3.1.1: The institution has a clear and comprehensive mission statement that guides it; is approved by the governing board; and is communicated to the institution’s constituencies.  Narrative:  The University of Texas (UT) at Arlington has a clear and comprehensive board-approved mission statement that guides the institution and communicates this mission statement to its constituents. According to Texas Education Code, Section 65.31, the Board of Regents is authorized to govern, operate, support and maintain each of the component institutions in the UT System. [1] More specifically, under Texas Education Code, Section 68.06, the Board is authorized to maintain, operate and administer UT Arlington as a general academic institution of higher education. [2]  The UT Arlington mission statement is clear and inclusive and was created through the guidance of several state rules and regulations. Texas Education Code, Section 61.0511, states that every higher education institution is required to write a mission statement that reflects higher education’s three missions: teaching, research and service. [3] Rule 5.24 of the Rules and Regulations of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) states that university mission statements are to be reviewed by the THECB a minimum of every four years and that the THECB must approve all mission statement changes. [4] Furthermore, Texas Education Code, Section 51.352, states that it is the responsibility of the Board to insist on clarity of focus and mission of every institution under its governance. [5]  University Mission and Objectives:  UT Arlington’s current mission statement was approved by the THECB on January 29, 2004. [6] The UT Arlington mission statement is:   The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research, teaching and public service institution whose mission is the advancement of knowledge and the pursuit of excellence. The University is committed to the promotion of lifelong learning through its academic and continuing education programs and to the formation of good citizenship through its community service learning programs. The diverse student body shares a wide range of cultural values and the University community fosters unity of purpose and cultivates mutual respect.   UT Arlington is committed to the following objectives:   The University is committed to comprehensive programs of academic research. This research effort requires attracting and retaining scholars who promote a culture of intellectual curiosity, rigorous inquiry, and high academic standards among their fellow faculty and the students they teach.  The University prepares students for full, productive lives and informed and active citizenship. To that end, we have developed undergraduate and graduate curricula and classroom practices that engage students actively in the learning process. Outside the classroom a wide range of student organizations and activities contribute to the learning environment. Our service learning program offers students the opportunity to supplement their academic study with internships in a variety of community settings, testing their skills and aptitudes and challenging their values. State-of-the-art teaching technologies, distance education, and off-site instruction afford access to off-campus as well as traditional students. Non-degree certificate and continuing education programs offer practical, aesthetic, and intellectually stimulating opportunities for community learners, for individual courses or a sustained program of study.  The mission of a university can be achieved only when its students, faculty, staff, and administrators value and promote free expression in an atmosphere of tolerance, responsibility, and trust. The University regards these attributes as prerequisites for any community of learners and vigilantly strives to maintain them.  Mindful of its role as a resource to the community, locally, nationally, and internationally, the University continually seeks partnerships with public and private concerns in order to advance the economic, social, and cultural welfare of its constituencies. We serve the needs of the North Texas community by sponsoring public lectures and academic symposia, as well as artistic, musical, and dramatic productions. [7]   Mission Statement Guidance:  Evidence that UT Arlington’s mission statement guides University activities and decisions can be seen in UT Arlington’s strategic planning process. UT Arlington’s Strategic Plan [8] and planning priorities are in alignment with UT Arlington’s mission statement. Institutional goal alignment begins with the Strategic Planning Committee’s annual institutional planning priorities. [9] Institutional planning priorities are derived from the University’s Strategic Plan and are reviewed, edited and approved by the President annually. Each campus unit is required to link plans and budgets to one or more of the institutional planning priorities by describing what action plans or steps it will take to meet institutional planning priority objectives, along with the expected outcomes from implementing the action plans or steps. Therefore, UT Arlington’s mission statement guides all campus planning.   Constituent Communication:  UT Arlington communicates its mission statement in a variety of locations: (a) paper and online versions of the Undergraduate [10] and Graduate [11] Catalogs, (b) Campus Master Plan, [12] (c) Faculty Guide, [13] (d) Handbook of Operating Procedures, [14] (e) Fact Book [15] and (f) multiple locations on the University website. [7]