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Mission and Vision 101

Guided by Berklee’s fundamental values, the development of Berklee-wide mission and vision statements will define our institution’s core purpose while reimagining the impact we will have on our students, our communities, and the world. Together, these statements will guide the development of our strategic plan, which will chart a course to achieving Berklee’s visionary impact.

This fall the Berklee community engaged in work to develop unified mission and vision statements for Berklee that reflect the unique legacies of our campuses and learning environments while defining who we are as a unified institution. We invite you to watch this video in which David Bogen, interim president, and Betsy Newman, interim executive vice president, provide an overview of the strategic planning process:


The development of our mission, vision, and strategic direction are guided by Berklee’s fundamental values—how we show up when we’re at our best. As you engage in community activities to develop mission and vision statements, please approach this work through the lens of these values:

  • We respect the rights, dignity, and creative expression for all.
  • We have the courage to be authentic.
  • We care for each other and for the well-being of our community.
  • We expect honesty and integrity in all interactions.
  • We take responsibility for our actions.
  • We learn from the past to create the future.

Foundations for Creating a Mission and Vision

Watch this video to learn what a mission and vision are:

 

What is a mission?

A mission addresses these questions:

  • What do we do? 
  • What is our core purpose? 
  • What are we known for?

A mission is defined by these characteristics:

  • Inspiring and motivational
  • Broad in scope
  • Resonant declaration of attitude
  • Memorable

What is a vision?

A vision describes our aspirations for how we will impact our students, our communities, and the world.

A vision is defined by these characteristics: 

  • Unique
  • Short (typically one sentence)
  • Clear
  • Sets a standard of excellence
  • Future-focused
  • Aspirational
  • Inspires passion and emotion
  • Creates an image that people carry in their heads

Process for Developing Our Mission and Vision Statements

Phase One: Outreach

Phase one of our mission and vision work centers on outreach to the community through virtual and in-person activities. Inputs collected through outreach will inform the drafts created in the next phase. 

Please visit our community engagement for opportunities to get involved.

Phase Two: Drafts

Using inputs collected through phase one, the steering committee will draft mission and vision statements. Then, the steering committee will partner with Academic Leadership Council and President’s Council to gather feedback from the community on these drafts. This feedback will inform finalizing our mission and vision statements. 

Learn more about the timeline and process.