Albany State University - Mission Statement
Albany State University, established originally as the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute and supported by private and religious organizations, was founded in 1903 by Joseph Winthrop Holley. The Institute provided religious and manual training for negro youths of Southwest Georgia.
In 1917, the Institution became a state-supported, two-year college, and its name was changed to Georgia Normal and Agricultural College. In 1932, the College became a part of the University System of Georgia and in 1943, the College was granted a four-year status and its present name.
Today, Albany State University fosters the growth and development of Southwest Georgia and the state through teaching/learning, research, creative expression and public service. The University offers baccalaureate, master's and educational specialist degrees and specialized educational programs. Through its teaching, research and service, and collaboration with other institutions, the University anticipates and responds to the needs of its constituents; and it enhances the quality of life of its publics through advocacy of educational, cultural, artistic and social development in the region.
The University's educational programs and services produce graduates who exhibit a high degree of professional competence and who assume responsible leadership roles in the communities where they live and work. The University values liberal arts as a foundation for all learning. Student learning encompasses the ideas, values and knowledge of the disciplines of the liberal arts and sciences. Through interdisciplinary instructional delivery, the University promotes independent and collaborative learning.
A leader in teacher education, nursing, criminal justice, business, public administration and the sciences, the University also provides quality and quantifiable educational experiences in a variety of other disciplines. In its educational, intervention and research activities, the University targets the needs of the African-American male and the disabled.
The University promotes global understanding through the internationalization of its curricula and campus; and integral to its instructional delivery in all academic fields is an emphasis on service learning and use of state-of-the-art technology to complement learning both in and outside the classroom.
Albany State University is a partner in the advancement of the economic, social, human and physical development of both the region and state. Through partnerships the University develops programs which improve the lives of citizens; and central to its community outreach are comprehensive programs that target health care services, social dysfunctions and human disabilities. The University is also committed to public service, research, technical assistance, economic and leadership development activities in the region, state and nation.
Albany State University values the strength of a culturally, economically and ethnically diverse college community, and in its curricular and non-curricular activities, it promotes diversity. The University targets the total development of students who range from the gifted to the underprepared and provides a wholesome academic environment in which students can study, learn, research and benefit from their interaction with its exceptional faculty and other scholars. The University is committed to education on a personal level.