• The District
• Mission Statement
• Commitments
• Accreditation
• Workplace Instruction

• History
• Philosophy
• Cultural Pluralism
• Core Values and Goals

College Mission Statement

Mission College is an open access community college serving the ever-changing educational and economic development needs of Santa Clara, Silicon Valley, and the larger community. Seeking to develop community leaders and global stewards in a competitive world economy, the college provides transfer, degree, and certificate programs in lower division arts and sciences; community, career, and vocational education; and educational opportunities in basic skills and English as a Second Language. To accomplish its mission, the college provides the most advanced academic and technological resources, comprehensive student services, and enriching aesthetic experiences to help students succeed and to participate responsibly in a democratic society.

Commitments

Mission College is committed to:

1. Providing an open door institution where students are assessed, counseled and placed in courses commensurate with their knowledge, skills, abilities and interests.
2. Heightening student participation in the learning process through a variety of learning opportunities.
3. Extending the opportunity of higher education to those in the community who ordinarily would not or could not participate.
4. Educating students to think creatively and critically, communicate effectively, gather and evaluate information, and perform quantitative and qualitative analysis.
5. Involving the community as an active participant and resource to learning and the expansion of knowledge.
6. Making the College an active part of the community and the community an active part of the College.
7. Providing necessary services and resources to assist students in achieving their educational goals.
8. Fostering a spirit of cooperation and team work in carrying out the educational program, including needs assessment, planning, budgeting and evaluation.
9. Providing a process of improvement and renewal for all staff, programs and services through evaluation, research and development.

• upgrade employee skills and education
• retrain workers for new jobs requirements
• cross train and broaden communication and critical reasoning skills for team members improve basic English and math skills.
• Courses carry full college credit and are scheduled according to employer requirements.

• We believe in meeting the lifelong educational needs of Mission College's students by encouraging cross-cultural learning and understanding.
• We believe in providing a place for every student who can benefit from programs and services offered.
• We believe in fostering excellence in education so that students may reach their fullest intellectual potential.
• We believe in meeting student needs by creating a supportive environment which facilitates learning and builds confidence and self-esteem.
• We believe in working in partnership with the community in a spirit of cooperation.
• We believe in promoting teaching excellence and professional faculty and staff development.
• We believe that a variety of instructional approaches must be provided to enhance the learning of students who have diverse academic and cultural backgrounds, different learning styles and who have demanding schedules, with work and family responsibilities

The approach taken at Mission College is to integrate Cultural Pluralism across the curriculum. The college strives to recognize the many diverse cultural backgrounds of the community by addressing the following goals:

1. Addressing the needs of the culturally diverse student population at Mission College.
2. Exposing all Mission College students to ideas and experiences originating from a variety of cultures.
3. Reducing prejudice, racism, and all types of oppressive social, political, and economic discrimination of minority groups.
4. Addressing gender inequity by increasing awareness of women's achievements, past and present.
5. Increasing students' and staff's awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the diverse ethnic and cultural groups that comprise our society through comparison of attitudes and philosophies that are Western and non-Western.
6. Assisting students and staff in examining the reasons behind thinking that is limited by stereotypic, ethnocentric, chauvinistic, or monolithic views.
7. Facilitating student and staff understanding of cultural perspectives of others, as well as their own.

Core Values of Mission College

1. Core Value: Culture of the Institution
Create a student-centered institutional culture of professionalism, discovery, inclusion and success.

   Goals:

1. Encourage a culture of professionalism and mutual respect (e.g., through annual and ongoing leadership and communication skills training).
2. Integrate and coordinate all programs that promote student access and success.
3. Create a climate of discovery that values and embraces both inquiry and creativity.
4. Create a campus climate which is welcoming, supportive, and inclusive.
5. Maintain a cross-disciplinary culture by locating faculty and staff throughout all buildings to prevent isolation and compartmentalization.
   

