Amid Changes, College Reflects on Core Values and Mission

By Caitlyn Minelli
 

Wilson has experienced a lot of changes within the past three years. In lieu of these changes, the administration decided to once again review the current mission statement.

This is the second review since the decision to go coed. The main reason for the change is due to the fact that the current mission statement is more of a description of the college rather than a statement of institutional goals. In order to meet institutional assessment criteria, various documents, such as Wilson’s Honor Principle, were consulted to view what Wilson stands for.

According to Brian Speer, Survey Director and Vice President for Communication and Marketing, and Andrew Stuart Abel, Principle Investigator and Associate Dean for Institutional Research and Academic Assessment, the college sent out a survey to faculty and staff to rate the most important attributes concerning Wilson’s values. At the time of the survey, the top three rated values were “Instill[ing] critical thinking, complex problem solving, and communication skills; [promoting] the value of lifelong learning; [and] career preparation.”

The survey results were translated into five drafts for consideration. They covered the goals: teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills. The reason for these goals is to help students reach their career goals and personal development How they are reaching these goals is by instituting a liberal arts education and “student-focused environment.” At the moment, the mission statement is being reviewed for nuances of language to make sure that it conveys what Wilson College plans for the student success. Based on student, faculty, and staff feedback, the college plans to release two final drafts for the Wilson community to vote on for the official mission statement.

Any questions or input concerning the mission statement can be directed to Brian Speer at brian.speer@wilson.edu. If you wish to see the full results and analysis of the survey, please visit wilson.edu/ie.

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