Fall 2019 Feedback and Suggestions: Values
Feedback from online survey, visits and email
What values do you believe define us as a land-grant university embracing and transforming our future as we look to 2025 and beyond?
View feedback from
Fall 2019 survey
| As a land-grant university looking to the future, I believe the most important values for us to embody and teach are collaboration, sustainability, and resilience. If, as the statement says, our aspirations are rooted in service to ensure a prosperous and healthy future for communities at home and across the globe, addressing climate change should be at the top of our list of priorities, and these values are key to being able to do so. K-State is in a unique position to address the challenges we are facing at the community and global level due to climate change. Through interdisciplinary initiatives, the university can play a crucial role in finding solutions. Yes, climate change has become a politicized issue – but it is no longer scientifically questionable, as reports from the IPCC, the Pentagon, and thousands of scientists around the world make clear. The K-State family has the capacity to go beyond the political divides to create solutions that work for local communities and people around the world. I know enrollment and budgeting are pretty stressful for administration at present, but as a student, I am pretty certain that this issue is only going to become more important to young people. Right now, the world is in pretty dire need of champions who understand both the science itself and how to communicate it in every field. More than any private or specialized school, K-State has the capacity to create those champions. The IPCC, the Pentagon, and thousands of the worlds scientists have made it clear that we must act, and I really, really hope that K-State will take a stand. The IPCC, the Pentagon, and thousands of the worlds scientists have made it clear that we must act – so, as the first land-grand university in the nation, as stewards of the land, air, and water, let’s act! And let our example be one for others to follow. |
| The values I hold and want K-State to embody are an appreciation for diversity, inclusion, and equitable resource access and distribution with a primarily focus on the resources of clean air, clean water, healthy food, adequate housing, appropriate medical care, education, work opportunities, and wealth. The reason I suggest these values as appropriate to K-State is that my undesrtanding of history makes me think this list is a modernized version of the mindset that caused the 19th Century leaders to envision the potential of Land Grant Universities as forces for good in our developing country. |
| socially responsible, committed to a sustainable planet for our grandchildren, engaging curiosity, critical thinking, inclusive. |
| I am not sure these are values but I think we are defined by our commitment to an educated and competent citizenry at all levels including credit and credentials to non-credit professional development. Individuals who can communicate clearly, problem-solve, engage in ethical behavior and are sound in their knowledge in their discipline. Our research is driven by and informs not only the discipline and science but the people we serve. We are their source for accurate and current knowledge. We should excel in pedagogy, accessible and empirically based, theoretically driven however it is delivered. We partner with industry but we are not driven by industry. |
| forward thinking but grounded in responsible action |
| Innovation Commitment Responsibility |
| We are a university with strong ethics and integrity that embraces change and new discovery while providing an education and experience that will helps students/learners (of any age and background) succeed so they in turn can help their communities succeed (all forms of communities: city, region, state, country, employer, organizations, etc.) |
| Broad Access, Exceptional ROI for our students, Excellence in research and teaching, Modern cooperative extension that focuses on all areas of need, not just agriculture. |
| The values that define our university commitment and engagement. These values provide the ability to be inclusive from all stand points as it relates to diversity and inclusion by creating opportunities for current staff to grow and excel. |
| professional, successful, sustainable, leadership, trustworthy, openness, and innovative |
| Accessible. Non-elite. |
| Civic Small "d" democracy Access Excellence |
| access, inclusion, real-world problem identification and problem solving, engagement with the community beyond the campus |
| I'm not sure what the term "true champions" means in the Visionary Statement. I do not see the word "access" anywhere in our Vision or Values statements or our Mission. Access is an important aspect of the original land-grant. At K-State, we create new knowledge, and we provide access to excellence for those who might not otherwise have gone to college. I agree with service as a value. I am troubled to not see "faculty" anywhere in our statements about vision or values. If we become too "student-centered" and lose sight of our foundation of faculty, then we will lose (or not be able to attract) the excellent faculty who "get it done." We should also have value statements around our facilities, some of which are much worse than what our students had in high school. It is not uncommon to hear students talking about how some classroom spaces, labs, and equipment are in poor shape. |
| • Honesty • Passion • Respect • Efficiency • Dependability |
| As a premiere land grant university, K-State must commit to educating students for citizenship, for participation in a democracy. A land grant university is not a technical institute, focused solely on content and skills related to particular professions. This means that every major and degree program needs to include meaningful opportunities to engage the arts and humanities. These have a proven ability to help students develop critical and creative thinking and communication skills. |
| I dislike the idea of creating a statement of values. The values that should matter to the institution are clearly embodied through the mission we have chosen, and any values beyond that are likely to become a prescriptive exercise in listing orthodoxies that will either be essentially redundant with things we already say elsewhere or a normative imposition on the differences that exist within a diverse university community. If you want to embrace diversity, then don't tell me what I need to value. |
| student focused, community engagement, futuristic |
| We value people, and preparing them to address challenging issues - personal/individual, regional, global. |
| the importance of education and information for all (extension, research, teaching); training students to think critically and to be prepared for their professional careers, both now and in the future; helping to solve the world's issues through research; diversity and inclusion |
| diversity and more importantly inclusion must be a consideration. Also, modeling behaviors we wish to see promoted elsewhere. As a large institution, for instance, it's shocking that recycling, alternative energy, etc., are so minimally used. How can we claim to be "stewards of the land, air and water" if we hardly steward those resources on campus? |
| Access, rural development, effective and efficient, public, equitable, valid, operational integrity, leading (not bleeding) edge, strategic and data influenced, nimble through partnerships, |
| Values: Enriching people's lives through teaching and applied research |
| Excellence, innovation, Service to the State of Kansas, Alignment with the values of Kansans |
| I believe an inclusion of sustainable practices should be included in our outline for the future. |
| I believe that being Student Centered SHOULD be on one of our values, but we continue to get further and further away from that priority. We espouse that we are student centered but we don't actually put money or thought into things that will benefit our students.The food pantry continues to have to rely on SCTE funding even though they serve more students than most student life programs, and we can't seem to hire more therapist for the Counseling Center. We've had three student deaths this semester and yet we don't acknowledge it- and what's the point of putting UCS in the message to students if there's a three week wait to get in. We are spending so much money on recruiting new students but K-State needs to take a cold hard look at its programs for the current students, because if we can't keep students here, it doesn't matter how great our recruiting is because they'll still leave. |
| Quality Excellence Compassion Encouraging Supportive |
| trustworthy, resilient, adaptable, thoughtful, inquisitive, resourceful, practical We listen and collaborate. We are doers. We expect our employees to be doers. We expect our students to be doers. (I hate that the word doer looks odd but when spoken it makes sense and does reflect our values!) |
| Kansas State University is focused on building a community with sports and academics. |
| Hi, I’d like to specifically mention sustainability in this response. We are a land-grant university, which means we are tied intrinsically to the land. Right now the land underneath and around us is unhealthy because of our everyday habits and systems of transportation. K-State has in my mind either not met their standards or set standards too low in the K-State 2025 Sustainability Strategic Action Plan. I think our values are significantly tied to sustainably inhabiting the land and drawing from the resources around us (see nationally recognized architecture, engineering, and agronomy programs). That’s the ideal goal of those fields, and we should be integrating it fittingly into our mission. |
| -- transformative learning for all of our students -- inclusion -- innovative RSCAD in a variety of fields that improve human life and protect our democratic values and our planet |
| student focused instruction community development civil discourse respect for all persons |
| Focus on bottom-up or grassroots approaches that link university resources and programs to issues/concerns of the people of Kansas. |
| Promoting and protecting health of the public Translation and dissemination of our academic, research, and creative products to benefit the public |
| Providing access to higher education for all who meet the minimum admissions requirements |
| integrity respect justice community curiosity learning responsibility creativity service |
| Educational Access, Inclusion, Research for the Common Good, Creating Responsible Global Citizens |
| Our values should reflect what we embrace: 1) Diversity - our appeal across ethnicities, genders, and the entire state (physical) 2) Engagement - we prepare students to be leaders and active followers, not just by what we teach, but by how we teach it 3) Discovery - research is the bedrock of this value 4) Education 5) Improved Quality of life - our students and communities benefit from K-State's mission |
| The university should value its employees by paying wages that are on par with similar institutions and by reducing the number of temporary, adjunct faculty. It should replace full time faculty lines with full time faculty, even if some of those are TT professor of practice lines rather than research lines. Old, outdated, and decrepit facilities should be maintained/updated/replaced |
| Honesty, responsibility, accountability. Not being afraid to use common sense in fear of being sued. Have fair and just diversity and inclusion goals. It's not fair for a white person to be expelled for acts of racism and a black person not be expelled when they commit a false act of racism upon themselves only to make it look like a white person committed the act. Diversity and inclusion should not be directed only at white Americans when professors with foreign backgrounds only hire grad students from their country of origin and do not hire American students or students with other nationalities. |
