Armstrong Atlantic State University - Archived Mission Statement
This mission statement was superseded April 2005. Current mission statement
Armstrong State College was founded in 1935 as a city college and continues to fulfill an urban mission, teaching a diverse population of traditional and non-traditional students. Throughout its history, Armstrong has shared its creative, scholarly, technical, and leadership expertise with individuals and organizations throughout southeast Georgia. It is a designated Regional Health Professions Education Center. Offering a broad range of programs in arts and sciences, teacher education, health professions, and graduate studies. Armstrong provides all students with a firm foundation in the liberal arts and anchors its academic excellence in its baccalaureate and graduate programs.
Armstrong Atlantic State University shares with other institutions in the University System of Georgia the following common mission:
The mission of the University System of Georgia is to contribute to the educational, cultural, economic, and social advancement of Georgia by providing excellent undergraduate general education and first-rate program leading to associate, baccalaureate, masters, professional, and doctoral degrees; by pursuing leading-edge basic and applied research, scholarly inquiry, and creative endeavors; and by bringing these resources to bear on the economic development of the State and the continuing education of citizens through public service.
While the core teaching, research and scholarship, and service functions differ by institutional type, the campus life of every institution in the University System of Georgia will be characterized by:
- a supportive campus climate, necessary services, and leadership and development opportunities, all to educate the whole person and meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff;
- cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender diversity in the faculty, staff and student body, supported by practices and programs that embody the ideals of an open, democratic, and global society;
- technology to advance educational purposes, including instructional technology, student support service, and distance education;
- collaborative relationships with other System institutions, State agencies, local schools and technical institutes, and business and industry, sharing physical, human, information, and other resources to expand and enhance programs and services available to the citizens of Georgia.
Armstrong Atlantic State University shares with the other senior universities of the University System of Georgia the following core characteristics or purposes:
- a commitment to excellence and responsiveness within a scope of influence defined by the needs of an area of the state, and by particularly outstanding program or distinctive characteristics that have a magnet effect throughout the region or state;
- a commitment to a teaching/learning environment, both inside and outside the classroom, that sustains instructional excellence, serves a diverse and college-prepared student body, promotes high levels of student achievement, offers academic assistance, and provides developmental studies programs for a limited student cohort;
- a high quality general education program supporting a variety of disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and professional academic programming at the baccalaureate level, with selected master's and educational specialist degrees, and selected associate degree programs based on area need and/or inter-institutional collaborations;
- a commitment to public service, continuing education, technical assistance, and economic development activities that address the needs, improve the quality of life, and raise the educational level within the university's scope of influence;
- a commitment to scholarly and creative work to enhance instructional effectiveness and to encourage faculty scholarly pursuits, and a commitment to applied research in selected areas of institutional strength and area need.
The primary mission of Armstrong Atlantic State University is to foster its students' abilities essential to being knowledgeable, thoughtful, responsible, and creative members of society. For its population of traditional and non-traditional students, Armstrong strives to promote academic excellence and provide appropriate access to its programs, including magnet offerings in health professions, teacher education, public history, criminal justice, and transfer programs in engineering studies. Moreover, Armstrong shall:
- augment traditional classroom instruction and provide student-centered learning through the integration of new technologies and innovative methods of course delivery;
- improve and expand access through distance learning, flexible course scheduling, and development of off-campus sites;
- respond to student needs through accessible faculty and administrators, an effective student-teacher ratio, and appropriate learning support;
- foster a deepened understanding of diverse world views and experiences through the examination of multicultural and international perspectives across the curriculum, and activities that encourage respect for human worth;
- offer activities to students that help to prepare them for the work place or for further study through a wide array of leadership programs, experiential training, and entrepreneurial opportunities;
- optimize resources and expand educational opportunities for citizens throughout Georgia through the interchange of faculty and programs and in partnerships with other educational institutions, especially other units of the University System.
In shaping its vision for the twenty-first century, Armstrong has assumed a leadership role in the application and integration of new educational technologies. The institution aspires to build upon its already excellent curricular and urban oriented research programs and expand its magnet offerings, especially in the sciences. A planned student body profile based on admissions, progressions, and graduation expectations shall enhance institutional effectiveness. Finally, Armstrong assumes responsibility for initiating collaborative efforts and for attracting and cultivating credit and non-credit programs designed to meet societal needs in such areas as economic development, health, cultural life, and technological advancement.