The document describes the process undertaken by The Art Institute of Pittsburgh to revise and update its mission statement. A committee was formed to draft a new, shorter mission statement. The proposed statement was shared for feedback and approved by senior leadership and the board of trustees. The outcome was a simple, memorable statement that reflects the institution's purpose.

2. Review of Institutional Effectiveness Plan
First, we reviewed our Institutional Effectiveness Plan.
We’ve selected an initiative from objective #1.
OUTCOME / DEPARTMENT OBJECTIVES
1. Ensure development of all
planning documents for the
institution

3. The Strategic Planning Process
Every year, each department creates an Institutional
Effectiveness plan to ensure that their department’s
plans support the mission and goals of the college.
How can we create a strategic plan to help us
achieve our clearly established and fundamental
goals:
• Academic and Professional Excellence
• Operational Effectiveness
• Regional and Global Partnerships
• Growth

4. Mission: Strengthening through Simplification
As part of the 2011-2012 strategic planning process,
members of the college community expressed the
need to examine the Mission Statement of The Art
Institute of Pittsburgh.
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5. Mission: Strengthening through Simplification
Campus consensus suggested that
assessment
our mission was too long, difficult to
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remember and possibly nebulous.
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Let’s explore how assessment was
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used to achieve this goal.
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6. The Strategic Planning Process
This year, our discussions presented
a serious challenge:
How can we be certain that the work we do each
day supports our mission if we cannot remember it?
How might we make our mission more succinct
and represent what we believe we are here
to accomplish?

7. The Strategic Planning Process
President Sebolt appointed a committee to review
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Mission Statement.
His challenges to the committee:
• Review the current Mission Statement.
• Reflect on the college’s purpose and history;
What are we here to do?
• Construct a statement that is: meaningful, exact,
memorable & powerful.
• Finally, get feedback from the campus and online
communities.

8. This sounds a little like assessment,
doesn’t it?

9. Evaluating The Mission Statement
THE TIMELINE & PROGRESSION OF OUR PROJECT
February 3, 2012 February 22, 2012
Senior leadership meets to update the Mission Statement Committee meets and
college’s Strategic Plan. It is determined the completes a new draft of the Mission State-
college’s Mission Statement needs to be re- ment. Proposed statement is submitted to
viewed and a new shorter, more memorable President Sebolt.
Mission Statement developed. Senior leader-
ship assigns a committee of faculty, staff and
student representatives to draft a new February 23, 2012
proposed statement. President Sebolt presents proposed Mission
Statement to Board of Trustees at quarterly
meeting and asks for their input.
February 15, 2012
Mission Statement Committee meets with
President Sebolt and is charged with drafting a
proposed statement to replace the current one.

10. Evaluating The Mission Statement
THE TIMELINE & PROGRESSION OF OUR PROJECT
March 1, 2012 March 27, 2012
Proposed Mission Statement is shared with New Mission statement is shared with Key
faculty, staff and students and personal feed- Management Team.
back is requested and encouraged.
March 28, 2012
March 8, 2012 New Mission statement is shared with faculty,
Deadline for feedback ends and all comments staff, and students.
are collected and reviewed.
April and May 2012
March 21, 2012 Feedback is evaluated and final draft is
Proposed Mission statement goes to senior constructed.
leadership for review and revision if deter-
mined it is needed. June, 2012
AiP Board of Trustees approves the new
Mission Statement.

11. Examples Of Feedback
The Board questioned the term “creative arts”
and suggested that “fields of design” may be a
better choice. They encouraged that we “The
Art Institute of Pittsburgh” be removed from the
statement and suggested that this is implied and
the statement should begin with action.
The Board supported the adoption of a Mission
Statement that is short and succinct.

12. Examples Of Feedback
More than 75 responses were received
from the college community.
While feedback about wording choices
varied dramatically, the college community
universally supported the need for a
succinct, memorable mission.

13. Examples Of Feedback
One student’s response:
I think that the proposal is a better Mission Statement for a
number of reasons.
1. The current Mission Statement is too long.
2. The wording in the current Mission Statement is too much.
There are too many “big words” in the current statement.
Thus, making it hard to remember and recite.
3. The new proposal is “short and sweet.” Short and sweet
makes people want to jump on board.

14. A Continuous Cycle of Improvement
Working together, everyone has had an opportunity to
contribute to developing a Mission Statement that closely
reflects what we want to achieve.
The outcome of our process is a simple, memorable
declaration of the purpose we are here to fulfill.

15. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Mission
To provide an education
in design, media arts and
culinary that prepares
students for individual
and professional success.

16. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Mission
OUR SINCERE THANKS TO THE
MISSION STATEMENT COMMITTEE
Cyndi Flood
Jackie Kirshtein
Robert Peluso
Stephanie Taylor
!
Teresa Olivio
Tyler Kozar

17. It’s Your Turn - The Assessment Challenge
SOME TIPS FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT’S ASSESSMENT
CHALLENGE SLIDESHOW
Yes, it is mandatory, but don’t forget: judges will select
the department with the best slideshow who will win a
gourmet lunch, and the afternoon off!
Deadline:
Presentations must be
submitted to:
aipselfstudy@gmail.com
by Tuesday, July 24, 2012.

18. It’s Your Turn - The Assessment Challenge
Re-visit your department’s Institutional Effectiveness
Plan (I.E. Plan).
Select ONE example that illustrates how your depart-
ment made a positive change to impact the mission and/
or improve services to the college community at The Art
Institute of Pittsburgh.

19. It’s Your Turn - The Assessment Challenge
Work backwards to detail the steps your department took to
achieve this particular goal. Some possibilities could include:
• How did the initiative begin?
• Describe how the department evaluated the initiative? What
data was used? Was any research conducted?
• What steps were taken to complete the initiative?
• What feedback was collected to support the importance of
the initiative?
• What feedback was collected to evaluate the implementation
of the initiative?
• How was the initiative introduced to the college community?
• Summarize the benefits your initiative brings to the campus
community.