Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is a member of the Texas State University System (TSUS). The Texas Education Code indicates an expectation for the board to ensure regular review of the institutional mission when it states in Sections 51.352(a)(4) and 51.352(a)(5) that “. . . each governing board . . . (4) shall nurture each institution under its governance to the end that each institution achieves its full potential within its role and mission” and (5) “shall insist on clarity of focus and mission of each institution under its governance.” In addition, the Texas Education Code, Sections 51.352(d)(1) and 51.352(d)(4) state “. . . each governing board shall. . . (1) establish, for each institution under its control and management, goals consistent with the role and mission of the institution” and (4) “set campus admission standards consistent with the role and mission of the institution. . .”[1].
In addition to formal board approval of institutional mission statements, the TSUS Board considers the institution’s mission across a wide range of operational matters. Examples include Chapter II, Section 3.7, which states, “The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs is responsible for . . . generally enhancing the System’s teacher education mission”; Chapter III, Section 6.(10) which states, “The Board welcomes contributions, both large and small, in aid of the various missions of the Component . . . ”; Chapter III, Section 6.(16), which states tax identification numbers “. . . must have a business purpose related to the mission of the Component”; and Chapter III, Section 21.2(1), which states, “each Component’s educational values, practices, and missions shall guide the decision to establish intercollegiate athletics programs. . .”[2].
As required by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), revisions to the mission statement of SHSU must be approved by the TSUS Board of Regents subsequent to submission to the THECB [3]. The President, who reports to the Board of Regents, is responsible for periodically reviewing the mission statement of the University and making recommendations to the Board of Regents for approval. SHSU’s mission statement was last submitted for review and approved by the TSUS Board of Regents at the November 2014 Board Meeting [4]. The Board of Regents approved the mission statement change [5], and SHSU subsequently requested [6] and received approval [7] from the THECB for the change.