| diversity & inclusion, making our research and programming accessible to all, |
| Integrity, responsibility and service to the community and the Nation, research and teaching excellence |
| The pursuit of a breadth of knowledge, honoring many, varied fields of study. Normalizing difference, honoring the rich tapestry of the human race. Creativity, grounded in the arts, as a prolific font of innovation in all pursuits. Striving for excellence with integrity, honesty, and discipline. Making a positive difference, helping those in need. |
| Unbiased source of truthful information. |
| integrity, environmental stewardship, diversity, justice |
| -Honesty -Passion -Service -Commitment -Optimism -Consistency -Resolve -Responsiveness -Humility |
| We need to be seen as strong leaders in Agriculture and Engineering that recruit and retain a diverse population of students. |
| service, collaboration, global perspective |
| demonstrated commitment to those who work at all levels to support the university in its mission even handed accountability of all including duplication of effort, abandonment of key efforts because of changes in personnel etc. consistency in attitude and actions demonstrated commitment to the fact that not all areas can generate $ but are essential for a globally educated citizenry keeping the focus on the values Kansas as a state and KSU as a land grant university offers the U.S. and the world |
| Service, community, transformative education |
| Integrity Accountability Respect Excellence Engagement Student Centered ( to encompass accessible and affordability) Innovation |
| We recognize those that came before the land grant and emphasize accessibility and support to all of our students who join the K-State family. This includes very diverse student populations including international students. |
| We value collaboration and working together to better serve our constituents and stakeholders. We need to better incentivize university-wide collaboration and synergy to attenuate the presumed financial benefit of silo-ing. Collaboration is critical for teaching efficiently, and optimizing research/Extension productivity. Our people and programs have excellent potential, but individual (faculty, unit, college) focus and concern is clouding vision and stifling opportunities — all of us need to work toward our common mission. |
| Strong commitment to research, scholarship, and creative activity. While we may need to do a better job of making sure the residents of Kansas, surrounding states, and the country as a whole understand what we do and why it is important, we shouldn't undersell the significance of our work--in all areas of the University, not only STEM. |
| The College of Arts and Sciences has recently set up an ad hoc committee to provide input for the K-State 2025 Refresh Strategic Initiatives. ... Recommendation 1. Explicitly include Basic Research and Scholarly Activities in Refresh Statements and Descriptions The infrastructure of modern civilization and our understanding of the natural world originate directly from basic, curiosity-driven, research. Modern medicine, engineering, and agriculture; computers; smart devices; energy systems, and more have been made possible as a result of the curiosity of researchers seeking answers to the basic workings of nature. Kansas State University will continue to be a leader in basic, fundamental research and address future human demands and effects, both known and unknown, on our planet. Training of our undergraduate and graduate researchers will lead to significant contributions by our students to the nation’s science and technology enterprises. Recommendation 2. Explicitly include Data Analytics independently or as a part of the Cyber Land Grant initiative Data analytics has become key to progress in the modern world, underlying new advances in science, societal relationships, business, and agriculture. Further advances require new computer languages; new methods for transmitting, storing, and analyzing terabytes of data; new mathematics for describing large data sets; new ways of visualizing of data structures; and new methods for detecting, evaluating, and correcting algorithmic biases. The efficient, ethical, and socially just development of data analytics depends on integrative research, scholarship, creative activity, and discovery in STEM, social science, humanities, and the arts. K-State will become a leader in harnessing this 21st century tool by building on our existing strengths in these areas. Recommendation 3. Add a new item titled “Resiliency” in the list of K-State 2025 Refresh Strategic Initiatives Resilience is the ability of people and systems to comeback from unexpected and sometimes unpredictable events such as extreme weather episodes, environmental disasters, pandemics, economic depressions, social and political upheavals, power and telecommunication system failures and personal tragedies. Kansas State University’s faculty and students will model, develop, and strengthen individual and communal responses to these increasingly common occurrences. Examples of ongoing interdisciplinary research at K-State include the creation of stronger networks in rural communities for the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders, the creation of more comprehensive ecological models to understand how disturbances in grasslands can be managed, and the development of mathematical models that allow national electric grids to adapt quickly to local or regional outages. Interdisciplinary teams will address current resilience challenges on multiple levels and help to identify and create cultural, societal and physical infrastructure frameworks to quickly address the above and other unexpected and unpredictable changes as they arise. As once reliable patterns of human and non-human interactions evolve and change, Kansas State’s commitment to resilience-based thinking will lead our region’s efforts to provide for the well-being of all in the twenty-first century. |
| K-State has always been a friendly campus. People will say "hi" to strangers they do not know. That doesn't happen everywhere and does not happen at KU. |
| value and foster diverse perspectives |
| Students first prepared for the future |
| I'm going to provide what should define us, not what actually does because what I'll list is not what we are, unfortunately: - collaborative - committed to life-long learning - committed to rewarding people for their labor - committed to honoring and developing the whole person, not just the intellectual dimension - committed to work/life balance - committed to listening to diverse voices |
| A commitment to equity, inclusion, intellectual innovation |
| Cultural diversity -- not simply diversity of perspectives and diversity of ideas, but diversity of embodied positionalities and lived experiences. We should be fostering an environment that's welcoming to people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, people with diverse gender identities and expressions, people of diverse sexualities, people with diverse physical and mental abilities, and people from diverse religious and areligious backgrounds. Intellectual Engagement -- research and creative activity takes many forms, including what many outside of the university often expect (scientific research) to the kinds of qualitative and quantitative research and scholarly activity done more often in the humanities. If we think of research and scholarly activity more broadly as intellectual engagement, we might be more apt to think of it more broadly, as the activities that lead both students and teachers to all kinds of new knowledge and new frameworks for thinking. Community Resiliency -- As a land-grant university, one of our values should be to help the communities of Kansas stay salient and whole during what is a trying political and economic moment. But given the university budget concerns, we might also need to turn this toward ourselves: how do we help each other, quite simply, stay committed to our educational goals? How do we keep the best faculty here? How do we attract and retain the best and most committed students? How do we all keep showing up while resources continue to be cut? |
| The goal of serving people through the extension efforts. And being student-focused. |
| Serve the needs of people of Kansas, nation, and globe. Provide research, teaching, and extension on sustainable food, fiber, and livestock production. |
| Innovative - seeking to solve complex problems and create new knowledge. Student-centered - education that values students and prepares them for the future. Engagement - communicate our innovative research to local and global communities. Integrity - executing our vision with integrity (not beholden to special interests and performing teaching, research, extension, and athletics with moral uprightness) Inclusive Family - valuing diversity and making everyone feel welcome. Inclusive of students, faculty, and alumni. |
| Diversity and inclusion, but also as a land grant school in a time of environmental crisis, I believe a values statement about the environment is fitting. |
| excellent teaching and student success, wide-ranging research, and service to our students, their families, the state, and the nation |
| Diversity of faculty and student body; commitment to holistic (liberal arts; STEM + Humanities) education; commitment to affordable education for all; commitment to creating a well-rounded and informed citizenry. |
| Hard work and solid research |
| Being inclusive of all differences. |
| Discovery and curiosity Powerful relationships and trust Food security collaboration to foster synergy a global mindset Asking powerful questions meaningful service to others |
| I believe we should always look to the future but also hold true to our beginnings and not embrace every cultural change, as they may not be the best thing for what we believe and strive to do. |
| 1. Honesty, openness, integrity in our dealings with others 2. Respect for all individuals — students, faculty, staff. Recognition of the needs of others regardless of rank, position or influence. Fair and adequate compensation for graduate students and staff. We must provide a safe and positive working environment to give people a chance to thrive and contribute. Equal opportunity for advancement of qualified individuals and competent management whose actions are just and ethical. 3. We must be good citizens in the communities in which we live and work. Improve the lives of those we serve, in Kansas, the nation and the world. Encourage a broad world view that will enable those we serve to succeed in the global economy. 4. Disseminate practical knowledge to stimulate innovation and economic development via non credit offerings and access to events and educational programming on campus and across the state. |
| We value integrity, honesty, civil-discourse, innovative thinking and action, accountability, inclusion, and transparency. |
| Student centered Service focused |
| Integrity Impact Engagement Diversity Innovation Excellence |
| Diversity and inclusiveness Committed to Kansas communities and populations |
| 1. High quality undergraduate and graduate education. 2. Dedication to competitive research at both the fundamental level and at a level that provides direct benefit to the citizens of Kansas. 3. Diverse environment where there is academic freedom and where free speech is championed. |
| students an educated public |
| Service, applied science, commitment to the well-being of communities, inclusive environments, adaptive and innovative leadership |
| Providing a rigorous and affordable education for all citizens Provide leadership in both information generation and dissemination to citizens Uphold the academic freedom and integrity of the institution |
