Mission, Performance Indicators, and Assessment in U.S. Honors: A View from the Netherlands

A mission statement that identifies the goals and aims of an honors program is a key step in program development. The National Collegiate Honors Council's Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors Program states unequivocally that a successful honors program "has a clear mandate from the institution's administration in the form of a mission statement or charter document that includes the objectives and responsibilities of honors and defines the place of honors in the administrative and academic structure of the institution." Such mission statements have now become standard for honors programs and colleges. Following a brief history of mission statements outside of the academic world, this paper examines the online mission statements of current honors programs. This study investigates the link between the content of U.S. honors programs' mission statements, goals to be achieved, performance indicators, and outcomes in order to determine if mission statements in the U.S. have served the purpose for which they are designed. Such a determination can offer important guidance to developing honors programs in other parts of the world.