A university is measured by the quality of its faculty, students and libraries. These are – and always will be – the primary areas where qualitative growth and development are essential. For SMU to fulfill its goal of becoming one of the nation’s finest educational institutions, distinguished faculty appointments must be made at the senior and junior ranks. Our concomitant rise in student profiles is equally important. Both of these elements will require additional endowments that enable the University to make permanent progress.

For a university to be well regarded by its wide range of stakeholders, an embedded value of the institution must be a deep commitment to its core mission of teaching and learning. This commitment occurs through formal processes such as program review, teaching evaluation and assistance in the learning and practice of pedagogical advances. It also occurs by faculty being actively involved with students in and out of the classroom, laboratory and studio, as well as service activities within the community.

The mission of distinguished universities includes both sharing and creating knowledge. To become and to be regarded as an outstanding university, SMU must fully support scholarly research and creative achievement.

The Division of Student Affairs is committed to developing opportunities for students to become productive citizens and leaders through the creation of environments that are both supportive and challenging. These opportunities will contribute to the students’ intellectual, spiritual, physical, social, cultural, moral, and emotional growth by engaging them with the widest range of persons inside and outside of the University. Within this overall framework, intercollegiate athletic programs will continue to operate with integrity, to achieve high graduation rates for student athletes, and to provide competitive opportunities at the highest NCAA level.

Today's students must be prepared to live and work in an emerging global environment. The intermingling of cultures, the complexities of financial strategies, the economies of strikingly different nations, and the plight of the world’s poor are but a few of the conditions awaiting the intellect, skill, and zeal of our graduates. The University is obligated by its trust and mission to prepare students for living in the dynamic and challenging times they will encounter.