Public Affairs Integration

Missouri State will equip and inspire graduates to engage in global policy issues and creatively apply their education to identify solutions to pressing worldwide challenges.

Missouri State was granted a statewide mission in public affairs in 1995 when Senate Bill 340 was signed into law. Over the years, the public affairs mission has matured and been incorporated into many aspects of campus life. The primary objective during this five-year plan is to incorporate the mission more deeply into the academic experience of the students, from the curriculum to research.

The mission summarized

Avenue of flags For many years, the mission has been summarized as follows:
The University's identity is distinguished by its statewide mission in public affairs, requiring a campus-wide commitment to foster competence and responsibility in the common vocation of citizenship.

Citizen Scholar statueIn its centennial history, the public affairs mission was described in this way:
Public affairs is primarily a perspective and, therefore, is intended to be pervasive in the experience of students. It is about cultivating civic virtues and strengthening the bonds that unite people. Public affairs demands the creation of a learning environment where citizenship obligations are explored and encouraged, where the capacity and the commitment to think about the public implications of private behavior is cultivated, and where the capacity to recognize and reflect on public issues is nurtured.

The public affairs mission remains a "live question" with many perspectives and limitless possibilities. That is both the beauty and the challenge of defining and implementing the mission.