Written Words
Writing is important to a diverse group of campus organizations

By Nathaniel Countryman '06

Wartburg College has one.  So does ETK and Wartburg College Dining Services.  They’re not the same, however. And they’re not in the same places.  From course handbooks to Web sites to napkins, they are all located in different places.  So what is this mysterious item these groups have in common?

It is a mission statement. These written words help organizations relate to others and explain their purpose.  They also keep groups focused on their goals.  Besides Wartburg College, ETK, and Dining Services, the groups and organizations Vogel Library, A Knight’s Armor, Student Senate, Students for Peace and Justice, and Tower Agency all have mission statements. Having these mission statements in writing gives these groups a chance to reflect on them daily and make sure they are living up to their goals.

Wartburg College has benefited from putting their mission statement in writing.

“Wartburg College’s mission statement helps guide . . . what and how we teach here at the college,” said Ferol Menzel, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Wartburg College.  “It also guides the decisions that help us plan the future of Wartburg College.”

Menzel said that Wartburg’s mission statement also “helps to distinguish Wartburg from other universities and helps us to communicate to prospective and current students what our goals are.”

Vogel Library’s mission statement was written two years ago, after attending an invitational conference for the 10 schools with the best practices in information literacy.

“We had to come up with two mission statements, one for the library and one for our information literacy program,” said Randall Schroeder, information literacy librarian.  “The mission statements were required in order to attend the conference.”

Now that the library has the mission statements in place, Schroeder said they have helped them “keep focused on their goals.”

“Our mission statement is important to students and people who look at Wartburg College because it lets them know what to expect from Vogel Library,” Schroeder said.

Like the library, Entertainment ToKnight’s mission statement has a short history. ETK’s statement “was formed when the organization was restructured in the spring of 2000,” according to senior Ingrid Prenger, president of ETK.

“Having a mission statement has helped those just joining the organization realize what types of programs we try to bring to campus and has helped us strive to incorporate diverse programs into each academic year,” Prenger said.

The faith-based magazine A Knight’s Armor also thinks it is important to have a written mission statement.

“Having our mission statement in writing has kept us focused on what our mission statement actually is,” said Brian Burrier, editor of A Knight’s Armor.  “It’s also helped to keep us all working for a common goal, and kept us working together on the same purpose.”

Students see the mission statement printed on all the Dining Services napkins almost every day.

“The Dining Service’s mission statement was born 8 to 10 years ago, when we attended a national conference and had to come up with a mission statement,” said Donald Juhl, director of dining services.  “We met in a small session at the convention to brainstorm ideas and come up with a mission statement.”

Juhl said that “having a mission statement has helped show people how their business is important to us, and how Dining Services is committed to a high level of service and products.”

Student Senate also recently decided that it was important to put their mission into writing.  Student Senate came up with its statement earlier this fall in order to stay focused on its goals.

“We gave a copy of the mission statement to every student senator in order to help them visualize and know what our goals are for the year,” said senior Jeremy Reichel, vice president of the student body.  “Having a mission statement helps let all students know what Senate is trying to do and what they can do for him.  It also helps the faculty and administration know what we want to do.”

Students for Peace and Justice also has articulated their mission in writing.  
“Having a mission statement in writing helps show other students what we do and what we’re about in general,” said Nicole Schmidt.  “We try as hard as we can to make awareness where there’s a lack of social justice and peace.”

The Tower Agency has also found a written mission statement useful.  

“By actually putting our mission statement in writing, makes our mission statement more visible and helps people pay attention to it and follow it more,” said Rebecca Andersen, president of the Tower Agency.  “People should be aware of the purpose and goals of each organization.  Mission statements should hold the groups who have them in check and make them more accountable to achieving the goals of their mission statement.”

So from Wartburg College to the Tower Agency, mission statements help groups relate to others and explain what their group does.  The permanence of a formal written statement keeps groups focused on their goals and helps them to achieve those goals.

Nathaniel Countryman '06 is a writing and communication arts major at Wartburg College.