E-mail outlines need for mission

IU President Adam Herbert is a man on a mission.\nHerbert sent an e-mail Tuesday to all Bloomington students and faculty stressing the need for each of the University's campuses to have a "clearly articulated mission that can serve as a roadmap for strategic growth and future development."\nThe e-mail broadly outlined what Herbert is expecting from each campus's mission statement.\n"These missions must focus not only on the strengths and challenges each of our campuses faces, but also on their aspirations and relationships with local, state, national and international constituencies," Herbert said in the e-mail. "Mission clarification for our campuses is critical if we are to be as responsive, creative and distinguished as we can be as a University."\nTo this end, read the e-mail, IU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis, Chief Student and Diversity Officer Charlie Nelms and IU-Southeast New Albany Chancellor Emeritus F.C. Richardson have been charged with leading the "Mission Differentiation" initiative.\n"This is something President Herbert has talked about since joining the University," IU Spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said. "It's been one of his priorities in establishing himself as leader of Indiana University and in the process of moving forward."\nThe e-mail also noted the board of trustees' intent as establishing IU "as one university with multiple campuses, rather than as a system" as part of the reason for reevaluating mission statements. \n"We don't know (if they need to be changed) until we examine them," said IU board of trustees President Fred Eichhorn. "I don't think they're wrong, but perhaps we need to refine them."\nJankowski said just what the initiative means for the IU campuses will be better defined as Gros Louis, Nelms and Richardson collect data from students and faculty.\n"The beginning phases will be to collect a lot of information from each of the campuses," Gros Louis said. "Much of the spring and summer will be (spent) collecting data and Charlie (Nelms), and I will be sending a memo soon detailing what those data will be."\nRichardson declined to comment, saying he could not make policy comments for Gros Louis and Herbert.\nNelms was out of town and unavailable for comment.\nJankowski also said there's a possibility Herbert will comment more on the "Mission Differentiation" initiative at the board of trustees Meeting Friday.\n"I don't know if he will, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does."\n-- Contact senior writer Chris Freiberg at wfreiber@indiana.edu.