The Madison Commission submitted its final report to the president on April 19, 2006. Among the many recommendations contained in the report, an update to the university's mission, vision and values was included. The university's Board of Visitors was briefed and the president moved to adopt the new statement in July 2006. They are:

Mission Statement

We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision Statement

To be the leading comprehensive university.

Values Statement

Our student-centered community values excellence, integrity and mutual respect.

Defining Characteristics

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

• The university will offer a wide variety of quality academic programs: general education core, liberal arts, professional programs, and graduate programs of distinction.
• The university will be innovative in its programs and services.
• The university will complement its residentially-based academic offerings with non-degree, competency certification and distributed education programs.
• The university’s students will possess optimum competencies in written and oral communication, critical thinking, information systems, quantitative literacy and scientific literacy as basic graduation requirements.
• The university’s faculty will integrate scholarship, service and teaching to enhance student learning and provide a challenging and supportive environment with a heightened sense of intellectual stimulation.
• The university will develop and offer international curricula, associations and experiences that enhance the global competencies of the student.
• The university will continue to be a selective institution in our admission practices and admit students who will enable the university to realize its mission.
• The university will focus on student learning and development through collaboration across all divisions.

COMMUNITY

• The university will be a diverse community whose members share in, and contribute to, a common JMU experience.
• The university will provide students with a wide array of extracurricular activities.
• The university will serve our state, region and nation, and will be recognized on a national basis.
• The university will maintain our heritage of nurturing and cultivating enduring relationships with its constituencies.

INFRASTRUCTURE

• The university will enhance and diversify funding sources, expand its strategic alliances, and develop broad-based financial support among a variety of constituents.
• The university will possess sufficient resources (financial, facilities, human and technology) to achieve its goals.
• The university will involve the entire campus community in a well-defined, consistently used and commonly understood process for planning and decision-making that emphasizes accountability and ties resource allocation to institutional effectiveness.
• The university will be an attractive, safe, friendly and service-oriented campus.
• The university will invest in the professional development of its people.

The Madison Commission also recommended a more comprehensive, yet shorter list of Defining Characteristics. The University's leadership has accepted these modifications and completed its revision of the Defining Characteristics. It is anticipated that more specific recommendations from the Madison Commission will be adopted in the future.

New developments regarding these adoptions will be posted periodically on the faculty and staff gateway and appear in-depth on this web site.