Louisiana State University and A&M College

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  2. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
  3. PART 1. Signatures Attesting to Compliance
  4. PART 2. List of Substantive Changes Approved Since the Last Reaffirmation
  5. PART 3. Institutional Assessment of Compliance
    1. Section 2: Core Requirements
      1. 2.1 Degree-granting Authority
      2. 2.2 Governing Board
      3. 2.3 Chief Executive Officer
      4. 2.4 Institutional Mission
      5. 2.5 Institutional Effectiveness
        1. 2.5 Institutional Effectiveness (Continued)
      6. 2.6 Continuous Operation
      7. 2.7.1 Program Length
        1. 2.7.1 Program Length (Continued)
      8. 2.7.2 Program Content
      9. 2.7.3 General Education
      10. 2.7.4 Course work for Degrees
      11. 2.8 Faculty
      12. 2.9 Learning Resources and Services
      13. 2.10 Student Support Services
        1. 2.10 Student Support Services (Continued)
      14. 2.11.1 Financial Resources
      15. 2.11.2 Physical Resources
    2. Section 3: Comprehensive Standards
      1. 3.1.1 Mission
      2. 3.2.1 CEO evaluation/selection
      3. 3.2.2 Governing board control
      4. 3.2.3 Board conflict of interest
      5. 3.2.4 External Influence
      6. 3.2.5 Board dismissal
      7. 3.2.6 Board/administration distinction
      8. 3.2.7 Organizational structure
      9. 3.2.8 Qualified administrative/academic officers
      10. 3.2.9 Personnel appointment
      11. 3.2.10 Administrative staff evaluations
      12. 3.2.11 Control of intercollegiate athletics
      13. 3.2.12 Fund-raising activities
      14. 3.2.13 Institution-related entities
      15. 3.2.14 Intellectual property rights
      16. 3.3.1 Institutional Effectiveness
        1. 3.3.1.1
          1. 3.3.1.1 (Continued)
        2. 3.3.1.2
        3. 3.3.1.3
          1. 3.3.1.3 (Continued)
        4. 3.3.1.4
          1. 3.3.1.4 (Continued)
        5. 3.3.1.5
          1. 3.3.1.5 (Continued)
      17. 3.4.1 Academic program approval
      18. 3.4.2 Continuing education/service programs
      19. 3.4.3 Admissions policies
      20. 3.4.4 Acceptance of academic credit
      21. 3.4.5 Academic policies
      22. 3.4.6 Practices for awarding credit
      23. 3.4.7 Consortial relationships/contractual agreements
      24. 3.4.8 Noncredit to credit
      25. 3.4.9 Academic support services
        1. 3.4.9 (Continued)
        2. 3.4.9 (Continued - 2)
      26. 3.4.10 Responsibility for curriculum
      27. 3.4.11 Academic program coordination
      28. 3.4.12 Technology use
      29. 3.5.1 General education competencies
      30. 3.5.2 Institutional credits for a degree
      31. 3.5.3 Undergraduate program requirements
      32. 3.5.4 Terminal degrees of faculty
      33. 3.6.1 Post-baccalaureate program rigor
        1. 3.6.1 Post-baccalaureate program rigor (Continued)
      34. 3.6.2 Graduate curriculum
      35. 3.6.3 Institutional credits for a graduate degree
      36. 3.6.4 Post-baccalaureate program requirements
      37. 3.7.1 Faculty competence
      38. 3.7.2 Faculty evaluation
      39. 3.7.3 Faculty development
      40. 3.7.4 Academic freedom
      41. 3.7.5 Faculty role in governance
      42. 3.8.1 Learning/information resources
      43. 3.8.2 Instruction of library use
      44. 3.8.3 Qualified staff
      45. 3.9.1 Student rights
      46. 3.9.2 Student records
      47. 3.9.3 Qualified staff
      48. 3.10.1 Financial Stability
      49. 3.10.2 Financial aid audits
      50. 3.10.3 Control of finances
      51. 3.10.4 Control of sponsored research/external funds
      52. 3.11.1 Control of physical resources
      53. 3.11.2 Institutional environment
      54. 3.11.3 Physical facilities
      55. 3.12.1 Substantive change
      56. 3.13 Policy compliance
        1. 3.13.1 "Accrediting Decisions of Other Agencies"
        2. 3.13.2. "Collaborative Academic Arrangements: Policy and Procedures"
        3. 3.13.3. "Complaint Procedures Against the Commission or Its Accredited Institutions"
        4. 3.13.4. "Reaffirmation of Accreditation and Subsequent Reports"
          1. 3.13.4.a.
          2. 3.13.4.b.
      57. 3.14.1 Publication of accreditation status
      58. 3.13.5. "Separate Accreditation for Units of a Member Institution"
        1. 3.13.5.a.
        2. 3.13.5.b.
    3. Section 4: Federal Requirements
      1. 4.1 Student Achievement
      2. 4.2 Program curriculum
        1. 4.2 Program curriculum (Continued)
      3. 4.3 Publication of policies
      4. 4.4 Program length
        1. 4.4 Program length (Continued)
      5. 4.5 Student complaints
      6. 4.6 Recruitment materials
      7. 4.7 Title IV program responsibilities
      8. 4.8 Distance and correspondence education
        1. 4.8.1
        2. 4.8.2
        3. 4.8.3
      9. 4.9 Definition of credit hours
  6. PART 4. Institutional Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews
  7. FOCUSED REPORT
  8. QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN (QEP)

3.1.1 Mission

The mission statement is current and comprehensive, accurately guides the institution’s operations, is periodically reviewed and updated, is approved by the governing board, and is communicated to the institution’s constituencies. (Mission)

Compliance Status

Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.

