricula, cultural enrichment programs, cooperative relationships with other regional institutions, and in service and research contributions to both the public and private sectors of the region.

Goals

In order to achieve this mission, Southwest State University will:

1. Give priority to the highest quality undergraduate teaching and learning by:

• providing a core of liberal studies as a foundation for all undergraduate degrees.
• providing technical programs.
• providing liberal arts programs.
• providing professional and pre-professional programs.

2. Develop new and creative means to bring graduate-level instruction and programs to southwestern Minnesota in response to demonstrated regional needs.

3. Cooperate with other colleges and universities and with vocational-technical colleges and institutes to develop educational programs which will meet the educational needs of Minnesota and the region.

4. Provide for the continuing educational needs of the region through special courses, conferences, institutes, non-credit courses, workshops, and seminars, as well as provide special programs to serve early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special education.

5. Place particular emphasis on programs which enable persons with physical disabilities to achieve their educational goals.

6. Place particular emphasis on programs for the gifted and talented.

7. Place particular emphasis on coursework, service, and research in rural studies, rural education, and agri-business.

8. Seek to enhance the intellectual, social, and physical development of each of its students.

9. Assume a leadership role in the development of projects and initiatives which will assist in developing the economic base of southwestern Minnesota.

Approved: 11/30/93 by SUB