Mission, Vision, Values

(The following is a proposed statement prepared in October 2005.)

Mission

Ouachita Baptist University is a Christ-centered learning community.  Embracing the liberal arts tradition, the university prepares men and women for lives of meaningful work, ongoing intellectual and spiritual growth, and thoughtful engagement with the world.

Vision

Ouachita Baptist University aspires to be a university that:

• is built on the example of Jesus Christ, in thought and deed;
• offers a breadth of education that prepares students for personal and vocational responsibilities;
• challenges students to explore, comprehend, and realize their potential;
• nurtures a faculty and staff worthy of their honorable calling;
• fosters a diverse community of mutual respect and trust; and,
• promotes lifelong relationships that encourage purpose and learning.

Values

Our values originate from the core strengths of vision, integrity, and service.

We have a vision to understand the breadth and the depth of God’s created universe, and to recognize and fulfill our roles in that universe.

• We affirm that our faith informs each aspect of life, and we seek to model our lives after the example and teachings of Jesus Christ.
• We affirm that the example of Jesus Christ compels us to seek the highest standards in all endeavors, including our scholarship.  We believe that all truth is God’s truth, and we embrace academic freedom within that all-encompassing context.
• We affirm the centrality of learning and we cherish the interaction between student and teacher.  We believe that learning is most effective with both challenge and encouragement.
• We affirm that a closely-knit, residential community, in which the members give and receive personal attention, cultivates sustained intellectual curiosity and personal development.
• We affirm our relationship with the churches of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, and we honor the involvement of all constituent groups in fulfilling the university’s mission.

We are committed to understanding and practicing integrity.

• We affirm that honesty is central to all human relationships, and we are committed to building a positive environment in which rhetoric and behavior are consistent with one another.
• We affirm that a common vision, collaboration, and shared governance are hallmarks of a university which values human dignity.
• We affirm our acceptance of the responsibility and privilege of stewardship.  We seek to encourage sound decisions for the management of resources and the care of the environment.

We believe that we are called to service.

• We affirm that service to humankind is an outgrowth of our understanding of the life and witness of Jesus Christ.  Following the example of Christ, we offer our minds, hearts, and hands to a needy world.
• We affirm that every individual is uniquely created in the image of God.  We endeavor to create a learning environment that celebrates the diversity of humanity.
• We affirm our obligation to promote global awareness.  Where strife exists, we seek to foster reconciliation and renewal.