| KSU leadership needs to think seriously how we can have an impact as a small university in a small state. KSU has had a impact, but only when it focuses on research & development that serves society (not serving the KSU community). These words from the statement resonate with me and I believe reflect the KSU mission: "Through research, creative, and scholarly activities, we ... solve problems for tomorrow" "prosperous and healthy future ... home and across the globe" "stewards of the land, air and water, we.. commit to protecting the future" |
| Integrity, adaptive management, justice, diversity |
| Engaged, inclusive, meritocratic |
| Research needs to be in the mission. |
| unity in diversity service to all, service by all unlocking the Creative potential of all members of society |
| Access to education, outreach, community service and research. |
| The proposed visionary statement is pretty vague. It could be adopted by an NGO, a Think Tank, a local political party platform, etc. without changing content/wording, and no one would notice that it was originally written for a university. I think more focus should be on education in concrete rather than vague terms. Two other specific points: 1) "premier" may be more honest advertising than "top-50", but anyone thinking about the text won't be able to offer a definition of "premier." 2) "expectations our labors" sounds like it was written for a Soviet factory or some such institution. Ditto for some of the other language. Why not something more concrete and education-focused: e.g. produce new scientific knowledge, providing students with intellectual skills, increasing diversity of all kinds--nationality, religion, gender identity, race--in order to prepare students for the world and workplaces they will live in. |
| I am dismayed at the narrowness of the strategic areas of focus! They are all worthy endeavors, but they exclude major strengths of our university. The Konza Prairie Research Station is one of the very few original LTER sites to continually receive NSF funding--none of these initiatives would include the tremendous world-wide importance of this presence. Community engagement and civic discourse are obvious, critical needs for the nation--indeed, the world!--at this time; none of these strategic initiatives would include that important work. Additionally, I recommend revisiting the mission statement. While it may have been strategically worded at the time of the great economic downturn, it sounds too much as though the mission is to provide a product rather than to educate individuals. I believe this is not in keeping with our K-State Family values. I recommend: The mission of Kansas State University is to foster excellent teaching, research, and service that develop a highly skilled and educated individuals, ready to advance the well-being of Kansas, the nation, the international community, as well as themselves and their families. I also recommend revising the visionary statement. For the second sentence: We harness the power of innovative learning, discovery and engagement to impact their communities and the world. [cut "transform talented people into true champions"--we are not a boot camp, and our students are not in competition with one another, trying for a trophy at a championship. |
| Continuing to connect the research conducted at the university and extending it from the university to Kansans and globally via the extension and outreach programs, the classroom, while enhancing student experiences by letting them be a part of this process. |
| As a Land Grant institution, and assessing the current requirements for successful placement of graduates into the work force; KSU should maintain an emphasis and focus on underlying proficiency in core STEM subjects across all disciplines, while providing a well balance base across all subject areas as traditionally achieved in liberal education. |
| public access to higher education (for students) as well as access to research products (for everyone!) |
| Outstanding teaching, internationally renowned research and publication. |
| xxxxx |
| Commitment to education through teaching, to development and advance of KS and the country through research, and to the community through outreach Foster and embrace diversity, inclusion and equity Respect for individual abilities and development of unique talents |
| democracy, citizenship, community, engagement |
| A central feature is the discovery, creation, and dissemination of new knowledge through research and teaching, including impotant work in those areas in the humanities and arts. |
| I do not know what you mean by "stewards of the land, air and water" and why this is included in the statement. It immediately seems to limit the scope to those interested in questions of natural science and conservation. |
| We value the integration of the arts and humanities as a pillar of all undergraduate education, to strengthen skills in critical thinking, complex civic discourse, and empathy. |
| community centered, caring. |
| Highly accessible, democratic; we are open to all types of students, faculty, and staff; diversity; we are hoping to find ways to challenge students in both the sciences, highly "applicable" majors and pursuits, as well as the humanities and cultural-social analysis. |
| leading research student centered education |
| Our research output is the central way to move forward. Enrollment at best will stay even or increase slightly, state support will not increase, so growing research and other sources of private support will become ever more important. |
| Commitment to student learning and development, commitment to making substantive contributions to knowledge through research, commitment to outcomes that improve the State's economy, beauty, and citizens. |
| We should value cutting-edge research across disciplines. We should value interdisciplinary collaborations in research to solve world issues. We should value community-engaged scholarship and research. |
| Inquisitiveness Significance Diversity |
| "Champions?" What is this? KState is not an athletics team or program. Please consider taking this word out!! It sounds cheesy and immature. And not just a little bit fake. Other words to consider: Luminaries, Pacesetters, Trailblazers, Authorities. Our mission is to bring the research of the University to the People. We also inspire those outside our boundaries to be life long learners and responsible citizens as defined by President Thomas Jefferson and others. |
| the proposed vision is fine, except for the sentence that says we transform people into "true champions." What the heck is that supposed to mean? Are you writing to your football fans here? |
| When I read the article in K-State Today on the four areas of strategic focus for KSU (global food, health and biosecurity; aviation; the cyber land-grant university; innovation in education), it seemed to be rather full of "buzz words", but it mention shockingly little about our outstanding research in natural sciences. Are we giving up on wanting to do excellent research in sciences (see also my comment further below)? |
| We train the specialized workforce in Engineering, all things Aggie, and Vet Med needed for the state and elsewhere. We have strength in these areas and need to built on it expanding it. Beyond that, we train scientists, artists, educators, finance and banking people. We have substantial numbers of pre-med, pre-dental students, and train in mental health care. ETC. We need to continue providing haighly trained human resources and these fields (and those I might be forgetting). |
| Student-centered, make student and staff wellness central in all policy and decision making. |
| Don't lose focus on agriculture and rural if to continue to meet land-grant mission. |
| service, passion for public service, diversity |
| We serve all Kansans, and our service extends to all of America and the World beyond. |
| A land grant univ. is not simply a holder and disseminator of knowledge. Outstanding RSCAD plays a critical role in this mission. We must be dedicated to research and other creative activities so that we can excel in our role as an outstanding land grant university. |
| Values underwrite preferences, and those are revealed in choices; the choices I would make are these. I would have us, as a university, choose to offer students a liberal education, exposing them to formal disciplines, to natural and social sciences, to humanities, and to the arts. I would have us, a premier institution producing champions, inculcate in all our students the knowledge and skills required for superior performance in and out of academia; this must necessarily include not only written and oral expression, but at least elementary instruction in good inference. I would have us, as a visionary institution that takes seriously stewardship, require explicit training in ethics, social justice, and the effects of policy on human well-being. Because the contexts in which this education will be employed will vary over time and space, and in respect of stakeholders and the values they hold, such training must consider how to reconcile the varied values of a diverse population, and how to think through novel problems with moral dimensions. |
| Creativity, Integrity, Innovation, Agility, Drive, focus on the student, Transformational, ahead of the curve, and be the model university |
| responsive to the public and the taxpayer assist students in getting a job in their field |
| Educate students to appreciate the arts and provide other educational activities to help them achieve short rang and long term goals. |
| Integrity, Excellence, Service, |
| K-State actively demonstrates a firm commitment to understanding and supporting human diversity. Research is important to the university, and it's pursued with the value of student learning firmly in place, for example, research derived from student inquiry and exploration is the core of K-State's research. Each school and each department embarks on projects and challenges within their respective fields, and K-State deeply encourages and values inter- departmental, cross-discipline work. K-State recognizes the significance of history and heritage, show by Landon Lectures, guest speakers, and available documentation. |
| The proposed visionary statement says it well "We harness the power of innovative learning, discovery and engagement to transform talented people into true champions. We prepare each generation to advance society and enrich the world for those who follow. Through research, creative, and scholarly activities, we address the questions of today and solve problems for tomorrow." Unfortunately, the budget "moderization" does not take into account anything but teaching, which is not compatible with our vision. |
| Unbiased and apolitical positioning on all issues; Freedom to express views in a civil manner, without fear of repercussions from university, state and/or federal administrations. |
Visits Feedback and Suggestions
Agriculture and KSRE
| Service communities, build trust | Diversity | Adaptability |
| Inclusive (diversity and inclusion) | Accessible/affordable | Relevant to community needs or demands (locally and globally) |
| Prepare students to be global thinkers | Research based | Service |
| Student-centered/focused | High quality | Demonstrate public value (locally and globally) |
| “Excellence” as opposed to mediocrity, i.e., avoid mediocrity | Student-centered | Forward thinking |
| Embracing innovation and customer focused | Transparent | Critical thinking about grand challenges |
| Land grant tradition of access | Service oriented | Applied research – highlighting/promoting |
| We develop “talent” | Strategic | Helping communities facilitate change |
| More “problem focused” rather than elitist | Growth | Relational; relationships |
