Vision, Mission, Values, and Strategic Plan
Vision Statement
Central Michigan University, an inclusive community of scholars, is a national leader in higher education inspiring excellence and innovation.
Adopted by the Board of Trustees, December 6, 2012
Mission Statement
At Central Michigan University, we are a community committed to the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, discovery, and creativity. We provide student-centered education and foster personal and intellectual growth to prepare students for productive careers, meaningful lives, and responsible citizenship in a global society.
Adopted by the Board of Trustees, December 2, 2010
Core Values
To achieve our mission, we adhere to the core values of integrity, respect, compassion, inclusiveness, social responsibility, excellence, and innovation.
Adopted by the Board of Trustees, December 2, 2010
Definition of Mission Statement Core Values
- Integrity: A steadfast adherence to the principles of honesty, trustworthiness, reliability, transparency, and accountability.
- Respect: Consideration of the rights, opinions, and ideas of others in a civil, fair, and thoughtful manner.
- Compassion: Empathy, concern and support for the needs and challenges of others.
- Inclusiveness: Conducting the activities of the university in a way that embraces shared governance, inspires tolerance, and welcomes diversity into our community.
- Social Responsibility: Fostering citizenship to promote the public good, environmental sustainability, global understanding, and informed political engagement.
- Excellence: Expectation that all activities are conducted with attention to quality and the highest levels of academic and professional standards.
- Innovation: Supporting progressive and meaningful research, creative activity, and teaching, Addressing challenges and issues from multiple perspectives to solve problems and advance knowledge.
Strategic Plan: Advancing Excellence
Imperative I: Nurturing Student Success
CMU provides a transformative education to prepare students for successful careers and fulfilling lives. Successful students complete their programs of study in a reasonable amount of time and are well prepared for careers and/or postgraduate study. Alumni perceive their CMU education as a sound investment.
Imperative II: Fostering Scholarly Activity
CMU encourages a scholarly environment that attracts and fosters talented and diverse students, faculty and staff. Scholarship is essential to the intellectual life of a university and its accreditation. We embrace a broad view of scholarship, recognizing the value of theoretical and applied research, field-specific and interdisciplinary research, creative efforts, artistic performances, and pedagogical inquiry.
Imperative III: Strengthening Partnerships in Michigan and Beyond
CMU values community partnerships. We will emphasize partnerships with alumni, communities, corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations that lead to mutual growth and enhancement, starting with those in Michigan and going beyond to our country and the world.
Adopted by the Board of Trustees, June 29, 2017
The Enduring Philosophy
In its 125 years as an institution of higher learning, Central Michigan University has supported a liberal arts education as the common base for all degree programs. In the words of a founder, “Education in its best and truest sense is a much larger thing than any or even all of the so-called practical uses that may be made of it. Accordingly...the school shall stand squarely and strongly for the larger idea, that education is a rightful heritage of the human soul...Breadth and liberality of scope will always prove the better investment in the long run.”