Feedback on Vision Statement

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Not Future-Oriented / Too Similar to Mission

• While I like the three pillars outlined in the vision statement, I would argue it does not meet the definition of a vision statement. It does not speak to our aspirations.
• This is really just an extension of our mission (what we do, rather than the future we want to create by what we do).
• vision is supposed to be future-oriented and this is not future-oriented
• Just an abbreviation of the mission.
• A mission statement articulates what our institution is doing right now, and a vision statement is supposed to look ahead. Our vision statement seems like an extension of our mission and not defining what our university aspires to become. As an example, the vision for our campus should include something along the lines of ‘a leader in innovation’ or a hub for regional collaboration.’ The vision statement should be shaping our long term planning and resource allocation to align with our strategic plan/initiatives.
• A vision statement describes a future state where as a mission statement describes current state (who, what and how). “Student Centeredness and Engaged Citizenship” are identified in both statements. Does this mean it needs improvement? “Preparing Leaders” is also eluted to in the mission statement. This leaves “Engaging Minds”. Is this done through research programs, advanced learning, or offering topics in evolving technologies? My personal view is that U of M Flint needs to expand the math and science programs. Recently retiring, I have had a chance to look at various topics in a microlearning environment where I’ve recognized a gap in learning while at U of M Flint. I’ve always had a interest in math from a young age, however, my experience in the undergraduate program pushed me away from the deeper understanding to doing just the minimum to get by. Math is a cornerstone of all science and there is a beauty to it that needs to come across in teaching and learning. In my opinion, AI and Visualization is the key to unlocking the beauty allowing individuals to understand relationships and develop new patterns. Focusing solely on mechanics does not engage young minds.
• The mission and vision currently overlap to the point that they are almost interchangeable. Elevating the vision into a more ambitious, future-oriented statement would help clarify the difference between who we are now and who we’re intentionally becoming.
• Academic excellence is not a vision, it is a fact. Student Centeredness is an awkward phrase. Again, just be student centered- do envision to be student centered. A vision should be future based and aspirational: “we will create global leaders by leveraging the Block M brand in a more accessible, affordable, and flexible manner.” Copyright 😉
• This does not read as aspirational. It sounds more like a slogan or tagline.
• This statement doesn’t feel very aspirational to me. It does provide some clarity on our purpose.
• The vision statement is actually much better as a mission statement (though I’d replace the first comma with “and”). It says what we do (i.e., engaging minds and preparing leaders) and how we do it (through academic excellence, etc.) but it doesn’t say anything about what we want to be.
• We say student centeredness all the time but the actions do not match the statements. If this is supposed to show our aspirations, then listing something we do now is not an aspiration for the future.

Lack of Distinctiveness

• I don’t feel like it stands out as original, but I think it is what we try to do.
• Very bland and not inspiring. Generic and uses recycled language from the Mission Statement. Only focuses on the University does, not the transformation nor the impact.
• The statement is so general it is almost meaningless.
• What makes UM-Flint unique? A vision statement should differentiate UM-Flint from other universities. In my experience, student centeredness is UM-Flint’s major strength.
• Cookie cutter future statement. Any school could use this. What are you doing differently, how and why?
• Seems too general, focus on our strengths and priorities for our students, community and future leaders
• Too generic. Aren’t we here to resolve 21st century problems? Maintain academic freedom and excellence?
• It doesn’t seem super unique but it’s still a good statement.
• too common
• Our vision statement could be more future-focused and highlight what makes UM-Flint unique.
• There is nothing mentioned that is specific or unique to U of M-Fint. Too general.
• Again this could be plugged into any university.
• All good concepts, but hardly unique. If one was given a blind test with this Vision Statement paired with other regional institutions such as Oakland or Saginaw Valley, could anyone decipher that this was the vision statement for UM-Flint? Similar to the Mission Statement, all good boiler plate language.
• Again, nothing distinct. Could be any university.
• What sets us apart? This mission statement sounds like all the others.
• Honestly, any institution can word-smith buzz words to sound nice. To me, this is kind of feels like buzzwords, rather than something that can be felt. When people feel something, they can more strongly get behind it. If you look at the verbs, they are all active, but they aren’t any feeling verbs.
• Again, nothing wrong with it, just generic and unmemorable.
• Lacks specificity – what makes UMF unique
• The language used is so generic that it lacks an emotional and aspirational connection.

Concerns About Specific Words and Phrases

“Student Centeredness”

• As explained in my previous comment, I would recommend replacing student centeredness with student formation. I’m not sure what student centeredness means. Student formation seems more active and more about what the University and the student can accomplish through a symbiotic relationship. Teaching enables student formation which in turn enables engaged citizenship. I believe this helps the Vision statement become more purpose-driven.
• I am not sure what “student centeredness” is?
• centeredness doesn’t resonate with me.
• “Student-centeredness” is an old pedagogical trope. If you want to really express the vision of UMFlint, update it to sound like an antidote to past thinking. Something new, fresh.
• What does student centeredness mean?
• Student centeredness? Is that even a word? Student centric perhaps? Find a better word for that. Engaged citizenship? Why not an example or role model for citizenship that serves the community?
• “student centeredness” ???
• Not sure what student centeredness or engaged citizenship means
• What is meant by student centeredness?
• What is student centeredness?
• not clear what student centeredness refers to
• “Student centeredness” is a bit of a clunky and confusing term. I assume it means putting students and their needs at the center of UMF’s work. However, I don’t think it is clear exactly what that means.
• What exactly does “student centeredness” mean?? Way too vague and mushy. Similarly, what does “engaged citizenship” actually mean?? Protesting? Voting? What?

