New vision statement for McMaster is ‘a unifying statement for our community’

After an extensive campus-wide consultation, McMaster has developed a new vision statement that articulates the institution’s commitment to making a positive impact on our world, both locally and globally.

“Impact, ambition and transformation through excellence, inclusion and community: Advancing human and societal health and well-being” reflects both the university’s current positioning statement as well as an inspiring vision for the future.

“This is an expression of our collective aspirations as a university – something that can help guide our commitment to common goals,” says President David Farrar. “It acts as a unifying statement for our community and a blueprint for our future actions.”

The vision statement was developed following a campaign in the fall called “Shape the Future,” which solicited input from McMaster students, faculty, staff and the wider community on five questions:

• Where should McMaster be in 30 years?
• What do students need to thrive in a rapidly changing world?
• Which of the urgent problems facing the world should McMaster focus on?
• What is the most impactful thing McMaster can do to create a brighter world for our city and our region?
• If there was one thing you could change about McMaster, what would it be?

Building on 900 responses to the questions, as well as feedback from McMaster senior leadership and focus groups, the vision statement aligns with the university’s upcoming strategic plan, which used the consultations to develop specific priorities and strategic goals.

“This was a community effort,” says Farrar, “The entire McMaster community is part of this vision. Achieving excellence, for us, is not a solitary act – it is a collective act.”

Here, Farrar explains each element of the vision statement:

Impact, ambition and transformation

“McMaster is a university with ambitious goals, and this speaks to the commitment of members of our university to making a positive impact on the world. Our research, our teaching and our students are focused on transforming the world we live in.”

Excellence, inclusion and community

“This is how we make change: by setting the highest standards in what we do and by building a clear sense of community and belonging for everyone. If we don’t build diverse teams, we won’t be able to solve the problems that are in front of us. Without inclusion, we will not meet our ambitious goals. Without involving our entire community, we will not succeed.”

Advancing human and societal health and well-being

“This university has a long commitment to advancing human and societal health and well-being – it’s embedded in our DNA as an institution. We do this by developing the partnerships and collaborations necessary to support our scholars and ensure we are well positioned to tackle the major local and global issues we face.”

Now that the vision statement has been completed, the university is moving on to finalize a strategic plan which will lay out a plan for specific actions and priorities to accomplish over the next three years.