A Mission Statement Renewed

Strategizing

Fr. Richard Lamoureux, A.A., Ph.D. ’64, vice president for mission, collaborated with Professor Bernard Dobski, Ph.D., and other members of the Mission Statement Revision Committee on updating Assumption’s mission statement.

opposite page Student Government Association President Maria LeDoux ’22 enlisted Fr. Richard’s help in explaining the mission revision process to her fellow student government representatives.

Student Government Association (SGA) President Maria LeDoux ’22 knows many college students may bypass an institution's mission statement in search of the programs it offers. As a student leader, however, she felt compelled to examine Assumption’s.

“Mission statements are important,” she said. “They help shape what we learn, how we live, and what we’ll take from our education.”

LeDoux, a communications and theology major, did a deep dive into Assumption’s new mission statement by asking Father Richard Lamoureux, A.A., Ph.D. ’64, vice president for mission, to speak with SGA representatives about the process of its development. Fr. Richard walked them through the steps but withheld one tiny secret: when asked to take on this task, he was nervous.

That set the process in motion. The reason Fr. Richard felt some trepidation? “As soon as you touch the mission statement, you’re touching the heart of the University. It’s a very delicate process,” he shared.

Fr. Richard knew the best way forward would require teamwork, so President Cesareo, with Fr. Richard, assembled a respected group of administrators, faculty, and staff members to form a Mission Statement Revision Committee. One of those members, Professor of Political Science Bernard J. Dobski, Ph.D., noted that, however humble, Fr. Richard “was the committee’s inspirational leader. Everyone worked hard, but he deserves the lion’s share of credit.”

The process of revising the mission statement and having it approved by the Board of Trustees in May took more than six months. As the committee examined the old mission statement line by line, they jettisoned unsuitable or clunky language and crafted more accurate and inspirational sentences that reflected the essence of Assumption’s educational mission. Finally, they opened an online forum and encouraged input from others in the University community.

Poetry in Mission

“The impetus for reworking the old mission statement was pretty simple,” he explained. “We had a new strategic plan, and we were going from Assumption College to Assumption University, so we had to at least change the name. President Cesareo saw this as an opportunity to examine the language in the mission statement to see if there were any other changes we should make.”

The president’s goal was to better articulate the purpose of Catholic liberal education at Assumption.

The committee wanted the mission statement to clearly state the principles most important to Assumption. The bottom line: “We’re not merely teaching students to make a living,” said Prof. Dobski. “We’re teaching them to make a life. We want our graduates to have the moral and intellectual resources to draw on in a crisis, and souls supple enough to remain open to the wonders of the world.”

As Fr. Richard reminded the SGA, a mission statement isn’t something to be drafted and forgotten. Rather, it should be kept on your desk and, ideally, on the desk of every working group in the community “to provide direction.”

He is particularly fond of the second line in the revision, “We awaken in students a sense of wonder, discovery, and purpose, forming graduates known for their intellectual seriousness, thoughtful citizenship, and devotion to the common good,” for both its content and its poetry.

“We looked at a lot of mission statements from other institutions, and most are far from poetic,” he said. “They’re downright boring.”

The next step was to introduce the new mission statement to the Assumption community. This started with Founders Week, where the theme “It’s All About Soul!” was inspired by the new mission statement. Fr. Richard met with new faculty members to discuss the revision; he also printed 1,000 cards with the mission statement that were distributed on campus and will continue to be used to make the new statement known.

Living the Mission, Now and Tomorrow

To alumni, being able to live Assumption’s mission is essential, believes Suzanne Besnia, J.D. ’79, an attorney with Riezman Berger, a legal firm in St. Louis, MO. A member of Assumption’s Board of Trustees, Besnia believes the liberal arts education she received at Assumption opened her eyes to the world. Today she lives Assumption’s mission by serving causes in her own community, like mentoring in the St. Louis Public School District.

“It’s a lifelong journey to acquire the selfknowledge you need to believe in your own capacity to solve a problem and move the needle,” she said. “Studying liberal arts at Assumption played a big part in my ability to embrace challenges and understand myself and the world, so that I could figure out where I belonged and how I could make an impact.”

The revised mission statement hits the right notes, Besnia said. “Assumption has always offered students a clear set of ethics. It’s absolutely gorgeous to see the new buildings on campus and the march forward in Assumption’s evolution into a University, but the institution’s character is still very much the same.”

That’s the whole point of the new mission statement, said President Cesareo: to reflect the University’s essence as Assumption continues to grow and thrive. “While we have a new mission statement, we do not have a new mission,” he said. “Our mission –who we are, what we do, how we teach, what we teach, the way we teach – is a precious gift that has been entrusted to us at this moment in the life of Assumption University. We are stewards of this mission.”

For Tim Cody ’20, a clinical counseling psychology graduate student and a graduate assistant in Campus Ministry, the phrase in the new mission statement that stands out for him is this: “Our curricular and cocurricular programs provide students with an education that shapes their souls.”

“That line gives the sense that our souls are incomplete and we’re always molding them into what we’re called to be,” said Cody, who spent his undergraduate years at Assumption actively involved in Campus Ministry. He also served as a volunteer missionary with the Assumptionists in Paris, working with Tibetan refugees on a barge on the Seine River. Reflecting on that experience leads him to appreciate the language in the mission statement describing Assumption as a “diverse community that welcomes different points of view.”

“Even though the Tibetans were Buddhist and I’m Catholic, we could coexist and work together,” he said. “Assumption is a Catholic institution, but the mission statement makes it clear that we welcome students of all backgrounds.” Life is a journey, he added, “and the mission statement helps me realize that I’m continually being shaped by my experiences. That won’t stop when I leave here.”

LeDoux agreed wholeheartedly. “Assumption teaches students how to seek the truth and how to question things. I might not know where my path will take me after graduation, but wherever I go, Assumption has given me the education I need to continue looking for the truth and trying to live a good life.”

Assumption University New Mission Statement

Assumption University is a comprehensive, Catholic liberal arts institution sponsored by the Augustinians of the Assumption. We awaken in students a sense of wonder, discovery, and purpose, forming graduates known for their intellectual seriousness, thoughtful citizenship, and devotion to the common good. Our curricular and cocurricular programs provide students with an education that shapes their souls, forms them intellectually, and prepares them for meaningful careers. We are a diverse community that welcomes different points of view and embraces all who share our mission. Enlivened by the Catholic affirmation of the harmony of faith and reason and by the pursuit of the truth in the company of friends, an Assumption education transforms the minds and hearts of students.