Board of Trustees Approves New Mission Statement
M. Editor | November 8, 2018
At its November 2018 meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Buddhist Studies updated its mission statement to:
To provide graduate level education in the full breadth of the Buddhist tradition with specialized education supporting Pure Land and contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies, while advancing Jodo Shinshu Buddhist ministry and Buddhist chaplaincy.
The Board, at the recommendation of the faculty, students, and other community members, recognizes that IBS has long served a growing and diverse community of students from a variety of Buddhist backgrounds pursuing a number of career paths, from Shin Buddhist ministry, to scholarship, to chaplaincy. The revised mission statement reflects the wider array of educational programs offered by IBS.
President Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto stated, “We are very pleased that the revised IBS Mission Statement clearly reflects the fact that IBS has been and will continue to be committed to providing a comprehensive education to persons who aspire to be Buddhist ministers and chaplains.”
During its recent academic program review, IBS faculty also recommended a revision to IBS’s institutional learning outcomes. The faculty recommended, and the Board affirmed, the following statement:
Creatively combining liberal arts and scholar-practitioner models of education, the Institute of Buddhist Studies:
- through educational programs grounded in critical thinking and academic freedom, empowers students to become effective and engaged scholars, teachers, ministers, and chaplains;
- through publications, scholarship, and research programs, promotes engagement with the Buddhist tradition and contributes to the public good;
- through institutional partnerships and in community, fosters an awareness, respect, and appreciation for Buddhist, religious, and cultural diversity.
“This statement reflects the three core values of the Institute — our focus on education, research, and community,” said IBS Dean of Students and Faculty Affairs, Dr. Scott Mitchell. “The faculty feels strongly that this statement reflects the fullness of what IBS provides to its students and the world.”
To learn more about the Institute of Buddhist Studies’ programs, please visit our website at www.shin-ibs.edu.