Developing a Strategic Plan for a Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Process for Developing a Mission Statement

Developing a Mission Statement involves determining who the program's primary customers/users are and what the program wants to deliver to the identified customers. The program's Mission Statement will be related to its purposes and to the Vision Statement.

Current Program Mission Statement

[Insert current Mission Statement if available.]

New or Revised Program Mission Statement

The mission of the program is to...

Create a compelling Mission Statement by answering the following questions:

• Why does the program exist?
• What makes the program different from other programs?
• Who are the program's primary customers/users?
• What services does the program want to deliver to its customers/users?
• What does the program want to have happen as a result of providing such services?

Why does the program exist?

What is the purpose of the program? (This answers the question of why you exist, but does not describe what you do.) This should be a short succinct statement that describes the ultimate result you are hoping to achieve. The purpose typically will include a verb that indicates a change-increase, decrease, improve, provide, prevent, and so on.

Example: The purpose of the program is to provide quality programs for its students.

What makes the program different from other programs?

What is unique about the program? Is there overlap with what other programs do?

Example: Only program that has the primary responsibility to develop and provide quality educational programs for students in communication sciences and disorders.

Who are the program's primary customers?

Does the program serve students, faculty, practicing speech-language pathologists and audiologists, consumers, or other individuals or groups?

Example: All students who are enrolled in the program for communication sciences and disorders, and consumers who are in need of clinical services in audiology and speech-language pathology.

What services/programs/products does the program want to deliver to its customers?

Describe the primary services, programs, or products to be provided by the program.

Example: Provide quality undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate education for students and quality clinical services in speech-language pathology and audiology.

What does the program want to have happen as a result of providing such services/programs/products?

Example: An improvement in the quantity, quality, and availability of value-added programs and services for program customers.