Is the University living up to its mission statement?
Trusting that the university you attend is making decisions to ensure you’re getting the best educational experience is essential, and the mission statement is the starting point of that process. So a question every University of Indianapolis student should be able to answer is this: Is UIndy currently fulfilling its mission?
In case you’ve never read or need to refresh your memory, the university’s mission statement states: “The University’s mission is to prepare its graduates for effective, responsible and articulate membership in the complex societies in which they live and serve, and for excellence and leadership in their personal and professional lives. The University equips its students to become more capable in thought, judgment, communication and action; to enhance their imaginations and creative talents; to gain a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Christian faith and an appreciation and respect for other religions; to cultivate rationality and tolerance for ambiguity; and to use their intellect in the process of discovery and synthesis of knowledge.”
I firmly believe this mission statement is being fulfilled. The University of Indianapolis prides itself on diversity and making sure that each individual attending is taking away skills that will help him or her excel in the workforce. The mission statement is not only relevant; it is also effective.
The mission statement not only embodies what faculty and staff believe the university should be about, but also what students believe is an essential part of their education. There are many different opportunities that are put together to help students build character along with the skills that will aid bringing about diversity and being effective leaders. Super Saturday of Service is one of the events that teaches students about leadership while giving them the opportunity to enhance their creativity and develop their imaginations through community service. The event demonstrates the importance of giving back to the community and using skills and kindness for others who need it. Although Super Saturday requires people to get up extremely early, people are eager and excited about it, which is why I believe that this type of growth and development is important to the students, faculty and staff of UIndy.
The fact that UIndy students represent more than 35 U.S. states and 47 nations—with five percent of undergraduates and 10 percent of graduate students being international students—shows how important diversity is at UIndy. Because UIndy is a Methodist affiliated university, a requirement exists for all students to take at least one religion course of any kind. This requirement shows how the university is implementing, on campus, the importance of understanding religion and the need for exposure to different religions.
In order to “prepare its graduates for effective, responsible, and articulate membership in the complex societies in which they live and serve,” there must be initiative in the classroom. I believe our professors are effectively preparing us students to excel in society. The professors here are beyond caring, and they make sure your needs as a student are met, provided you show initiative as a student. UIndy’s rather small class sizes allow professors to do more hands-on teaching and allow students to have more opportunities to apply what they are learning in real-life situations. One such program is athletic training, which allows students to gain hands-on experience through their clinical hours working directly with the athletic teams on campus.
As a student who is involved on campus and an active learner I am a strong believer that UIndy is living up to its mission statement. Because of that, we are a school that is growing and excelling. I feel that I am being prepared to be a quality member of a complex society.
