Read the Curry College NEASC 2012 Self-Study Report.

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formally linked to the mission or evaluated in terms of the Mission Statement. There are many
other such examples, where goals and activities that the College community now values do not
connect in clearly‐identifiable ways with its current Mission Statement. The reverse may be true
as well; Curry has not in recent years sought to verify that the mission and goals are clearly
enacted and assessed within the College’s curricula.
Critical to any review of the mission is determining which parts of the Mission Statement
matter more and which parts matter less. As Curry wrestles with the tensions noted previously
(e.g. liberal arts and professional preparation), those same pressures contribute to the difficulty
in “branding” the College. Curry faculty, staff and administration continue to engage in
extended discussions about who and what we are: an institution in transition; vital, complex,
and caring; striving for increased academic relevance and rigor; working to develop a shared
vision and shared direction. The College looks just as closely at who and what we hope to be: an
institution of distinction, academically rigorous; stable, vibrant, and yet continuously improving;
increasingly sophisticated in institutional planning and decision‐making; a community of
engaged students, faculty, and administrators. To distinguish and brand itself effectively, Curry
College must ensure the alignment of its vision, values, and mission.
Another issue relative to alignment is the extent to which the Statement speaks to all that is
uniquely Curry and/or addresses the ways in which Curry is changing. Significant anecdotal
evidence from the Office of Admission indicates that much public perception focuses on Curry’s
nationally‐recognized Program for the Advancement of Learning (PAL) as what sets us apart
from other small liberal arts‐based colleges in New England. However, that perception does not
acknowledge the advances and strengths of the institution’s programs in nursing, criminal
justice, communication, and other areas of academic and programmatic vitality.
Projection
The College will:
• Establish a mechanism for a community‐wide review of the Curry Mission Statement
and begin the process of review by 2013.
• Build institutional knowledge about the value, importance and use of Mission
Statements by making the Mission Statement more visible throughout the College
community, connecting the Mission Statement to planning, budgeting, and other broad
institutional decision‐making activities.
• Establish a timetable for the evaluation of the Mission Statement’s integration with
College activities and priorities.
• Investigate the possible development and use of a Vision Statement in partnership with
the revised, rewritten or re‐affirmed Mission Statement.
Institutional Effectiveness
While Curry College’s Mission Statement has not been reviewed for many years, the Fall 2011
Strategic Plan Interim Report outlined an intent “to review and assess the ongoing relevancy of
Curry College 2012 Self-Study
Standard One