| Strategic focused – willingness to disinvest to focus on areas of excellence | Relevance – tied to industry | Land grant mission – accessibility and three mission areas |
| Accessible and open to all | Nimble/willing to quite some things | Community service and engagement |
| Be true to our land grant heritage of food and agriculture | Make a difference | Dedication to the social good |
| Align with the values of the constituents in our state | Global | Food security |
| High quality undergraduate and graduate education | Innovative | Value discovery |
| Accessibility – open admission policies | Collaborative | Discovery, learning, and engagement |
| In-tune with (focused on) the needs of the state and its citizens | Efficient | Push the envelope and bring out new ideas and ideals |
| Knowledge and learning | Integrity | Challenge the status quo |
| Engagement | Experiential learning | Inquiry and discovery is not always solely focused on monetized discovery |
| People | Advancing the state through science and education | Promote meaningful opportunities to contribute to society |
| Caring, empathy, and concern | Engagement and service with citizens through Extension | Diversity and inclusion |
| Collaboration | Opportunity for affordable access to high-quality education for people of all backgrounds – open door to better livelihoods and careers | Collaboration – working with others and not just what’s best for you |
| Accessibility – personal | Openness to and emphasis on scientific inquiry, integrity, and academic freedom | Knowledge – education, extension, outreach, online |
| Inclusiveness – openness, freedom of speech and thought | Preparing engaged and educated citizens prepared to cooperate and make informed decisions | Service – accessibility, collaboration, engagement, opportunities, affordability, etc. |
| Transparency | Being accessible to the diverse public that we serve | Understanding – Discovery, research, inquiry, learning, experiential learning, etc. |
| Service | Embrace innovation in teaching, research, and extension | Ingenuity and innovation. Our alumni and friends are ordinary people who have built thriving communities and businesses with access to the knowledge and information from this and other land-grant universities. I hope we continue to focus on experiential learning experiences that benefit both teachers and students. |
| Adaptive – being nimble | Demonstrate and promote altruism | Respect and support for the builders, workers, teachers and other doers who make the world a better place. Emphasize educational programs to help them succeed. |
| Engagement | Accessible to all students and state stakeholders |
Architecture, Planning and Design
| Community as a natural resource – diversity/plurality = richness; social equity and justice are paramount; interconnectivity must be enhanced and leveraged | Intentionally designed teams | Broad definition of community – urban/rural |
| Engagement with our fellow citizens – primary experiential learning/scholarship/research; travel to broaden KSU perspectives; increasing access of citizens to KSU educational opportunities; keeping economic viability and opportunities in mind; modernizing ways we transfer info to the people | Environmental stewardship | Kansas and beyond and far beyond |
| Tactile learning – making as a part of the process and an end in and of itself; applied academic pursuits | Service to the world, to communities, to students | Preparing citizens for participation in democratic communities and process – “active participants” (original land grant) |
| Environmental stewardship | Applied research to enhance lives and help others learn | Access – keeping education accessible $$ |
| Aesthetic delight | To pay back and pay forward what we’ve been afforded – good stewards of resources | The three pillars of teaching, service, and outreach and RSCAD – should be equally valued |
| Educating and collaborating with the broader communities, locally, regionally, nationally, and globally | Be a model to other universities and institutions – lead by example | “Stewards of land, air, water” |
| Develop opportunities in transdisciplinary collaborations with students, faculty for the betterment of the community | Engagement with communities |
Arts and Sciences
| Embracing and transforming our future | Hire more fundraisers dedicated to student retention and affordability and to retaining hiring a diverse faculty (Athletics has seen full-time fundraisers) | Teaching people how to be resilient – people, communities, etc. |
| Accessibility and success for all, inclusivity, diversity | We are a community of scholars who value research, scholarship, creative activity, and diversity; we also value disseminating this knowledge to Kansas and beyond | Sustainable education that builds itself and grows upon itself where it is and where it’s from. |
| Creation of new knowledge and sharing new knowledge | We value the other part of the Morrill act “to provide a liberal and practical education to the “industrial class (or the common person)” | Normalizing difference (inclusiveness) |
| Preparing students for global, international world – to have a global impact | We greatly value diversity, both among the education and the recipients of the education | Sustainability (problematic when KOCH industries prominently displayed in some K-State advertising) |
| Foster evidence-based thinking, analysis, and decision making, logical thinking | We focus on the people, on human experience, and that’s foundational to every aspect of education | Resilience (individual, community, societal, global) |
| Foster integrity, character, empathy, civility – “recognition of the perspectives of others” | Teaching students how to live; put the human experience at the center; we help humans to flourish | Student-centered learning and engagement |
| Humanities and arts provide core values of living and thinking and ethical decision-making for biosecurity, aviation, education innovation | Student empowerment | Engagement: university and community, a university for others (beyond town and gown), community service, how to encourage engagement across disciplines, better setup for interdisciplinary programs – NRES $8500 provost (should be supported), environmental sciences degree (A&S, Ag), as opposed to BPH (no collaboration) |
| How do we become global citizens without an awareness of all of these: theatre, art & dance, music, communications, English, history, philosophy, modern languages, political science, anthropology, sociology, psychology, American ethnic studies, gender women and sexuality studies | A rhetorical approach to communication – ethical, diverse communicative practices | Support for individual and relational and societal growth (how to become good members of society), regardless of major; also self care for faculty/staff – short staffing creating very high stress levels |
| Without awareness of language, history, meaning-making, and thinking laterally and holistically, we fail our students and the land-grant mission | A liberal arts education that reflects humanities’ knowledge, that puts the human experience at the center | Intellectual understanding (cultural engagement) |
| The people who work and live in Kansas, serve first generation, but include beyond the borders of Kansas | Solving global problems | Quality comprehensive education; appropriate number of faculty who are leaders in their disciplinary specialties; facilities that safely and appropriately support faculty, students, and the discipline |
| Bringing stakeholder groups into the global world | Access to education, broadly reaching out to underrepresented communities and student populations, providing financial support | Research to meet the needs and improve the quality of life of the people of Kansas and beyond |
| Bringing high level of broad scholarship to join traditional land-grant | Social justice | Educational and research missions are fundamentally intertwined and investment leads to the benefit of the other |
| Preparing individuals for lives of adaptability, change, interaction with global world | Diversity | Human health, diversity, collaborative learning, human side – arts and humanities not as vessels for “real knowledge and production” |
| Offering economic development opportunity through breadth of education and quality of education | Self-awareness and self-evaluation, self-reflective practice | Diversity, resilience, sustainable, diversity, transformative, change, development, humanities/liberal arts sciences |
| Offering technical and intellectual hotspots through high quality research and collaboration | The larger contexts on which larger social issues, problems, and solutions exist | Human side, soft skills, leadership |
| Appreciating and advancing the traditional stakeholder expectations while meshing with high quality, cutting edge research | An ability to analyze one’s own perspective and the ability to understand multiple perspectives | Not the handmaidens, but translators, vessels of “real” knowledge and its production |
| Access and affordability and retention | Public outreach | We value things that are not clearly visible in these four-strategic initiatives |
| A diverse university | Communication across, within, and between communities, especially (but not solely) across difference | Innovation in education is so broad |
| Curricular diversity, that we teach about the different ethnic/racial groups | A democracy depends on an informed citizenry; we help people more fully participate within the communities, with diverse knowledge, respect, also ethical understanding | Less “poaching” more real collaboration bridge building |
| Student body diversity reflect the demographics of Kansas | Critical thinking and information literacy; we have to be the place where we teach the differences between what’s true/valid/supported by science and research and what’s not | Human Health, environment |
| Expand ties to community sectors, beyond Ag and 4H and use extension centers to offer and foster a greater variety of extension activities to the public | How to access, engage and value multiple perspectives – that’s what humanities is so good at (open-mindedness) | |
| Faculty diversity – hire and retain faculty of color and women | Creativity and problem-solving; empowering people to make lasting change; a flexibility of mind and thinking; an ability to solve global problems with diverse thinking |
Business Administration
| People-centered | Inclusive and caring – accessibility, preparing students for success globally | High value/return for investment |
| Known doing more with less | Excellence – high quality and impact, contributing to knowledge through research | We offer students transformative opportunities |
| Innovative | Accessibility while creating challenging learning environment | Provide foundational ethics |
| Family | Establishing a growth mindset with a nurturing environment | Fostering opportunities for engagement |
| How do we articulate the change impact we have on students – we provide a bigger transformative experience for our students than other institutions (e.g., Yale, etc.)? | Knowledge generation – the goal of industry impact and moving the understanding science forward | Need to embrace a culture of change |
| Showing more commitment to employees | Serve as a nurturing environment for all stakeholders, which includes outreach to corporate engagement | Welcoming |
| Emphasis on innovation | Provide diverse and cultural experiences | Open to all |
| Accessibility to potential students | Education local population, broadening if possible | Accessible |
| Autonomy at the unit level | Accessibility and affordability | Innovation, advancements in technology |
| Allow experimentation | Access to high quality education | Revolutionizing |
| Let people who have the passion and experience to express it | How do we provide access and ensure quality | Connections to communities – Kansas (rural and urban), global |
