Mission, Vision & Goals

MISSION STATEMENT

The Office of Corporate and Community Relations connects Athens State University with businesses, schools, agencies, and the wider community through innovative and collaborative partnerships, programs, and services.

VISION STATEMENT

Corporate and Community Relations will fulfill the diverse and common outreach commitments of the University by connecting and coordinating with corporate and community partners in economic development, P-12 educational delivery, lifelong learning, arts and cultural offerings, quality of life, sustainability, and community engagement opportunities.

STRATEGIC GOALS

Corporate and Community Relations will add value to the University, its departments, and constituencies by accomplishing the following:

Serve as the focal point for external stakeholders to become aware of academic programs and relevant reciprocal opportunities and to contact the university about mutually beneficial relationships.

Key Metrics:

  • Number and frequency of interactions with external stakeholders
  • Number of Faculty serving on boards
  • Number of Faculty experts listed in the Experts directory

Develop, structure, and implement partnerships with corporate and business leaders, the non-profit sector, P-12 education, community colleges, and community organizations to strengthen the University’s academic and leadership role in the North Alabama area.

Key Metrics:

  • Inventory of partnerships divided into corporate, non-profit, P-12, two-year, and community groups
  • Categorization of relationships along the continuum from limited capacity to strategic partnership (employing NACRO “Levels of Engagement”)
  • Stewardship and growth of existing relationships

Partner with faculty, staff, and students engaged in outreach activities to form connections, lend support, and bring recognition to their accomplishments.

Key Metrics:

  • Numbers of students engaged in service-learning and volunteering
  • Numbers of faculty and staff engaged in volunteering in the community

Realize cross-campus efficiencies in and capitalize on relations that include a variety of external stakeholders.

Key Metrics:

  • Activities of faculty, staff, and students, in partnership with the community, to bring about efficient usage of resources, e.g., space and energy, in sustainable ways
  • Number of grants shared with corporate and community partner
  • Generation of new resources

Oversee and coordinate the University’s outreach activities, through awareness, classification, communication, and stewardship of contributions, across all of their forms, levels, and capacities.

Key Metrics:

  • Inventory of activities tracked, analyzed, and communicated through Collaboratory
  • Carnegie Community Engagement Classification in 2025