Core Component 1.D

Main Content

DRAFT

1.D The institution’s mission demonstrates commitment to the public good.

  1. Actions and decisions reflect an understanding that in its educational role the institution serves the public, not solely the institution, and thus entails a public obligation.
  2. The institution’s educational responsibilities take primacy over other purposes, such as generating financial returns for investors, contributing to a related or parent organization, or supporting external interests.
  3. The institution engages with its identified external constituencies and communities of interest and responds to their needs as its mission and capacity allow.

Argument

1.D.1. SIUC is governed by the SIU Board of Trustees, which is appointed by the governor and serves the best interests of the public. Evidence for the institution's engagement in Community Outreach and Human Services (one of the primary components of the mission) is provided in section 1.A.2. 

1.D.2. SIUC is a public university governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor of Illinois. As such, the only investors are the residents of the state of Illinois. There are no financial returns and no outside investors. Further detail on the institution's income and expenditures can be found in section 5.A.1. 

1.D.3. The Center for Service Learning and Volunteerism has an Advisory Council that consists of community members, faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students. It meets each semester to determine policies and priorities for the Center’s work. The center provides individual consultation to faculty, graduate students, and staff interested in service-learning, volunteerism, and community engagement.

The Office of Economic and Regional Development (OERD) and the Connect SI Foundation conducted six listening sessions throughout southern Illinois in 2013 to determine the needs of the region. Identifying regional assets and challenges led to opportunities to respond to local needs, including expanding efforts in training for small business development. In 2015, OERD established high school “CEO” classes, funded by the private sector and held outside the classroom in nine southern Illinois counties. In 2017, OERD initiated an Entrepreneur-in-Residence program matching seasoned entrepreneurs with start-up businesses.

Numerous individual programs such as the Profession Science Master’s in Wildlife Administration and Management solicit input for curricular development and modification from an external advisory board of public and private agencies and industries that hire program graduates, as discussed in greater detail in section 4.A.6. 

Sources