| Community-focused (not geographically limited) – serving the public well-being, sustainability | Inclusivity | Family, welcoming, student-centric, interconnected, inclusive |
| Offering access to higher education – provide support to students that lack resources through innovative education, offer transformative experience and guidance | Student happiness and satisfaction | Expanding opportunities for growth including international opportunities and being a global citizen |
Education
| Internationalization from original plan – don’t want to lose it, seems relevant throughout | Embrace technology | Service |
| Access and serving the state; affordable for all Kansans | Adjust pedagogy to meet changing demands (21st century) | Community |
| Service to the state and being relevant to our own communities, research should be relevant to our citizens; community includes both Kansas and Global | Diversity/inclusion – expanding access | Servant Leadership |
| Innovation and forward thinking, partnerships and collaboration | Service to our community (local, state, national, and global); service to different sectors as well (alumni, different constituencies, etc.) | Innovation |
| A commitment to quality while growing | A commitment to adaptation and evolution of the land-grant mission | Scholarship |
| Excellence in teaching, service, and research | Critically reflecting on the histories of our institutions in honest ways, and allowing those histories to influence our adaptations and evolution moving forward | Sharing the beauty of Kansas – leads to global awareness, global recruitment, global citizenship |
| Reaching all students | The promotion and support of a variety of research efforts at all levels of the institution for the purpose of improving people’s lives | Transformative |
| Accessibility in education | We value relationships and value collaboration and cooperation with all stakeholders in a borderless digital world | Place conscious (not place bound) |
| Affordability – also about accessibility | Ed-Cats – student-centered; connecting communities | Adaptable |
| Ensuring we are improving the quality of life for all Kansans | Value driven university in every sense of the word | Advocacy |
| Collaboration with university and community stakeholders | Product driven – meet needs of community (outcome) | The College of Education expresses naturally a spirit/passion for doing what we do for other’s success – we are more concerned with them (before ourselves) |
| Transforming future suggests need for innovation | Relevant to current need(s) – timely; in the moment | Providing access – we work hard to reach out beyond our local community |
| Striving for excellence in research | Service driven – why we do what we do | Partnerships are of paramount importance; we ask, “What can we accomplish together?” |
| As agriculture moves more towards use of technology, need to be training future workforce to keep up with this innovation and changing needs | Leadership – paving the way | Borderless thinking/philosophy – we are concerned with working internationally |
| Can’t be siloed, need to model behavior students need to have; requires strong ties to community | Innovation KSU has – successful | We understand that success is linked to access, partnership, and collaborative thinking |
| Integrated collaboration with all stakeholders | Built for You – Wherever you are | We believe we lead the University in support of our students to meet them where they are and provide a growth vehicle for them to reach their future aspirations |
| Looking for pieces needed and then innovatively finding what we need to accommodate | Get to frame future | Student-centric focus – we are people concerned with improving the lives of Kansans and beyond |
| Quality education | Impact all areas in state – networking/partnerships | Impact on community and engagement with community – sharing research and innovation with community and abroad; research we do should inform and be informed by community |
| Community outreach | Begin with Kindergarten talking about K-State (don’t wait until older) | Leader in research and innovation – need to constantly broaden reach/those who are benefiting from research |
| Adjusts/adapts to the needs of the community | History of K-State with land-grant | Innovation |
| Accessibility of educational opportunities | Accessibility | Evaluate the impact our university’s research and education is having on stakeholders/communities |
| Affordability | Access beyond traditional means, to ensure it is personal |
Engineering
| Access – wide-range of opportunities for a wide-range of learners that are open for anyone; make early courses affordable | Expanding computing education to diverse population inside and outside K-State, including non-traditional students | Do more with less attitude – efficient use of resources with students as a top priority |
| Challenge and support – provide clear and high expectations but then also provide the support to achieve regardless of background; we are not a sink-or-swim school – create introspective learner that understand themselves and adapt | Student-centered is important, but we should look at helping faculty and staff realize their potential; help State of Kansas be successful, etc. | Creativity and innovation |
| Outreach – communicating the value of the university both teaching and research; knowledge is transferred to the community through human capital, technology, social services, and arts; mission focused outreach – we serve the state of Kansas | Aren’t we already a premiere, student-centered university? How do you define student-centered? How do you measure? | Competitive/large value in our students’ education |
| Discovery – we should be on the leading edge on creating new tools and technology; Kansas State should embrace the cyber land-grant idea to enable discovery for everyone (in Kansas and the world) regardless of status or location | Improvement of society | Available to all or large group of people (access) |
| The visionary goal should be to advance our standing as a premiere student-centered (we already are); we should also be people-centered, not just student-centered | Impact on the world | Valuing the students and the faculty |
| Access – constraints being put on rural school districts/graduates/students | Important that we are accessible | Show the value of scholars teaching students |
| Ensuring economic prosperity – education of and training of students to respond to market needs | Value all people and prioritize quality of life | Affordability |
| Innovation – to transform the future | Welcoming and “family” atmosphere | Accessibility – welcoming to all students of different educational backgrounds |
| Student-centered | Accessibility – to students and sharing of our expertise and knowledge set | Connection to community |
| Nurturing skills for student advising | Midwest work ethic (in students, faculty, and staff) | Commitment to providing quality education through exceptional teaching |
| Innovation in education | Nurture development for all that enter – students, faculty, and staff | Undergraduate access to research lab opportunities – we are a Research 1 university, this needs to be emphasized more in recruitment materials |
| Creating opportunities for students (not just teaching) | Meet the needs of Kansas – all components (knowledge/research/extension/communication the information effectively) | We need to do a better job telling students what are the next steps in research |
| Technology transfer, both in education and research |
Graduate School/Office of Vice President for Research
| Food Systems – systematic capabilities in advancement of acceptable, healthful, and sustainable food production | Good stewardship of environment, financial resources | Providing equitable access to education and research |
| Provision of accessible, affordable, quality education – for everyone; service – an understanding of how to apply, applied practicality | Work ethic | Maintaining a growth-oriented mindset, ensuring we serve future needs via our research and education |
| Diversity | Merit based | Ensure a holistic approach, developing the whole person/community/student/family |
| Inclusiveness | Research, teaching, service, outreach, extension | Use basic and applied research to communicate our discoveries and their applications |
| Funds for better facilities/buildings – update (example: entomology facilities) | Workforce development | Maintaining an interdisciplinary mindset |
| Buildings more appealing | Food production and sustainability security | Promoting strong work ethic and hirability of graduates |
| Service to the community | Ethics | Interaction with the public: Research and Extension; Communication is the value |
| Promoting future/other companies/business | Anticipating future demands by valuing creative and innovative approaches to meet those needs | Research and Extension: Community we serve; sense of community |
| Increasing access to diverse populations: underserved, nontraditional | Inclusion and Diversity | Education: Education leaders in “nexus” |
| Affordability: making scholarships available to more students (especially as tuition/fees increase) | Trust and Accountability | Education: Transforming education; sense of community is a value |
| Engagement: with citizens across the state; ensure our students use their education to lead local, national, and international efforts to make the world a better place | Transparency | Jobs relating to community need - skills for the community |
| Return on Investment for students and taxpayers | Teamwork and Determination | Access to educate (traditional higher education, non-traditional) |
| A commitment to quality programs and responsive to both a rapidly changing world and the aspirations of an increasingly diverse society | Passion | Service, talent, diverse, accessibility, passionate, respectful |
| A spirit of innovation in connection with economic prosperity and security to build upon the foundations for innovation at K-State; review IEP designation submission | Providing affordable high quality education for the students of Kansas, scholarships | Sharing and disseminating information |
| Education students to innovate in order to build Kansas prosperity; continue on in a 21st century here in Kansas and globally | Educating non-K-State students/others throughout the state on education and research outcomes developed here, deliver to the masses | Relying more on technology |
| Community Service – Partnering with industry/technology/ag | Helping to reinforce the value of importance of Higher Ed | More inclusive – population, diversity |
| Excellence in teaching and research – high standards | Helping to deliver economic opportunities to grow the state economy through educating business leaders and developing new technologies that meet global needs | Expand programs – not just four year programs, certificates; more options, quicker, needs of industry |
| Ethical/honesty | Commitment to quality education | Research – DOD, military |
Health and Human Sciences
| Accessibility – people can pursue their education without breaking the bank | Going beyond the awarding of degrees | Pursue meaningful research that impacts lives |
| Research – directly impacts Kansans and beyond | The human resource potential for the graduates | Benefit people/communities through high quality, impactful clinical practice and service |
| Innovation and responding to changing environments and needs | Accountability to resources from the community | Recruit and retain high quality professionals (faculty, staff) |
| Consideration of past and future of our state | Do professional development properly – “one stop shop” | Value community |
| Engagement and outreach | Innovation of new ideas, programs, contemporary practices and knowledge | Value diversity, inclusion, plurality |
