College of Staten Island Catalog

The Mission, Vision, and Values of the College

Mission

Grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences, the College of Staten Island is committed to the highest standards in learning, teaching, research, scholarship, and service. As the only public institution of higher education in the Borough, and as a senior campus of The City University of New York, the College has provided access to excellence in higher education since 1956. The College is dedicated to helping its students fulfill their creative and educational aspirations through competitive and rigorous undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. We embrace the strength of our diversity, foster civic-mindedness, and nurture responsible citizens for our city, state, country, and the world.

Vision

Providing students with an outstanding educational experience guides everything the College of Staten Island undertakes. The College is committed to enhancing the success of all students and to evidence-based initiatives and opportunities. We strive to provide rigorous undergraduate and graduate degrees at all levels and to respond to the changing educational and professional aspirations of students in a complex and dynamic world through innovative disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs. Excellence in scholarship, research, and creative activities provides a strong foundation for our academic programs and student learning experiences, and by attracting and retaining an outstanding faculty, we will also attract strong graduate students to our masters and doctoral programs and to work in our laboratories. We aspire to be a vibrant center of intellectual and cultural exchange and to broaden the horizons of our students by increasing the integration of global perspectives through our curriculum, scholarship and international opportunities. At the same time, we will enhance students’ educational experiences by expanding opportunities to engage with our immediate community through research, service, and civic engagement, consistent with our commitment to borough stewardship. The College is enriched by the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff, and we will expand efforts to ensure an inclusive and increasingly diverse campus community. We will be a leader in conserving resources, will be creative in aligning resource allocations with strategic priorities, and will be data-informed in our decision-making. Through these accomplishments, the College of Staten Island will become a destination for students, faculty, and staff, with greater regional, national and international recognition.

Values

Strong commitment to teaching, scholarship, research, creative activities, and service.

We set and meet high expectations in our academic programs through innovative teaching, scholarship, and research. We promote engagement among students and faculty. We explore the broader impacts of our work and are proud of recognition received at local, national and international venues.

Emphasis on campus pride and the cultivation of a welcoming and inclusive environment.

We cultivate pride in our institution in everything that we do. We strive to ensure that all who come to campus feel welcomed and valued. We enjoy celebrating our successes. Together we work to achieve greater recognition through advancement and the promotion of campus activities.

Facilitation of serious conversations about difficult subjects.

We seek to make our campus a place for the open exchange of ideas. We encourage critical thinking, curiosity and creative expression. We see value in thoughtful conversation and the consideration of differing viewpoints. We promote events on campus that are relevant and related to larger questions that have impact on our lives.

Innovative approaches to student success.

As a comprehensive college, we provide support for students from pre-college through doctoral degrees. We embrace innovative approaches to increase student engagement and encourage progress in achieving individual academic and career goals. We also work with all students to help them overcome barriers to their success.

Commitment to integrity and mutual respect.

We expect honesty and fairness in our interactions with each other and in the work that we do. Ensuring integrity builds trust among students, faculty, and staff. Mutual respect is required to encourage open dialogue, critical reflection and a diversity of perspectives. We value all members of the College community, as all play a vital role in making us a quality institution.

Reliance on informed decision-making and shared governance.

We seek to ensure that all of our decisions are informed by deliberation and data. We are continuously engaged in gathering information related to our institutional goals. We foster a model of shared governance. We are engaged in cross-institutional, national conversations related to best practices in higher education and support visionary leadership within every unit of the College.