The Board of Visitors’ Education Policy Committee met Thursday afternoon to discuss a new University mission statement and the future of the school’s global presence.
University President Teresa Sullivan approached the Faculty Senate earlier this year about revising the current mission statement, which was developed by the Faculty Senate and approved by the Board in 1985. The product of the process was presented at the committee meeting.
“Over the ensuing months [after Sullivan approached us] we reviewed many statements from many other schools in the country,” Faculty Senate Chair Chris Holstege said. “In May we drafted it and it was put before the Faculty Senate and approved on May 15.”
The new mission statement is much shorter than the last one, and stresses accessibility and excellence. It was unanimously approved by the committee and will be voted on by the full Board Friday.
“The University of Virginia is a public institution of higher learning guided by a founding vision of discovery, innovation and development of the full potential of talented students from all walks of life,” the statement reads. “It serves the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation and the world by developing responsible citizen leaders and professionals; advancing, preserving and disseminating knowledge; and providing world-class patient care.”
Focusing in on the international aspect mentioned in the mission statement, Politics Prof. Jeffrey Legro and third-year College student Rachel Schwartz spoke to the committee about the new University efforts to develop a global presence. Legro said that in an increasingly interconnected world, it is becoming more and more essential for students to study abroad and interact with the international community.
“We know our students will live much more global lives than has been the case to date,” Legro said. “Additionally, students who study abroad are smarter… They literally become smarter because their brains develop differently… Students without this global experience are at a disadvantage.”
Legro said to meet this goal the University is already in the process of developing a global studies major and a Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation. He also stressed the importance of a global presence for recruiting the best faculty aiding University research initiatives.
Schwartz spent last summer working with counterterrorism experts at an internship in Israel. Her work on the use of chemical weapons in Syria was praised by scholars and even featured at an international conference, the World Summit on Counterterrorism.
“I think it is absolutely critical for students to have a global perspective,” Schwartz said. “One way to do this is having an internship abroad. Since I hadn’t found many classes at U.Va. that focus on counterterrorism or [weapons of mass destruction], it was interesting for me to find how my interests could be applied through this program.”
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