Chico State is going through a reaccreditation process. This involves looking at its current master and strategic plans. One result has been a revision of the school’s mission and vision statements.

In 1996, Chico State released a mission and vision statement, highlighting the type of university it identifies as, and how it wishes to improve over the years.

Over two decades later, President Gayle Hutchinson and her staff are creating a new mission and vision statement and invited the Chico State community to be part of the creation process.

Three strategic planning meetings were held, two on Wednesday and one on Thursday, all led by Brooke Banks, Chief of staff to the President’s Office, and Rebecca Lytle, faculty member of the Kinesiology Department. Although over 30 people attended the first meeting on Wednesday, less than 10 were students. Similarly, only six people attended the Wednesday night meeting, and none were students.

Those who were not able to attend the meetings are encouraged to participate in a survey where they can leave their comments about the statements.

“What do we want to become?” Banks asked. She said the statements are a physical representation of what the school finds important in the university’s strategic plan.

Mission Statement from 1996: “California State University, Chico is a comprehensive university principally serving Northern California, our state and nation through excellence in instruction, research, creative activity and public service. The University is committed to assist students in their search for knowledge and understanding and to prepare them with the attitudes, skills and habits of lifelong learning in order to assume responsibility in a democratic community and to be useful members of a global society.”

New mission statement option A: “Our mission is to prepare and graduate diverse leaders and passionate alumni through an accessible and affordable high-quality education defined by inclusive experiential learning experience, prominent scholarship, caring relationships and coordinated student support. We are civically engaged, responsible stewards of environmental, social, and economic resources.”

New mission statement option B: “Chico State is a comprehensive public university that offers the welcoming, familial experience of a residential college. We prepare and graduate diverse leaders and passionate alumni through an accessible and affordable high-quality education defined by inclusive experiential learning experiences, prominent scholarship, caring relationships and coordinated student support.”

New vision statement option: “Chico State will be known as an intellectual, innovative and cultural partner of the North State that ensures student success while improving local, regional and global communities through exemplary scholarship, teaching and service. As civically engages responsible stewards of environmental, social and economic resources, we will be the university of choice for lifelong learners.”

At the meetings, people were encouraged to read, edit and comment on how the statements could be improved. Many commented on the language used in the statements. Tim Sistrunk, a history professor, said that the phrase “passionate alumni” was “sad language.” Some even questioned the importance of a mission statement overall. However, most were still in approval of the new statements. All comments will be taken into consideration before the final statements are released, according to Banks.

Additional master plan meetings will be held March 11, 12 and 13. Students are encouraged to attend.

Kendall George can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kendallmgeorge.