Mission

The mission of the University of Kansas is to lift students and society by educating leaders, building healthy communities and making discoveries that change the world. We advance this mission every day across KU's five campuses, which include the Lawrence Campus, the Edwards Campus, and three KU Medical Center campuses in Kansas City, Salina and Wichita.

Additional detail about the Lawrence Campus is provided below. Detail on the KU Medical Center mission is available here.

Lawrence Campus

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university that serves as a center for learning, scholarship and creative endeavor. The University of Kansas is the only state university in Kansas to hold membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), a select group of 66 public and private research universities that represent excellence in graduate and professional education and the highest achievements in research internationally.

Instruction

The university is committed to offering the highest quality undergraduate, professional and graduate programs comparable to the best obtainable anywhere in the nation. As the AAU research university of the state, the University of Kansas offers a broad array of advanced graduate study programs and fulfills its mission through faculty, academic and research programs of international distinction, and outstanding libraries, teaching museums and information technology. These resources enrich the undergraduate experience and are essential for graduate level education and for research.

Research

The university attains high levels of research productivity and recognizes that faculty are part of a network of scholars and academicians that shape a discipline as well as teach it. Research and teaching, as practiced at the University of Kansas, are mutually reinforcing with scholarly inquiry underlying and informing the educational experience at undergraduate, professional and graduate levels.

Service

The university first serves Kansas, then the nation, and the world through research, teaching, and the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. The university provides service to the State of Kansas through its state and federally funded research centers. KU's academic programs, arts facilities, and public programs provide cultural enrichment opportunities for the larger community. Educational, research and service programs are offered throughout the state.

International Dimension

The university is dedicated to preparing its students for lives of learning and for the challenges educated citizens will encounter in an increasingly complex and diverse global community. Over 100 programs of international study and cooperative research are available for KU students and faculty at sites throughout the world. The university offers teaching and research that draw upon and contribute to the most advanced developments throughout the United States and the rest of the world. At the same time, KU's extensive international ties support economic development in Kansas.

Values

The university is committed to excellence. It fosters a multicultural, inclusive environment in which the dignity and rights of the individual are respected. Intellectual diversity, integrity and disciplined inquiry in the search for knowledge are of paramount importance.

(Approved by the Kansas Board of Regents 1992; revised 2019)