Call to Purpose - Mission-Centered Change at Three Liberal Arts Colleges (Hardcover)

Missions matter. A decade ago, the majority of liberal arts colleges found themselves operating in a perilous environment with declining resources. Many drifted from their traditional missions and began offering programs whose sole purpose was to appeal to prospective students. The result on many campuses was a fragmenting of purpose and a diminishing of institutional life.
The study looks at three institutions - LeMoyne-Owen, Olivet and Tusculem Colleges. The research provides a window into this complex, fascinating and ultimately powerful process. The accounts suggest a clear mission is more than a common goal - it is the formation of a shared belief system with new values and norms that create a richer more meaningful institutional life. Policy makers, institutional leaders, researchers and faculty members will find this book an invaluable resource in understanding cultural change and how mission matters.