1. Systematically review the instructional programs and services for the purpose of becoming the primary resource for technology education in the Silicon Valley.
2. Create a teaching environment that recognizes and responds to diverse learning styles and needs.
3. Encourage the formation of innovative teaching and learning strategies (e.g., learning communities, discovery learning, distance learning, study abroad).
4. Evaluate and align the curriculum with the strategic direction of the college on a regular basis.
5. Attract and maintain a high quality and diverse teaching force.
6. Evaluate and upgrade the teaching and technology skills of faculty on a regular basis.
7. Support a balanced technology-based educational delivery system.
8. Provide an educational environment that prepares all students to communicate clearly, think analytically and critically, work collaboratively and utilize technology effectively.
9. Promote lifelong learning, career ladders, and retraining options for students by reviewing degree and certificate requirement.
10. Create a comprehensive core curriculum which meets the primary mission of the college (e.g., transfer program, workforce development, basic skills, and ESL).

1. 1. Provide leadership in matriculation services and standards statewide.
2. Provide an option for web-based access to all student services (e.g., admission, registration, counseling, financial aid and student records).
3. Provide all students with quality customer service through appropriate staff training, staffing and adequate facilities.
4. Assist the college in attaining Partnership For Excellence goals (transfer prepared, awards, basic skills improvement, workforce development, and successful course completion).
5. Collaborate with the Office of Instruction to develop strategies that promote student success by the creation of strong student and institutional partnerships.
6. Provide a student activities/governance program that promotes student development and meets the needs of the student population and local community.

1. Conduct community needs assessments on a regular, ongoing basis for alignment of the college's goals and programs to meet the needs of the community.
2. Review regularly the direction of the college programs and align the results of the community needs assessments and socioeconomic conditions to the program designs.
3. Establish outreach and articulation partnerships with preschool through 12th grade and transfer institutions (e.g., middle college, Mission ambassadors, Science/Engineering collaborative, career ladders TRDP-reading teacher grant, MESA, Jose Valdez, 2+2+2 programs).
4. Develop opportunities for students to engage in activities that promote social responsibility (e.g. service learning, volunteerism).
5. Develop and strengthen mutually beneficial corporate partnerships.
6. Influence social, public and educational policy through our legislative agenda and advocacy.
7. Strengthen marketing efforts to increase the visibility of Mission College.
8. Provide services to community based organizations (e.g. off-site community programs, community activities and programs).

1. Invest in and embrace the college's human capital through faculty and staff development, career pathways, and Professional Growth & Development.
2. Develop an infrastructure that supports flexibility in the delivery of programs and services (e.g., weekend college, year-round program availability, distance learning, asynchronous learning, and telecommuting).
3. Develop programs that respond to opportunities and community needs.
4. Insure that the number of faculty and staff positions are sufficient to support the work of the college.
5. Acquire, update and maintain the technological infrastructure to support the institution's activities programs and services.
6. Acquire, update and maintain information and learning resources to support faculty, instruction, student academic success, and lifelong learning.
7. Be a leader in providing alternative and innovative learning opportunities.

1. Increase student success, retention, persistence, and transfer among historically underrepresented student groups.
2. Establish programs and outreach activities to attract diverse student populations.
3. Develop and implement programs and services to provide equitable opportunities for all students.
4. Eliminate barriers to attracting and maintaining a high quality and diverse faculty and staff.
5. Establish an ongoing program to review, enhance, and coordinate issues and programs associated with student equity, access, opportunities, and success.
6. Promote cross-cultural understanding among and between students, faculty, and staff.
7. Provide career advancement opportunities for staff in order to support, attain, and maintain diversity at all levels of the college.

1. Enhance the institutional planning processes by integrating educational, financial, physical, and human resources planning to improve programs and services.
2. Develop and implement an annual process by which institutional effectiveness measures are identified, linked to specific goals, and used to shape subsequent planning.
3. Systematically review all instructional (six year cycle) and non-instructional (three year cycle) programs for the purpose of improving institutional effectiveness and impacting future iterations of the college's planning processes.
4. Communicate the quality of the institution and its programs to the public.

1. Align all facility modifications with the Educational and Facilities Master Plan.
2. Complete facilities to support the library, child development, physical education and athletics, and science and technology programs.
3. Create and implement a landscaping plan which blends all new buildings into a coordinated campus environment.
4. Increase access to the arts by building a Humanities and Fine Arts Center which includes a showcase for the digital arts.
5. Eliminate all temporary structures.
6. Insure that all college programs have permanent facilities (e.g., contract education and community education).