| Empathy – appreciating and valuing others’ experiences | Evaluation of trends in higher education – keeping a pulse on the evolution of higher ed practices | Value student success |
| Innovation – be forward-thinking and open to new ideas (adaptability) | Focusing on blending research and education – providing continuing education and professional development for improving faculty capacity for delivery information; IT; teaching | Community of scholars – deliberative |
| Inclusive – accessible | Aspirational values: empowering all people through education | Accessibility for all |
| Emphasis on the greater good (of students, communities, etc.) | Actual values: Staying relevant to the needs of society through innovation and a focus on quality; discovery and dissemination to improve the lives of people/communities | Applied and practical approach |
| Sustainability | Diversity and inclusion | Holistic education: creating citizens to better humanity/community |
| Collaborative | Engagement and outreach – science communication | Value all students and are willing to work with them to achieve their goals and be relevant to addressing the needs of our state |
| Forward-thinking | Research-focused | Community and connection on campus and across the state; connecting knowledge to application in real world settings |
| Innovate | Ability to solve society’s complex problems | Innovation – and our own college has been doing this since 1873 |
| Welcoming | Provide every individual with the opportunity to get an education | Innovation and dissemination |
| Community focus | Unwavering commitment to accessibility, but not the low-cost option – excellent ROI | Research into practice and practice into research; quality, evidence based, desire to lead |
| Openness | Commitment to a culture of creating innovative programming to meet students’ interests and demands | Generosity with time, talent, and “treasure” |
| Inclusive | Provide academic offerings in a financially sustainable model | Undergraduate education |
| Access | Education and outreach across the lifespan | Transformational undergraduate students |
| Connection | Health and well-being of our students | Value the success of our students and the goals they have set for themselves – value all students willing to work |
| Committed | Knowledge, info accessible for all | Translate the science to make it applicable to the public and advancing society |
| Belonging | Benefit people of the state in meaningful ways | Committed to preparing citizens for productive careers and contributing to societal well-being |
| Education for all | Respond to the needs of communities we serve (e.g., rural areas) | With the three-fold mission (research, teaching, engagement), we must be committed to addressing the urgent challenge of climate change, researching/developing mitigation plans and helping our students and communities prepare for transformation toward more sustainable systems |
| Growth/perseverance | Prepare students to meet unique demands of today and tomorrow | Spirit of land stewardship |
| Inspiring | Conduct basic and applied research/discovery/science for the demand of people | Quality, access and affordability of education |
| Accountability to the efforts of the university |
K-State Global Campus
| How to balance innovation with tradition? Employees able to voice concerns – are you bringing enough people in for transparency? | Partnering with adults and students for lifelong learning | Access and availability (affordability) |
| Need to make sure someone from Alumni Association is on Innovation initiative to help identity developing alumni relationships | Accuracy | Quality learner experience |
| Alumni – “Welcome back to K-State”; remind them what additional opportunities there are still available for them here. | Timeliness – key in moving forward | Lifelong learning and connections “family” |
| Teaching our communities – engaging them, bringing them the resources they need, adaptability so we can shift quickly to their needs (agility, speed, relevancy) | We exist to serve the citizens of Kansas State University | Innovative |
| Relationships – person to person, engagement | Directly tied to extension – our land grant mission | Entrepreneurial |
| Need to rethink these relationships so that we can become the premier provider of lifelong learning | Farming is still the backbone of Kansas – respect the farm community | Willing to change/grow/improve |
| Offer more than a call to donate | University addressing the issues facing Kansas State University | Transparency |
| We need to make ourselves small to grow bigger | Mental health campaign for rural Kansas – healthy food campaign | Good stewards of constituents’ money and delivering products/services to meet their needs |
| Personal interactions, reach out | Still issues in Internet connectivity in rural areas | Access – affordable education to our citizens (pricing allowing access) |
| Individualized video of acceptance to the program | Affordability | Forward-thinking: anticipating what the future learners will need/want (and needs of Kansas and what can K-State push out globally) |
| Customized view book, take it to the next level | Family | Student-centered: meeting needs of all learners and abilities |
| Value and utilize our network – have them become advocates and mentorship programs | Community | Agility and efficiencies – being good stewards of resources; responsive to needs of citizens, by collaborating to identify needs of citizens (in our offerings) |
| Who are we really serving? What are the “personas” of our students? | Accessibility | Dynamic – not stagnant |
| Recognize our traditions and history while planning for the future | Research – aspire to provide this benefit to online grad students | Focus on innovation and technology and all practices – we need to be on the cutting edge, not trailing, as a forward-thinking institutions |
| Communicating and inclusion of all individuals as part of the K-State community – nontraditional, non-credit as well as traditional | Market/demand driven education, e.g., build your own degree | Hardworking – as employee-working for a University with these standards |
| Outreach to the state and beyond (national and international) | Access – remain accessible to those not at campus | Integrity – university with these standards |
| Taking expertise from our core areas and reaching the world | History/tradition – past achievements, quality | Honesty – honesty |
| Invest in staff and faculty to transform the future | Forward looking – new initiatives, lead change accepting, open, advancing | Transparency – open communication |
| Teach – provide education that provides critical thinking, leadership for a changing workforce | Inclusive – open and encouraging varied viewpoints, welcoming environment | Passion for excellence – opportunity to engage/participate |
| Accessibility for all | Integrity/quality | High quality – collegial, communications |
| Embracing innovation and supporting entrepreneurship | Value – cost-conscious, high quality, meaningful credentials | Results make a difference – appreciation of rural and diverse population |
| Meeting the needs of faculty, staff, students to understand the changing landscape and generational expectations – what do students of today want and how we serve them | Learner – centered | University student focus (services) – recognizing employees |
| Open-minded and accept new ideas | Learner-centered | Stewards with our resources – data influenced decisions |
| Take risks, it’s okay to fail and learn from it | Inclusive/diversity | Innovative – focus on our mission (instead of being someone we are not) |
K-State Libraries
| Foundational values: honor, integrity, respect, dependability, empathy, resilience, work ethic; they provide foundation for: diversity and inclusivity – access for all; transparency; Kansas State University pride and optimistic, positive attitude, behaviors; resilience in the face of challenges; students come first (why we are here); empowering future citizens (civic discourse, democratic values); research focus on real, societal problems; community engagement across a full range of disciplines (arts, humanities, sciences); provide opportunities for students and community to learn from and engage with leaders in whatever field/discipline | Welcome | Producing graduates who contribute to society |
| Teaching, research, and service | Aspire to inclusion – inclusiveness is different from “family” | Openness |
| Increase focus on more practical education, going back to the “Land Grant" purpose | Dedication to people of the state so we can have a worldwide impact – global food supply, sustain the world | Commitment to excellence (national recognition) |
| Become more accessible to students in gaining that practical education | Reinvesting – into our communities | Engagement with global community – producing global citizens |
| Identify communities that have been underrepresented and encourage greater participation; requires different funding model | Knowledge creation and dissemination | Applied transformation – practical job teaching without excluding classical teaching |
| Addressing tuition rates as a barrier for student retention/recruitment | Creating and nurturing 21st century citizens | Equality – a step up – welcoming people – not shut doors |
| Be able to support and grow the economy of the state | Create informed citizenry | Welcoming |
| Access to higher education | Lower the cost of education | Extension – outreach – rural offices – different in each county |
| Service learning | Serve all citizens of Kansas | Affordability |
| Use extension to leverage technology for rural areas – make it available and show the value | Service, giving back | If don’t meet qualifications we bring you in anyway and get you to the point of meeting the qualifications |
| Diversity and difference of opinion, acceptance | Embracing/encouraging diversity | Agile in order to be innovative |
| Tackle challenges – hard-working, problem solving innovative | Innovation | Liberal education |
| Student success | Inclusiveness | Education doesn’t stop at graduation; instill a recognition that critical thinking and methods learned at K-State will be integrated in their communities and workplaces |
| Innovation, experimentation | Apply research to benefit citizens | A value is learning, not knowing; leaning should be a life-long pursuit |
| Access – to education, affordable, to information, we accept marginalized people, military, people of color, women, lifelong learning | Making education accessible (physically, financially, online, etc.) | K-State is part of and reflective of the Kansas communities (our diversity should better reflect that of our changing population) |
K-State Olathe
| Regional economic development – accessibility to all to deliver graduates that contribute to workforce | Ability to serve across geographies and demographics – extension | Family friendly, student-centered (connection with people!) |
| Empower our students with ability and desire to contribute to sustainable global health – locally, globally | Value partnerships with alternative education systems | Future: traditionally land grant – strong rural; food, families; bring Ag to urban/suburban areas to serve business and others; use technology to continue connection with rural areas; assist with rural economic development |
| Deeper/broader reach across the state to educate and develop future workforce – pathways and support to reach all | Access to Kansas students, but need to expand access to Missouri and other neighboring states | Look into one’s past to move forward |
| Contribute to innovative solutions to current and future issues | Interdisciplinary education and research | Provide accessibility: affordable for students, high quality; strong translational ability |
| Innovative approach to providing “reachable” tuition to serve all desiring education – expanding reach across diversity and inclusion | Practical skills – wisdom, judgment, and being connected to the community | Support research: applicable to stakeholders in Kansas; supports the development of new researchers/students |
