Mission:Southwest Minnesota State University prepares students to meet the complex challenges of this century as engaged citizens in their local and global communities. Our comprehensive degree programs, taught in the liberal arts tradition, are dedicated to connecting students academic and practical professional development experiences in southwestern Minnesota to the wider world.Vision:Southwest Minnesota State University is a university of choice. Values: 1.The primary focus of all activities is to facilitate the learning experience of our enrolled students. All faculty activities, both within and away from the classroom, are designed to enhance the learning environment.2.It is essential for SMSU to remain current with technological advancements in delivering classroom and laboratory knowledge to assure maximum interest, impact, and retention by our students.3.Our faculty recognize the evolving environment in which we all live and the need to insure involving students with current information and developments from the world stage.4.Student involvement in the learning experience is critical for retention, leading to our dedication to pedagogical improvements that have been shown to enhance the learning experience.5.We are committed to being good stewards of our resources through demonstrating environmental and fiscal responsibility. Moreover, as responsible citizens and good stewards of our resources, we foster actions, programs, and scholarship that will lead to a sustainable future.6.We maintain and consistently seek to improve a comprehensive system of support services designed to assist our students in any way possible during their tenure at SMSU and on into the next stages of their lives.7.We believe in the integration of campus and community. We are committed to being responsive to the needs of southwestern Minnesota and recognize that partnerships with community entities provide us with valuable talents and expertise.8.We value a safe environment for intellectual expression and encourage open and civil communication.9.We value a campus safe for all members of the university community.10.We value maintaining and enhancing a physical design to provide access to all members of the university community.11.We embrace diversity by developing a quality, comprehensive educational environment that fosters interaction among people of all religions, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, physical abilities, and ages.12.We foster cultural understanding on campus through social, educational, and administrative interaction with our diverse population of international students. We offer the opportunity to learn about different cultures through participation in our Global Studies programs.13.We believe that the southwestern Minnesota region provides rich opportunities for learning that go beyond the traditional classroom and lab settingscommunity-based learning experiences. Therefore, we are committed to creating a variety of applied learning experiences that enhance students practical problem- solving skills and strengthen their commitment to civic engagement.

Academic Grad Slug