“Engaged Citizenship”

• Citizenship should be removed and emphasis on career preparation highlighted
• the engaged citizenship portion seems a little dated
• engaged citizenship?
• Define engaged citizenship……. Our students today have lost the sense of American citizenship. Activism is NOT citizenship You’re working with students who do NOT have a firm foundation in our TRUE founding or history…….
• What does it mean by engaged citizenship? I understand what it might mean, but is an exclusive term for people who are not the US citizens. Not inclusive.
• Engaged citizenship is noble but a choice of the student and not the university
• I like the words “engaged citizenship”. I notice it on my first read of the entire statement. In the end, that’s what it mostly about.
• Engaged citizenship is important to me as someone who values a liberal arts education. Student centeredness is equally important but I don’t think our institution has lived up to that vision.

“Preparing Leaders”

• Not just preparing leaders, also preparing professionals. Leaders seems limiting to me. Some of the best employees are not necessarily the leaders and yet contribute significantly.
• Some of my ideas. I thing the University does more than prepare leaders. What about preparing your students for the world of work? Some of these occupations have nothing to do with leadership. The word “relevancy” comes to mind. I think that gets lost much of the time.
• Not only engaging minds but most importantly transforming them. Not everyone will become a leader, and that is okay. So you’re not only preparing leaders but also every other role in a community. Could touch on the conditions UM-Flint creates that results in academic excellence, student centeredness, and engaged citizenship.
• Maybe include “do-ers” as well as leaders
• I am thinking about the word “leaders” and wonder if we can change that to engaged citizens or something similar

Other Word/Phrase Concerns

• Halting; includes words not used in daily conversation and writing like « centeredness »
• Use Oxford commas: and,
• How about “challenging minds”
• An Oxford comma would be most welcome here, as would actually engaged citizens.
• I think you should use “weekend words” instead of the jargon that every university tends to use. It also doesn’t read as a proper sentence when read out loud. Is the first comma supposed to be “and”?
• Consider adding the Oxford comma
• Delete and/or replace one of the “engaging” words.
• In the short statement, the word engaged is used twice. Would be good to use another descriptor in one area. Students are engaged but should also take action to support learning and change among all communities they interact with.

Grammar and Structure

• These sound like bullet points between commas and not a coherent sentence. What about ‘preparing leaders of tomorrow through engaging minds in scholarship and academic excellence, student centeredness, and engaged citizenship”? I think there’s a point in including the ‘student centeredness’ as part of the vision statement but I think it needs to be worded better.
• It doesn’t say anything…. word salad
• I’m not sur I really even understand it. I know it’s not a sentence, but the commas are still weird. Do you really mean “and preparing leaders” or was this the vogue way to do this at the time? It doesn’t resonate with me at all, even if the words and ideas behind it are strong it is weirdly written.
• It’s not a sentence, so it feels weird in isolation.
• I think that the comma between “Engaging minds, preparing leaders” could be switched to “and” to make the statement more clear/easy to read
• It seems a bit all over the place and unprioritized

Missing Elements

• it would be better to include scholarship
• The statement is passe, and sounds like something created by a sophomore marketing student. It ignores the research activities on campus, and our direct impact on local business and culture.
• Stakeholders should find comfort in our vision statement. Keywords and phrases that will give them comfort are “jobs” or “employment,” “quality of life,” “flexibility,” “support,” and “employers.”
• Again, there needs to be a solid reference to the contribution of diversity
• Vision statement also should include verbiage around preparing students for their chosen career or vocation.
• There could be more of an emphasis on excellence and the achievement of educational and professional goals.
• “Engaging minds while preparing leaders through academic excellence, student centeredness, and engaged citizenship” — a slight change — also I would mention being a global citizen somewhere since so many come from all over the world.
• the one thing that is missing here is research
• Our vision should include working hard to create equal opportunities for all students, especially with the current political climate. It should be in the forefront to create a safe learning environment for all students, especially those in marginalized communities.
• It should include how this vision is achieved e.g. through excellence in teaching and interdisciplinary research.
• I think we need to get our students applied work experiences, i.e. internships, so that when they go out into the increasingly competitive workforce they will have some experience.
• Missing what our vision achieves.
• No sense of impact
• No comments re: what are UM-Flint’s objectives for the region.