| Student success – innovative processes and experiences to deliver | Research – high quality, applied | Catalyze economic development; support entrepreneurship; provide adaptable and adoptable opportunities for citizens |
| What does the state and beyond need – match vocational training with degree programs | Educating the population | Support dissemination: proactive and responsive to the needs of young and emerging communities |
| Value of student-centered – K-State Olathe is more student-centered; Manhattan has grad students teaching courses they are ill-equipped to teach | Meeting student needs | Realistic, practical, real-world |
| Accessibility: financial, course offering, equity across delivery methods, courses packaged correctly, access for students with disabilities, opportunity for people to better their situations, diversity of thoughts, and have a broader reach | Service – in-service to the state | A university that is connected with the community, reflects the community, and works on the community challenges |
| Opportunity to do research, travel, further education | Preparing students and future generations too | Ability to capitalize on the strengths of our communities |
| Focus for Olathe – mission-oriented: strategic initiatives, direction from Manhattan, develop programs in Manhattan with the intent to expand to the KC region | Adaptive and responsive to meet future needs – living, breathing, and nimble to be reactive to needs | Hard-working |
| Access to education, expanding our access (broader reach) | Meeting needs of all students: access and support; place-bound, first gen – not just students wanting to go to MHK; disabilities; need to change when (schedule) and how we educate to meet students’ needs (access) | Inclusive |
| Outward response to greater good – improve future using nimble response to needs and follow through to end (push-pull, realistic approach) | Need to have a welcoming environment for all students | Community-driven research |
| Cyber-education will provide access to education (including adults) | Serve entire state as land grant | |
| Safe, stakeholder space – ability to speak and serve across all economic, diversity, political, etc., to make progress | Connecting with people versus politicizing (versus KU) – be flexible to reach people |
K-State Polytechnic
| Customer focus | Relevant | Community engagement |
| Enhancing community and community members | Student-focused | Rural support |
| Adaptability | Trust with public | Education of all people |
| Accountable | Ethic | Supporting local government in its mission to provide for the common good |
| Produce quality industry leaders | Hope Transparency | Integrity, honesty, responsibility, hope, professionalism – in research conducted and education provided |
| Influencers | Innovation | An altruistic mission |
| Courageous/willing to fail | Outreach | Fiscally responsible with our stakeholder’s funds – allows for additional support of community both educationally and in regards to available resources |
| Trust/lead with integrity | Making life better for stakeholders | Innovation – in regards to research, furthering general knowledge, continuing education |
| Provide educational opportunities for all audiences | Developing and improving technologically important ideas | Holistic education for all ages (life cycle) |
| Feedback/continuous improvement | Dissemination to communities | Student-focused; people, not bottom-line/$ |
| Integrity – academic and professional | Innovation (improving the “state of the art”) | Creating trust with the public (our reputation) |
| Academic excellence | Advanced service outreach | Visible and involved in community |
| Service to university and community | Economic (creating opportunity) – job creation, innovation | Stewards of ethical behavior |
| Meaningful scholarship | Public service – students, Kansans, Americans, humans | Providing relevant education: Staying up with industry standards and technologies |
| Credibility and global reputation for excellence | Innovation and outreach – sharing knowledge and technology in a practical way | Access to education |
| Accessibility | Making life better for the various stakeholders | Core values – responsibility, professionalism, hope, integrity, respect |
| Off-campus outreach – community focus (need to do a better job of this) | Teamwork, compassion, professionalism, connectivity, servanthood, integrity, ethics | Access to resources |
| Transforming | Service to region and beyond | Innovative |
| Inclusive | Access to communities – extension; and access to students – rural | Application of experience |
| Stewardship | Institution of integrity | One-on-one approach – not a number, family approach |
| Access to education | Trust and honesty | Student connections |
| Visionary | Transparency | Adapting to industry needs |
| Partnerships | Student focus | Risk taking |
| Innovation | Professional | Visionary |
| Fiscal responsibility | Ethical | Willingness to adapt |
| Whole education | Hope – access to a better future, possibilities | Partnerships/resourceful |
President, CFO, COO, CIO, DCM, HCS and General Counsel
| Service the citizens of Kansas and beyond | Access | Good stewards of resources |
| Kids today see things in a more virtual world through technology | Student centered | Promoting efficiencies |
| Recognize the opportunities that are coming down the road | Quality education | Promote family culture |
| Bridging practicality with reality | Community | Commitment to innovation |
| “Global citizens” | The ability to hold true to values but innovate at the same time | Excellence in areas of agriculture, veterinary medicine, etc. |
| Focus on student success | Equal opportunity to work, learn, and contribute | Sell our uniqueness |
| Extend learning opportunities in bold, new ways – Kansas and beyond; innovation is key, enhance dialogue | Responsible | People first |
| Honesty and integrity | Inclusiveness | Commitment to research; premiere research |
| Inclusivity – awareness of generational differences in programming and means by which provided | Mid-western ethos – hardworking, grit | Student centered |
| Family feeling, genuine care for experience | We expect good things to happen | Diversity and inclusion |
| Integrity | Expectation to make things better for the world | Outreach/global engagement |
| Identity: What separates us from others in land grant? What sets us apart? How do we compete? | Good to great | Valued workforce |
| Partnerships, expanding and improving | Legacy, not just as land grant, but to accept people regardless of race, creed, gender | Responsible stewardship of resources |
| Service – customer service, internal and external, student-centered | Caring, family values | Equity |
| Inviting culture at K-State, interactive, inclusive culture ensure it is happening in all parts of campus | Not afraid of challenge | Recognized for excellence in teaching, research, and service in fulfillment of our land-grant mission |
| Spirit of cooperation | Pride, tradition, history | Accessible: pricing, non-traditional students, be able to include more people, return on investment (education of), avenues for students to explore different career paths without breaking the bank |
| Student-centered | Providing the same experience for a 1st-gen student as a 5th-gen student | Successful graduates – define “successful”: is this something we talk with alumni, graduates, employees, etc. about; life lessons – financial stability, overall well-being |
| Everyone has an opportunity – inclusive | Relationships | Service to the community |
| Persistent, innovative, persevere – even with lack of resources | Being engaged | Access to Kansans |
| KSU willing to share knowledge out | Expectancy – safe -healthy | Rural students |
| Student focus | A feeling of trust in us as an institution | Put people first |
| Access focus – student, community | Interaction between aviation and agriculture | People and engagement |
| Educate the populace | Inclusion | Make education accessible |
| Embrace chance | Quality education – access: first generation, affordability, outreach about value | Make research publically available |
| Forward thinking | Forward-focused | Embracing the technology to accomplish our values |
| Adaptability and agility | Creativity | Research and findings/outreach back to community |
| Value research/teaching and learning | Ability to embrace and sustain internal chance | Strong in Ag and looking to the future; traditional strengths but also looking at the future (such as health) |
| Best work experience/best place to work; development of staff | Caring | Accessible – open to everyone, less restrictive policies |
| Diversity inclusion | Belonging | Maintain focus on teaching so young people are prepared for teaching and research – experiential learning |
| The principles of community – to include commitment to diversity and inclusion | Integrity | Commitment for innovation/creative – where can the university flex to meet needs of students/communities |
| The people | Access to education statewide: affordability, extension service across the state, inclusion for all | Inclusiveness: open opportunity for all |
| The commitment to service, support, and research to continue advancing safe, healthy, and innovative agricultural and scientific practice | Family culture – assuming positive intent | Outreach: to serve outside of campuses through extension, etc. |
| Emphasis on innovation | Agriculture focus | Tradition: maintaining and expanding upon our traditional values |
| Family and diversity | Tie all aspects of the university together – interrelationships | Transformation: being proactive in transforming our efforts to meet the needs of technology in the future and how our constituents use it |
| Rich history as land grant university | Deliver well-rounded education: continuous improvement, learning form failure | Ensuring clearer paths to student success by streamlining processes (i.e., enrollment, changing majors, drop/add, etc.); provide more online options for on campus students |
| Meet the expectation for public benefit | Integrity, transparency, equity | Maintain and enhance student centered focus into all campus decisions |
| Accessibility | Commitment to service | Accessibility (physical, learning disabilities, international/language) |
Provost and Student Life
| Accessibility and affordable education | Centralized resources | Great external/donor support, engage alumni, communicate student needs, K-State family |
| Practical and pragmatic | Quality vs. cost – how they tie to placement rates for graduates | Provide great student experience, more than just the academic; it’s everyone’s job to help with student success |
| Service is key in this | Combine resources on campus to take advantage of economy of scale and ease of access for students | Access: affordable; all kinds of students (commitment to diverse university community, ability, backgrounds, cultures); welcoming campus; helping students succeed (graduate)/student experience |
| Community – both here in Manhattan, in Kansas and beyond – part of this includes better advocating for and working with extension offices, etc. (other campus) | Develop training for faculty and staff on who we are, why we make choices to communities | Applied research: helps solve problems for Kansas/world; relevant to the needs of KS/world begins in our communities |
| Innovation | Service | Excellence in teaching: preparing students for the world; meeting industry needs for critical thinkers and culturally competent workers |
| Breaking down silos – a collaborative approach with the State of Kansas, grassroots approach | Expertise/knowledge | Innovation: leading and cutting edge; commitment to being experimental; recognized as leading land grants as the first land grant; thought leaders; lead the discussion to solve problems |
