Western Kentucky University’s Mission, Purpose, and Goals are stated in the institution’s strategic plan, Challenging the Spirit, as follows:

Mission

Western Kentucky University shall produce nationally and globally competitive graduates and provide optimum service and lifelong learning opportunities for its constituents

Statement of Purpose

Western Kentucky University provides students with rigorous academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and traditional and emerging professional programs, with emphasis at the baccalaureate level, complemented by relevant associate and graduate-level programs.

The University places a premium on teaching and learning. Its faculty engage in creative activity and diverse scholarship, including basic and applied research, designed to expand knowledge, improve instruction, increase learning, and provide optimum service to the state and nation. The University directly supports its constituents in its designated service areas of Kentucky with professional and technical expertise, cultural enrichment, and educational assistance. The University encourages applied research and public service in support of economic development, quality of life, and improvement of education at all levels, especially elementary and secondary schools. In particular, WKU faculty will contribute to the identification and solution of key social, economic, and environmental problems throughout its primary service area.

Maintaining a campus of distinctive history and character, Western sustains a student population of increasing quality. It fulfills its responsibility for access through its community college, extended campus programs, and distance learning.

Western’s commitment is to ensure value in a holistic learning experience through high standards for student achievement and conduct, a strong faculty, technological innovation, personalized attention, broad access, and public accountability for actions and outcomes.

Western Kentucky University recognizes that its mission continues to evolve in response to regional, national, and global changes, and the need for lifelong learning.

The University’s Strategic Plan will be implemented through five Goals

Goal 1: Increase student learning.

Promote learning that fully develops individual potential and produces nationally and globally competitive graduates for the workforce.

Goal 2: Develop the student population.

Attract, retain, and graduate an increasingly diverse, academically-talented, and achievement-oriented student population.

Goal 3: Assure high quality faculty and staff.

Attract, retain, and support high-quality faculty and staff.

Goal 4: Enhance responsiveness to constituents.

Respond to educational, social, cultural, and economic-development needs through increased outreach, applied scholarship, service, and innovative opportunities for lifelong learning.

Goal 5: Improve institutional effectiveness.

Commit to continuous improvement of institutional effectiveness and efficiency in all programs and services.