Businesses across the world constantly reinvent themselves in order to project a better and more efficient image to their customers. 

They often make changes within their organization. Usually, they do it to tap into a changing consumer base, while sometimes, change is forced and called for by tough economic conditions. 

N.C. State however, is simply planning to change its mission statement. Yet again. 

The mission statement, which can be viewed on the University Planning and Analysis web site, was rephrased a decade and a half ago in 1996, and revised again in 2001.

Larry K. Monteith was the chancellor of the University during that period, and the present situation’s similarities to his years in office are striking. 

He inherited an athletics program in disarray, presided over a similar round of statewide budget cuts and tuition increase, and made significant additions to the Provost’s responsibilities.

So is changing the mission statement a norm for Chancellors in tough spots to follow?

According to Mick Kulikowski, assistant director for news services, this really isn’t such a huge issue.

“The new mission statement isn’t really much different,” he said, “The statement may be shorter or more brief, but we [the University] are not fundamentally changing our mission. We will still be a research-extensive, land grant University, and that will certainly not change.”

The new mission statement, he stressed, is still a draft, contained in the University’s latest Strategic Plan. 

“We haven’t changed the mission statement yet,” Kulikowski said, “It is still a draft, and has not been approved by the Board of Trustees. Even after that, it has to be approved by the UNC Board of Governors as well.”

Though he agreed that this is not something that is done often, Kulikowski said it is not an unusual thing to do either.

“Like any business, universities will also revisit their missions every 10-15 years, and make changes if it is considered necessary,” Kulikowski said, adding, “We might change things at the periphery about how we go about doing things, but N.C. State is certainly not changing its core values.”

Most students, on their part, were unaware of even the present mission statement. A few who did know about it, however, felt changing such an important statement isn’t something to be taken lightly.

Linda McKnight, a freshman in Spanish, said she had seen the University’s current mission statement and considered caution to be the best course of action.

“I don’t think changing the mission statement should be gone into hastily,” she said, “Budget cuts shouldn’t be reason enough to change our mission statement. If they change it due to the challenges of funding, it’s not a very good thing to do, because regardless of the funding, your mission should not change.”

The University’s mission, McKnight said, is like that of a presidency. “Whether it is Bush or Obama, the job of the president is to serve the people,” she said, “and so the University should also look after the students’ interests regardless of who is the Chancellor.” 

Muhammed Khan, a junior in microbiology who had seen both statements said that officials need to concentrate more on changing the way the University works and spends its money rather than making changes that are hard to tell.

“I don’t see much difference at all, it’s pretty much just the same message,” Khan said, “Moreover, I think they should be managing their money more effectively than what they are doing right now. We are building the new Talley and demolishing Harrelson for making a new bookstore among other things. I would think that budget cuts would result in a spending freeze, but what we have here is just the opposite of that. It makes me wonder whether the money from my increased tuition fees is coming back to us as students or is it going to building all these new buildings.”

Jack Guttenberger, a freshman in political science had a similar view, and felt that the mission statement does not warrant a serious second look right now. 

“The old one is fine enough,” Guttenberger said, “I believe they should work keeping their long-term objectives in mind and use the money more wisely than now.”

Others felt the change doesn’t matter much, provided it reflects the students’ needs and requirements.

Graham Snyder, a junior in mechanical engineering said it is fine if the purpose is to adapt to what students want.

“If they change it to adapt to what we need [the statement to be] according to student needs, it’s fine,” he said, adding that it didn’t matter to him if the University officials made no attempt to inform students specifically of the change. 

“It doesn’t matter to me if they change it without asking us, that’s what they are there for,” Snyder said.