Mission and Goals
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Why Start Here?
Before you can measure whether students are learning what they should, you need a clear statement of what your program is trying to accomplish. A program mission statement and a set of learning goals form the foundation of your assessment plan — everything else builds from them.
The Hierarchy: Mission → Goals → Learning Outcomes
| Element | What It Is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Mission | Your program’s purpose in 1–3 sentences | "The Chemistry major prepares students to think and work as scientists — to ask rigorous questions, design experiments, and communicate findings." |
| Goals | Broad areas of emphasis | "Students will develop laboratory proficiency.” / “Students will engage with primary literature." |
| SLOs | Specific, observable, measurable statements | "Students will design and carry out an independent laboratory investigation appropriate to their level of training." |
Writing Your Program Mission Statement
A strong program mission statement:
- States the program’s purpose in a few sentences
- Identifies what students will gain by completing the program
- Connects to the broader context of the discipline or profession
- Connects back to W&L’s overarching Mission and Vision and either that of the the College or the Williams School.
Prompts to Get Started
- What should a student who completes this major be able to do that they couldn’t before?
- What distinguishes your program from a general introduction to the field?
- What intellectual habits or dispositions does your program cultivate?
A mission statement is not a catalogue description. Two to four sentences is sufficient. Resist the urge to list everything — the goals and SLOs will carry the specifics.
Writing Program-Level Goals
Goals describe the general directions your program moves students toward — broader than outcomes but narrower than a mission. Most programs have three to five goals.
Examples of Well-framed Goals
- Students will engage critically with primary texts in [discipline].
- Students will apply quantitative methods appropriate to [field].
- Students will communicate findings effectively to specialist and general audiences.
Do We Need to Revise Our Existing Mission?
Not necessarily. If your program already has a mission and goals, start there. Ask: Does this still reflect what we do and care about? Do our SLOs connect clearly to these goals? If yes, move on to crafting Student Learning Outcomes.