What does it mean to be a Wolf?

Mission statements-everybody's got them: companies, businesses, religious organizations, departments. Supposedly they exist in an effort to funnel the goal of the organization into a few lines of text, to sum up concisely and as eloquently as possible what exactly it is that group is seeking to do. These paragraphs come pre-packaged, goals wrapped in long stanzas about world peace and international prosperity and topped with sparkly bows meant to attract customers: a façade of good will tied off with charitable intentions. Of course, the real driver behind almost every business ("to make money") is almost never included in the all-powerful statement. I mean, that would just be too obvious, right? But let's assume for a moment that the present held out to the world is really what the company promotes-that those two sentences crafted by a marketing team actually do reflect the people behind the jargon. What do those words look like unwrapped, fancy packaging laid aside in favor of the box's contents? As a starting point in my research, I decided to break down Western's mission statement. The only problem with that attempt: I couldn't find it. I went to the university Web site, googled a variety of options incorporating "WOU" and "mission statement" and talked about it with different staff members. Nothing. Finally, after asking the head of public relations, I finally found the illusive heading on page three of the downloaded pdf version of the course catalog. A convenient location for something that's supposed to embody the university's core goals.

"Western Oregon University is a comprehensive university that creates personalized learning opportunities, supports the advancement of knowledge for the public good and maximizes individual and professional development. Our environment is open to the exchange of ideas, where discovery, creativity and critical thinking flourish, and students succeed."

I guess I was just surprised I encountered so much difficulty searching for those 46 words. Shouldn't there be a sign heralding this mission-strung across Monmouth Avenue, maybe-and done up as prettily as the annual holiday tree celebration? Well, goals hidden or not, my second inquiry was whether or not the words were true. My experience is, of course, the natural fallback, but it's by no means a comprehensive means of examination. But every analysis has to begin somewhere, so I decided to break down the components: 1. Creates personalized learning opportunities - YES / NO 2. Supports the advancement of knowledge for the public good - YES / NO 3. Maximizes individual and professional development - YES / NO 4. Open to the exchange of ideas - YES / NO 5. Where discovery, creativity and critical thinking flourish - YES / NO 6. Where students succeed - YES / NO Personally, I had to admit that the packaging provided legitimate promises. I've taken several "special studies" courses, seen university-sponsored programs like Alternative Break and classes like Event Planning apply "book learning" to practical solutions, held several on campus jobs, had intriguing conversations with people whose religious and political viewpoints are exactly opposite from my own, walked through art galleries, attended dance shows and music recitals and received, every quarter, that online measuring stick of success. Nonetheless, I don't trust myself as a source, and I'm not content to stop with just one mission statement. A corporation in and of itself, Western is broken up into smaller departments, each of which also operates under a separate statement. Therefore, I'm starting a new experiment, entitled "What does it mean to be a Wolf?" We'll start introducing segments into the Journal, highlighting a specific mission statement each week and comparing it to actual student goals. Do the printed words actually match what's occurring in reality? That is my question. To respond to this editorial, please submit a letter (no longer than 250 words) to editor@westernoregonjournal.net or go online and post a comment on the article (www.westernoregonjournal.net). Also, if you're interested in being part of the new feature, please contact editor@westernoregonjournal.net.