Read the Curry College NEASC 2012 Self-Study Report.

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Of these multiple efforts, Strategic Planning has emerged as the best institutional “space” for
understanding the strengths and limitations of Curry College’s Mission Statement.
Representatives from the NEASC Steering Committee were among those who helped inform
the Strategic Planning process in its earliest stages. Information gathered early in the self‐study
process, along with NEASC Standards of Accreditation and earlier College reports and selfstudies
were shared with the Strategic Planning Committee in early 2011; and at an October
2011 meeting, co‐chairs of the Strategic Planning group presented their interim report to the
NEASC Steering Committee. In it, they emphasized the need for the statement to reflect the
College’s evolution. They recommended, as well, that a Mission Statement revision should
“draw upon the work of the Strategic Planning Committee to develop Core Values and Core
Vision Statements that align with the College Mission.” viii Throughout all of these processes,
there has been agreement on the need for the College to review and possibly update its
mission.
Mission Familiarity
The wider Curry community was given an opportunity to bring their perceptions of the College’s
mission to the self‐study process as well. In Spring 2011, survey research specific to Curry’s
mission was conducted to gather data in two areas: familiarity with the mission and feedback
about the College’s success in fulfilling its mission. A total of 159 students, 85 faculty, and 16
administrators/staff members were surveyed voluntarily and with assurance of anonymity. ix
Most respondents had an awareness of the mission. Faculty and staff reported greater
familiarity than did the students. The results were inconclusive at best that stakeholders
recognized a clear relationship between initiatives and the mission.
Some respondents, when given the opportunity on the survey questionnaire to comment on
ways that the College could better fulfill its mission, suggested that publishing the mission,
posting it in common areas—even in every classroom—and making it more evident to the
community would be valuable. Other suggestions included a dialogue about it with students,
discussing and explaining it early on, including it on course syllabi, and making every class fulfill
the mission in some way. One obvious finding from the survey exercise is that whether Curry
writes a new Mission Statement or re‐affirms its current mission, the College needs to engage
in a systematic and formal attempt to publicize its mission and to link it explicitly to the life and
work of the college.
Alignment of the Mission and the College’s Identity, Values, Priorities and Activities
While some within the community are familiar with and confident that Curry does a good job of
fulfilling its mission, is not clear that the College’s mission and purposes provide adequate
direction to the curricula and form the basis on which expectations for student learning are
developed.
An example of a disconnect between mission and student learning is that the College
community—faculty, students, and administration—engages in a variety of activities such as
public service, volunteerism, and community engagement; and there are frequent
opportunities for on‐ and off‐campus experiences. These activities, however, have not been
Curry College 2012 Self-Study
Standard One