Narrative

Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) has a clear and comprehensive mission statement that addresses the uniqueness of LSU’s role as the state’s flagship university. It references the range of degree programs offered, the standards pertaining to faculty, and the resources dedicated to problem solving. The mission statement is grounded in the concept of a flagship institution in which teaching and learning are intensified in a broad and diverse research environment. The LSU Mission Statement, approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors in 2006 and reaffirmed in October 2012, states:

As the Flagship institution of the state, the vision of Louisiana State University is to be a leading research-extensive university, challenging undergraduate and graduate students to achieve the highest levels of intellectual and personal development. Designated as a Land, Sea, and Space Grant institution, the mission of Louisiana State University is the generation, preservation, dissemination, and application of knowledge and cultivation of the arts.

In implementing its mission, LSU is committed to:

  • offering a broad array of undergraduate degree programs and extensive graduate research opportunities designed to attract and educate highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students;
  • employing faculty who are excellent teacher-scholars, nationally competitive in research and creative activities, and who contribute to a world-class knowledge base that is transferable to educational, professional, cultural, and economic enterprises; and
  • using its extensive resources to solve economic, environmental, and social challenges [1].

Mission Statement Guides LSU’s Operations

As noted in LSU System Permanent Memorandum (PM) 38: Institutional Mission Statements [2], “the mission statement is the basis for the evaluation of quality academic programs and administrative support.” LSU’s strategic plan Flagship 2020: Transforming Lives is based upon the university’s mission statement. Throughout the flagship agenda, the mission statement is contextualized with a descriptive “Preamble” [3]; in a clear and effective description of the university’s “Goals” [4]; and in a list of categories of more specific “Performance Indicators” related to the broad categories of discovery, learning, diversity, and engagement [5]. 

The character and objectives of the mission statement are reflected throughout the institution in the missions and goals of the academic colleges and schools and of the support units [6]. Moreover, individualized strategic plans for LSU’s various educational programs (e.g., College of Engineering [7]), research (e.g., Office of Research & Economic Development [8]), and services (e.g., Office of Finance & Administrative Services [9]) are based upon the goals articulated in Flagship 2020.

Review & Approval

As required by PM-38, the mission statement for each campus in the LSU System shall be reviewed on a regular basis [2].  The University Planning Council (UPC), established in 1997, acts as an advisory body to the chancellor and the executive vice chancellor and provost in matters relating to strategic directions, the overall planning process, and its implementation [10].  The UPC was responsible for the university’s previous mission statement that was drafted in 2006 and for the planning and development associated with it [11].

In accordance with PM-38, after a campus has completed its review, its mission statement must be referred to the Office of the President for concurrence and submission to the LSU Board of Supervisors for review and approval [2]. The review process is not considered complete until the mission statement is approved by the board. The review of each campus’ mission statement shall be conducted at least every five years.

The current mission statement for LSU was approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors in 2006 and reaffirmed in October 2012 [12][13][14].

Communication to Constituencies

The Mission Statement appears on the university’s Flagship 2020 Website [1], on a separate “University Mission” webpage [15], and in the LSU General Catalog [16], among other places. On the university’s Website the General Catalog begins with the mission statement and extended contextualizing information containing statements on an “Historical Perspective” and “LSU Today,” along with statements about “Teaching,” “Research,” and “Public Service.” 

Additional information related to the LSU mission and similar issues can also be found in the narratives in Core Requirement 2.4 and Federal Requirement 4.2.

File Attachments:
  1. [1] Flagship 2020 Vision & Mission Statement [1] Flagship 2020 Vision & Mission Statement
  2. [2] Permanent Memorandum: Institutional Mission Statement [2] Permanent Memorandum: Institutional Mission Statement
  3. [3] Preamble to Flagship 2020 [3] Preamble to Flagship 2020
  4. [4] Goals of Flagship 2020 [4] Goals of Flagship 2020
  5. [5] Performance Indicators of Flagship 2020 [5] Performance Indicators of Flagship 2020
  6. [6] Alignment of Mission & Goals [6] Alignment of Mission & Goals
  7. [7] College of Engineering Strategic Plan [7] College of Engineering Strategic Plan
  8. [8] Office of Research & Econmic Development Strategic Plan [8] Office of Research & Econmic Development Strategic Plan
  9. [9] IOffice of Finance & Administrative Services Strategic Plan [9] IOffice of Finance & Administrative Services Strategic Plan
  10. [10] Establishment of University Planning Council [10] Establishment of University Planning Council
  11. [11] Charge of University Planning Council [11] Charge of University Planning Council
  12. [12] Role, Scope Mission Review [12] Role, Scope Mission Review
  13. [13] Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes (December 2006) [13] Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes (December 2006)
  14. [14] Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes (October 2012) [14] Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes (October 2012)
  15. [15] LSU Mission Statement (Web) [15] LSU Mission Statement (Web)
  16. [16] LSU Mission Statement (General Catalog 2013-14) [16] LSU Mission Statement (General Catalog 2013-14)
Author: Stephenie Franks
Last modified: 7/1/2015 7:33 AM (EST)