What are the key areas included in the mission (objectives) of higher education institutions?

Higher education is defined as the custodian, creator, and critic of knowledge. To fulfill this multiple role, higher education is dedicated to teaching, research, and service to society. Guardianship Teaching, which is a process, preserves knowledge by passing it from one generation to another. Research (and subsequently, publications) serve as guardians, creators, and critics by stating what is known, expanding the knowledge base with new discoveries, and carefully examining both the old and the new. Serving the community, This represents another extension of the academy's protective role. Through service to society, higher education institutions enable society to use knowledge more effectively.

In this context, a higher education institution should formulate its mission or objectives by grouping them under the following headings:

• Education and training
• Research
• Serving the community
• Quality assurance

To demonstrate their commitment to these core processes in their policies, they also define their objectives under the heading of quality assurance.

You can access the Turkish Higher Education Council website to read the evaluation reports of Turkish universities under these headings. You can learn about the status of universities in your province and plan what you can do together.

In structured environments, you can learn about your expectations from higher education institutions and their expectations of you, and chart a common course together. Every province should appreciate the value of its higher education institutions. You should not only benefit from them but also plan what you can contribute to them.

However, this path should not be based on sympathetic relationships, but on knowledge, on the foundation of an information society, and should be provided through systematic, traceable evidence. The methods in this field must be learned.

Keywords: Higher education, mission, being systematic.

Prof. Dr. Diler Aslan

December 3, 2020

About the author: He worked in various founding and managerial positions in higher education institutions for 25 years. For the last 12 years, he has served as the University Bologna Process Coordinator, Chair of the Bologna Coordination Commission, Director of the Quality Center, and Quality Coordinator. He is an External Quality Evaluator for the Council of Higher Education.