Our Values & Purpose

Our Purpose & Promise

Grounded in history, dedicated to the public good.

Our purpose drives us, our promise guides us.

We're committed to the ideals of our land-grant mission: to produce employable graduates, advance purpose-driven science, and work alongside communities to improve lives and livelihoods.


Purpose

To ensure the resilience and health of our communities, people, environments, and economies locally, regionally, and globally.

Promise

To educate students and communities in ways that enable their future success in the regional and global economies.

To develop new knowledge and new technologies to benefit society.

Vision

To be the most important driver in Arizona's economy, and the world's top enterprise in 21st century agriculture, life sciences, and commerce.

Who we are

The University of Arizona’s Land-grant Division  formally known as the Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension is comprised of three foundational pillars:

  • The College of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Sciences (CALES)
  • The Arizona Experiment Station (AES)
  • The University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension System (CES)

Our strategic plan is focused to allow us to be resilient, regionally responsive to our stakeholders and globally relevant.

The Great Recession signaled our new normal, accelerating changes in, and the coalescence of, computation,   biology and engineering that have since been branded the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4thIR) by the World Economic Forum.

We know we face, and need to be responsive to, rapidly changing technologies, delivery models, age and demographic diversity, and state demographics, because we always have been. We know that today’s graduates will have multiple jobs. We know how to create new energy sources, more efficient water and energy use, how the value of food and food production will increase, how family structures and economies are changing amongst many other things.

We will deliver resilience through integrated systems with five interconnected components:

  • Arid and Semi-Arid Region Agriculture and Environment
  • Individuals, Families, Communities, and Organizations
  • Globally Oriented Basic and Applied Research
  • Border Commerce
  • Circular Bioeconomies

Our Core Values

These principles form the basis of our college's priorities.

Trustworthiness

We are honest and non-biased in our communications and committed to what we promise.

Practicality

We focus on education, research and outreach with near-term value and application as well as long-term solutions.

Responsiveness

We identify and respond to changing needs.

Relevance

We promote ideas and productivity that create positive impacts.

Entrepreneurship

We pursue initiatives that include calculated risk to deliver value.

Ingenuity

We reward innovation.

Compassion

We care about each individual’s and community’s circumstances, experiences and contributions.

Respect

We expect professionalism and collegiality.

Pluralism

We have formal delegated responsibility and authority and believe in faculty governance and collaboration.

Egalitarianism

We are committed to an accessible education and broad-based research rather than academic elitism.

Diversity

We embrace individual differences in thoughts, ideas, and actions, as well as personal experiences, histories, and perspectives.

Inclusiveness

We believe being inclusive is synonymous with being excellent and allows all our students, faculty, and staff to thrive.