Mission and Values
At Mizzou, our vision for the future is driven by a dedication to our values.
Mizzou’s Mission
Our distinct land-grant mission, as Missouri’s only state-supported member of the Association of American Universities, is to provide all Missourians the benefits of a world-class research university. We are stewards and builders of a priceless state resource, a unique physical infrastructure and scholarly environment in which our tightly interlocked missions of teaching, research, service and economic development work together on behalf of all citizens. Students work side by side with some of the world’s best faculty to advance the arts and humanities, the sciences and the professions. Scholarship and teaching are daily driven by a commitment to public service — the obligation to produce and disseminate knowledge that will improve the quality of life in the state, the nation and the world.
What Makes a Tiger?
Our Values
As Tigers, we hold four core values: respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence. These values serve as the foundation for all we do. They empower us to find strength in collaboration as we pursue innovation while maintaining the highest ethical standards. Your time at Mizzou will set the tone for all that comes next.
Respect
We commit to acting ethically, welcoming difference and exchanging ideas openly.
Respect for one’s self and for others is the foundation of honor and the basis of integrity. A hallmark of our community is respect — for the process by which we seek truths and for those who engage in that process. Such respect is essential for nurturing the free and open discourse, exploration and creative expression that characterize a university. Respect results in dedication to individual as well as collective expressions of truth and honesty. Respect is demonstrated by a commitment to act ethically, to welcome difference and to engage in open exchange about both ideas and decisions.
Responsibility
We are accountable to ourselves, each other and the public we serve.
A sense of responsibility requires careful reflection on one’s moral obligations. Being responsible imposes the duty on us and our university to make decisions by acknowledging the context and considering consequences, both intended and unintended, of any course of action. Being responsible requires us to be thoughtful stewards of resources — accountable to ourselves, each other and the public we serve.
Excellence
We reach for excellence through diligent effort and collaboration.
We aspire to an excellence that is approached through diligent effort, both individual and collective. Pursuing excellence means being satisfied with no less than the highest goals we can envision. Pursuing excellence involves being informed by regional, national and global standards, as well as our personal expectations. We recognize and accept the sacrifices, risks and responsibilities involved in pursuing excellence, and so we celebrate each other’s successes. We commit ourselves to this process in an ethical and moral manner.
Discovery
We foster the lifelong process of seeking knowledge and greater understanding.
Learning requires trust in the process of discovery. Discovery often fractures existing world views and requires acceptance of uncertainty and ambiguity. Therefore, the university must support all its members in this lifelong process that is both challenging and rewarding. As we seek greater understanding and wisdom, we also recognize that knowledge itself has boundaries. What we know is not all that is.
Code of Conduct
Our Conduct
Mizzou’s Code of Conduct is a resource designed to support us in doing all we can to live up to the promise of our mission, vision and values. This resource enables us to do great things for our students, patients, the citizens of Missouri and beyond. Learn more about how we remain accountable to ourselves, each other and the public we serve.
Our Vision for the Future
As a comprehensive research university, we are privileged to extend our research, learning, engagement and economic development beyond our campus. Mizzou’s mission starts here, but our impact is global. Our plan for the future embodies our commitment to our students, faculty, staff, alumni and the larger community.