| Inclusion, diversity: includes international and out-of-state students along with other students; redefining the “K-State Community” – it needs to be more broad, and as open and encompassing as we can | Ex: 4-H youth development, assist ag; credit for community service – expectation for all students? | Community engagement: within our campus and external communities; reciprocal |
| Engagement – better harness resources in a goal-oriented approach; not a top-down process | Improve outreach (suffering due to budgets) | Honor the Legacy/Heritage while adapting |
| Agriculture Heritage, honoring 1st land-grant title and modernizing | Student programming K-12 | Model Civil Discourse: lead the world in showing how to tackle difficult problems with respect and inclusive dialog |
| Access for students: admission standards, financial/affordability, different backgrounds | Access – barrier courses (need to be assessed), experiential learning | Student-centered vision |
| Fulfilling the diverse needs of our changing state population | Emphasize student life cycle: Start (enroll), Stay (return), Finish (graduate), Soar (career) | Strategic communication from administration, departments, frontline employees |
| Creating a sense of belonging – that is the part of the K-State way; not just include them, but truly welcome them | Financial need | Excited that student-centeredness is included in our vision statement |
| Understanding the whole person as a student and creating a community atmosphere on campus; a functioning student in our community can transition to a functioning, contributing member of other communities, good university citizen becomes a good global citizen | Improve one-stop for student services | Would like to see process for determining/assessing if an initiative is student-centered prior to deploying that initiative; follow up with standard assessment of student-centeredness after deployment |
| Investment in staff resources – a happy staff makes a happy environment which is a welcoming atmosphere for students; the increase of duties has impacts on ability to perform, professional development | Wellbeing – students and faculty/staff (K-State community) | Engaging students in determining barriers to success (similar to the positive work that was done with student holds) |
| Investment in faculty – ensures recruiting and community needs met | Engaging in innovation – redefine/change old ways; attracting faculty/staff with diverse talents that may lead to higher enrollment | Re-embrace the attitude of each person at the university to help a student – go find an answer instead of passing student off to someone else |
| Civic engagement | Flexibility/adaptability | Re-engage faculty and staff (feeling burned-out, under-valued, continually asked to do more with less) |
| Educational access/accessibility | Striving for excellence | How can we be at peak efficiency for every service? For example – could some students sent to counseling services be better served by an academic coach to develop a study plan to decrease anxiety or PFC to relieve financial stress? |
| Service to the state – extension and outreach | Accessibility to properly serve community: affordability, structure, non-traditional students, working towards certificate while working full-time | Willingness to collaborate for the good of the student |
| Inclusive | Access | We need to know what we are already doing and focus on doing those really well, rather than continuing to add and potentially duplicate efforts (and confuse students) |
| Flexible, adaptability, embracing change – not one size fits all, personalized | Student-centered | Access, accessible |
| Transformational educational experience | Financial value for students (affordable without a lot of financial burden) | Meeting needs of the state |
| Offering a valuable educational experience – educating active and civically engaged citizens, educating the whole person | Economic prosperity for community (affordability/accessibility) | Critical thinkers – creating |
| Creativity | Transparency | Preparing people to be adaptive and flexible |
| Research that serves our land-grant mission | Connection to culture and community | Workforce |
| Access, underrepresented populations – public serving? How do we maintain public service with declining public/state support; how can we maintain this commitment? | Modern education, quality of education to meet the needs of future | Cross cultural – ability to work with diverse populations |
| Support student health; focus mental health | Solutions to help navigate through academic process, enrollment, level of education | Competent decision makers |
| Civic professionalism – we are not just training disciplinarians but students that have a civic focus; committed to using university education to advance common good | Opportunities to strive throughout college career | Relevant to local communities, state, etc. |
| Be in the front of big public issues; these big civic and public issues ought be central to our education and research | Accessible information to recruit/retain students | Practical education and skill development |
| Flexible pathways to learning, credit for prior learning; this new pathway for access; Netflix model of training and education – can “binge” modules or take time and make progress at own pace | Unfortunately, we value complexity – teaching at a level where there is overlap with education taught in high school; lack of connection/understanding US cultures, language, community | Failing to provide affordable education to Kansas |
| Reframe research around “common good” issues – create incentives to do relevant research; problem-based, community-based, and communicated in ways the public understands | Value of service | Are we on top and innovative in technology and research? In all colleges? |
| International students – represent opportunity; how to attract more international students | Community engagement – accessible to a wide population, community driven priorities | Include and involve global research |
| We may have shared values but we play them out in disparate ways; we have to align values and practice across our units | Making equity/social justice a priority when looking at strategic initiatives | Future of higher education is not bricks and mortar campuses; evolve and develop in global campus |
| Access – created for access to more students | Innovation/knowledge is applied to pragmatic/problems and grand challenges | Accessibility to diverse populations |
| All aspects of the state/communities | Interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary | Inclusivity |
| Getting the knowledge back to the Kansas Citizens – through extension agents | Intercultural pedagogy | Internationalization, creating global citizens |
| What distinguishes K-State from the regional schools – giving voice to the communities? | Leadership | Upholding passion, buy in, providing support |
| Do we solicit information from our county agents? | Community (within the institution and beyond) | Involvement – whole student development |
| High quality education in applied sciences and basic sciences and humanities and social sciences | Inclusion, access (the thought that inclusion requiring more efficient ways for students to access); providing more opportunities | Student services |
| Liberal education producing well-rounded students | Really promote what’s unique about KSU, that students know us for actually wanting students to be successful; REALLY promoting “FAMILY” | Quality academics and holistic – all covering degrees |
| Providing safe environment for faculty/staff and student – physically, mentally, intellectually | Paying attention to the students who are outliers while not ignoring the broad base | Looking for new ways to our jobs that are more efficient and effective – innovative thinking |
| Focus on diversity and inclusion | Providing access to innovative scholarship | Assisting people (customer service/excellence) |
| Physical environment – pride in our facilities, part of the natural resources | Really providing chances for all voices to be heard | Leader in the industry (education) |
| Maintaining the K-State family philosophy as we care for students/faculty and staff | Not forgetting the importance of student leadership | Be the leader |
| Quality of place/life – welcoming environment | Support faculty’s desire to contribute to scholarly mission while also not burdening them with things that make it harder for them to teach | Thinking outside the box |
| Personal connection, authenticity, truly listening to students and acting on their requests/needs | Giving grad students a better platform to contribute | Academic integrity |
| Continuing to provide high quality degree programs | Access for everyone; innovation; adaptability, especially to changing needs. | Affordable education |
| Highly developed relationships with corporate partners | Affordability; inclusive and welcoming; understanding; appreciation | Being transparent/ethical |
| Remarkable degrees – we produce well-developed, critically thinking students; teacher wants to connect with students | Communication/engaging early with students | Clarity in policy |
| Cost and affordability – to remain accessible to all | Transparency, ethical decision making | Appreciation of faculty and staff |
Veterinary Medicine
| Community engagement, partnership services; community-centered and community-aligned | Address local needs for regional and national importance | Affordability |
| Access to education, affordable education | Meet the needs: Develop skill sets of students to meet the needs of the world; critical thinking; how to transform our future; global footprint; increase globally relevant | Broad offerings |
| Relevant, current, contemporary education; practical and holistic education for today’s workforce needs and the workforce needs of the future | Diversity: Knowledge and education and service for the world transformative communication | Nationally recognized |
| Positive and memorable experiences; K-State today lacks student-centered emphasis | Public Relevance: Research with impact on society; Educational programs that attract students; graduate capability, agility, training for life | Leading research |
| Match academic funding to athletic funding; create world-class facilities for all students | Balance relevance: Local, national, global needs | Extension, Service Enterprise: VHC, VDL |
| Student well-being and student-centered priorities; how does everything at K-State link to wellness | Blur boundaries of research, service and teaching; relevance assures this is true, validates the work | Embrace technology |
| Getting information to region, nation, international education | Improved engagement communication with public and our own students | Being good neighbors with local, state, regional, national, global; community partners |
| Communication, information, education, service | Traditional values still apply | Extension – connecting with the public: Reaching out to all Kansans, solving their problems; Flexibility, resources for companies to work on solving problems – having readiness; resources |
| Communication through outreach | Transparency, integrity, inclusion, diversity | Innovation – tackling difficult problems: How are we marrying NBAF and KSU? Are we? Should we? |
| Excellent service, transmission of knowledge | Access to education | Extension (5 Grand Challenges): In terms of improving our land-grant university, improve the way information is communicated; if you look at how we communicate information, it is very antiquated, using pamphlets and handouts from 1980. Extension needs to move to be more “cyber land grant” – it starts with the public outreach |
| Transformative communication: Addressing needs of the world/community; more students to the next level; change agent |