Disconnect Between Statement and Practice

• Academic excellence and integrity is a huge stretch in the context of our campus. Engaged citizenship is true if it is referring to community engagement but I have never understood the culture of investing resources into community facing events – it seems performative to make the Regents feel good about themselves meanwhile, staff and faculty are struggling to put their ideas into action due to funding and lack of leadership support.
• Moving to become an R-2 institution is contrary to what this vision portrays. We need ot define who we are or want to be as faculty (administrators come and go, faculty stay)
• The campus is not actively engaging with these principles and I doubt ANY cabinet member can give good examples of all three aspects currently being invested in on campus or in student and community marketing.
• Many colleges need to work on engaging the Flint community, first and foremost.
• Our vision is lacking a sense of reality and is too idealistic to be realized in our current state of affairs
• I’m not sure we actually are preparing all grads. My son is in his last year in the SOM and as a business owner, I would expect that he has learned a lot more than he seems to know this close to a BBA Marketing. They need real world experiences.
• I would like for UM-Flint to provide some extra care for their professors, lecturers, and staff. For example, many professors and lecturers wish to have less online classes, but lack the authority to make such a change to the school’s curriculum. Many of my fellow students feel the same about the abundance of online classes. We would like to see more in-person classes which would provide us with the benefit of engaging with our peers and faculty.
• I don’t see this vision enacted in practice. “Student centered?” That’s hard in an online curriculum. “Engaging minds?” “Engaged citizenship?” How many courses really engage the students in activities and assignments that matter in their lives and the community? To what extent do faculty incorporate service learning and community-engaged learning in their courses? There is no incentive or encouragement to do so. I do it because it matters to me. My students opt to come to class in the building, their minds inspired and engaged, because the work they’re doing matters. I rarely see this among my faculty colleagues here.
• Flint and the UM-Flint have a great history behind them and great potential for our future but UM-Flint remains locked in an atmosphere of needing more money and providing fewer services to its students.

Purpose and Direction

• The statement captures good ideals but not the distinctive future UM-Flint is working toward. It could be stronger if it showed how the university will lead through excellence and innovation in teaching, community partnerships, and student success that translates into real-world impact.
• What does UM-Flint aspire to be for their students, local community, and state? When I read the the vision statement above it gives me a sense that the University does not have a clear direction, doesn’t know who they are, and what they would like to accomplish.
• Not relevant to today’s world & business environment.
• Sounds very outdated and not futuristic. It doesn’t have pazazz, or charm.
• This statement could have been written by ChatGPT. The phase student-centeredness is meaningless. The focus should be on education and preparing students for the workforce.
• It doesn’t address why UMF. What does it want to be? A really hands on regional college or something else.
• Vision = university and community/region as co-creators of a shared future
• all universities should have academic excellence or close shop

Positive Feedback

• No vision statement is memorable. I doubt undergraduate students even know we have one.
• It’s short and simple, so it should be memorable.
• It is susinct and to the point. More memorable!
• Do not change the vision statement. I do not understand why we would mess with something we know is working.
• I like it
• Are we able to provide/measure how well we are doing thisMuch improved. Very good work. Thank you for your efforts. May federal funds continue to bless you.
• To the point
• Keep it simple.
• Succinct and clear. Wonderful.
• The current version is excellent!
• It’s not bad, but it seems quite basic.

Suggested Revisions

• Should it be “Engaging minds and preparing leaders through academic excellence, student centeredness and engaged citizenship”?
• need something short and catchy -easy to remember
• Again, too wordy. I think it would have more impact to focus on select qualities: Prepared. Engaged. Excellent.
• Community based educational opportunities to create engaged, informed leaders.
• I suggest the following revisions: Engaging both minds “and honing abilities”, preparing “Skilled personnel and future” leaders through academic excellence, student centeredness and engaged citizenship.
• This is copied from the mission statement. Challenging our diversity of students to pursue academic excellence in preparing to become actively engaged citizens and future lesders.
• Maybe something like that will be better: “Advancing learning and leadership through academic quality, student focus, and community engagement”
• Use another word for engaged with citizenship, perhaps committed. Unique interactive learning.

Identity and Direction

• Too much indoctrination in the midst of all teaching
• Nobody has ever cared about a mission or vision statement. This whole process is what new administrators do to justify the “newness” and fake sincerity of their intentions.
• We have mission statements where I work in the corporate world. To be brutally honest, they are a colossal waste of time. They’re just words that really don’t hold any value.

Other Comments

• Again, too much. It’s like trying to memorize a list of goals.
• Hard to remember it all due to its length
• no
• This statement reflects values I’ve long upheld as an educator and advocate. I believe deeply in engaging minds and preparing leaders — especially those whose paths are shaped by resilience, equity work, and lived experience. However, academic excellence must be inclusive of nontraditional journeys, and student-centeredness must extend to those navigating chronic conditions, systemic barriers, and healing-centered leadership. Engaged citizenship should mean more than participation; it should reflect institutional accountability and a commitment to justice. I’ve lived these values, often in spite of the system — and I believe UM-Flint can more fully embody them by listening to voices like mine and investing in practices that trul
• I did not remember the vision but I could make an educated guess.
• n/a
• See my previous statement on missions.
• Once again, it seems a bit wordy.

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Note: Responses have been organized thematically and appear exactly as submitted.

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