Purpose

Mission

As part of this strategic planning process, UConn reflected on its current mission and determined it still stands strong.

The University of Connecticut is dedicated to excellence demonstrated through national and international recognition. As Connecticut’s public research university, through freedom of academic inquiry and expression, we create and disseminate knowledge by means of scholarly and creative achievements, graduate and professional education, and outreach. Through our focus on teaching and learning, the University helps every student grow intellectually and become a contributing member of the state, national, and world communities. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, we embrace diversity and cultivate leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. As our state’s flagship public university, and as a land and sea grant institution, we promote the health and well-being of Connecticut’s citizens through enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond.

A female student wearing a hijab and blue latex gloves holds a needle vertically, drawing a liquid from a small glass vial, while the hands of two other people are seen doing the same on the edges of the frame.

Vision

We are a nationally prominent, globally impactful, land- and sea-grant public university.

Strategic planning sharpened our collective sense of the identity UConn aspires to and the values we want to embody in the coming years. We seek impact on multiple levels, positioning ourselves to be among the Northeast’s foremost public universities.

A Black female student wearing her hair in braids gestures with her hand while speaking to someone near the camera, while sitting at a table flanked by four other students, all with laptops opened in front of them
A male student wearing a blue sweatshirt that says "UCONN" and two female students walk down a sidewalk toward the camera, in the center of the UConn Storrs campus next to the Student Union Mall, with Homer Babbidge Library in the background and fall foliage on either side.
Rows of male and female students representing diverse backgrounds sit facing the camera in a large lecture hall, some looking up at their instructor, some writing or typing, all with laptops opened in front of them - Laptops in the first two rows are adorned with a variety of stickers, including three with prominent "UCONN" wordmarks.

Values

Our values ground us and remind us what we center in all that we do, so that we hold fast to what’s most important.

Academic Distinction
We strive for the highest standards in education, research, and scholarship and encourage new discoveries that inspire humanity.

Holistic Learning
We provide our students with a rigorous education alongside opportunities to build competencies in emotional intelligence, creative thinking, innovation, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and other life skills.

Inclusive Community
We embrace the diversity of all people for their unique lived experiences and create a culture of belonging, integrity, kindness, justice, and wellness.

Local Vitality
We engage Connecticut communities to foster a more equitable, healthy, economically vibrant, entrepreneurial, and sustainable future.

Global Impact
We generate solutions to pressing global challenges, including climate change, human rights, and health disparities.