The University of New Hampshire is unique among educational institutions in the state. By its original land-grant charter, the University combines the professions with the liberal arts and sciences and serves the public need for educated citizens. This mission, confirmed by the achievement of sea-grant and space-grant status, has expanded as the University has evolved. Now the largest and most diverse educational institution in the state, the University offers a broad array of undergraduate programs, professional programs, and research and graduate programs. Its primary purpose remains service to the citizens of New Hampshire. To serve the state well, the University has achieved national and international stature.
The modern land-grant university has a threefold mission: the scholarly functions of teaching, research, and public service are mixed and balanced in a wide variety of programs.

Teaching.
All students at the University, from beginning to advanced levels, share the freedom of the faculty to follow academic interests in various directions. Yet all learning that can be shared rests on the foundation of common knowledge and basic skills, and therefore all undergraduate programs of instruction at the University are built on a program of general education. The objectives of general education carry through the undergraduate subject major, as students refine and apply their skills and discover the relationships among fields of study. At the graduate level, students achieve independence as scholars. The moderate size and full scope of the University offers students at every level the advantage of close contact with individual faculty. That this faculty is dedicated to research and artistry is also an advantage for students, because active scholars and artists teach by sharing their own learning.

Research.
The activity of research embraces all the arts and sciences at the University. This activity is valuable in itself as it results in original contributions to human understanding and expression, but it is also an integral part of both undergraduate and graduate programs. In doctoral study, and in many master's programs, thesis research is a primary mode of learning. As a land-grant , sea-grant, and space-grant institution, the University of New Hampshire has a special obligation to conduct applied research in the areas of agriculture, engineering, and marine sciences, and to disseminate the findings to the state and nation. Although any university must be selective in its quest for excellence in research, the only public university in the state has the responsibility to meet the public need for a broad scope of pure and applied research. The obligation not only to know but to share knowledge extends the University to the larger world of learning.

Public Service.
The University is likewise cosmopolitan in its public service activities. It fulfills its special responsibility for the welfare of the state through UNH Cooperative Extension, through the Division of Continuing Education, and through research and consultation on particular needs of New Hampshire citizens. Likewise, the array of professional and graduate programs at the University reflects not only the distinctive expertise of the faculty but also the dedication to the state and region. More broadly, the undergraduate curriculum prepares citizens for full participation in a democratic society. Outside the classroom, too, participation in an academic community dedicated to the public interest inculcates an ethic of public service.
The University of New Hampshire is dedicated to collaborative learning inside and outside the classroom. By long tradition, it puts concern for humanity at the center of learning and attends to the ethical dimensions of the intellectual enterprise. From this standpoint, the University community is committed to the free and open exchange of ideas and prizes the scholarly virtues of integrity and honesty. It prepares students for full and active participation in the democratic society.

September 1993