Statement of Vision and Mission

Vision

Our vision describes the aspiration for Auburn University 20 years in the future. It is deliberately intended to be lofty — realistic and ever challenging while also bold and ambitious. It is a challenge to ourselves to achieve greatness. Our vision is an invitation to the Auburn Family and those who do not yet know Auburn University to join us in our quest to inspire, innovate, and transform.

Auburn University has established itself as an excellent comprehensive, public land-grant university. However, excellence is not enough. We aspire to become a world-renowned institution that excels in education, research, and service—and to become a model of higher education. We understand that higher education is on the precipice of change. We intend to lead and shape that change.

Our goals describe Auburn University’s highest priorities for the next five years. The accomplishment of these goals will best position our institution to achieve its 20-year vision.

Mission Statement

As a land-grant institution, Auburn University is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Alabama, the nation, and the world through forward-thinking education, life-enhancing research and scholarship, and selfless service.

Auburn University’s mission concisely describes our central purpose. Our mission statement begins with a reference to the university’s origins and obligations as a public land-grant university. The 1862 Morrill Act created institutions of higher education that focused on agriculture and mechanical arts—a response to changing social and economic conditions. Land-grant universities would provide practical solutions to pressing societal problems and provide higher education to a much broader segment of American citizenry. Land-grant universities would eventually serve as the creators of economic opportunity and development. As such, we must never lose sight of the important educational, research and service responsibilities inherent in our land-grant lineage. Subsequent to its founding as a land-grant university, Auburn has also been designated, through federal legislation, as a sea-grant and space-grant university.

Our first responsibility is to educate our students and prepare them for life. We endeavor to expand their minds, broaden their experiences, and hone their capabilities by imparting both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Our goal is to empower and inspire our students to be their very best and to achieve their hopes and dreams. A key element of our public charter and of the Auburn Creed is to ensure our students are instilled with a strong work ethic, sound character traits, and core values of honesty and respect. We encourage students to make valuable contributions and to lead their fellow citizens in creating meaningful change. This responsibility to build moral character and inculcate active social responsibility distinguishes the student experience at all land-grant universities, and certainly at Auburn University.

Our second responsibility is to drive the development of research and scholarship that creates and advances knowledge. We support, build upon, and leverage the expertise of our faculty, students, and partners to discover, innovate, and create new science, new technologies, and new applications and methodologies that tangibly improve our world.

Our third responsibility, engagement and outreach, leverages the value of the first two elements. Our duty is to enable our students, graduates, faculty and partners to transform the fruits of our research and scholarship into products, methods, and services that meet our communities’ most pressing needs. Delivering real-world, practical solutions is what sets land-grant universities apart and is core to Auburn University’s foundation.

To be among the best land-grant universities, we must continue to excel in all three responsibilities. This requires leveraging the synergy found in the interchange of education, research, and service to maximize our impact on Alabama and the world.

History of Auburn University

Auburn University was chartered in 1856 and traces its beginning to the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts institution whose doors opened in 1859. From 1861 to 1866 the college was closed because of the Civil War. The college had begun an affiliation with the Methodist Church before the war. Due to financial straits, the church transferred legal control of the institution to the state in 1872, making it the first land-grant college in the South to be established separate from the state university. It thus became the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama.

Women were admitted in 1892, and in 1899 the name again was changed to the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. In 1960, the school acquired a more appropriate name, Auburn University, a title more in keeping with its location, size, and complexity. The institution has experienced its greatest growth since World War II, and today enrolls over 30,000 students.

Auburn University Montgomery was established as a separately administered branch campus in 1967. The institution has developed rapidly and is located on a 500-acre campus in east Montgomery.

As a land-grant university, Auburn University has a unique role in the state’s total higher education enterprise, embracing and enhancing the interrelated functions of instruction, research and extension. In fulfillment of this mission, Auburn has developed into a premier comprehensive University offering outstanding, economically accessible instruction to its undergraduate, graduate, and professional students; conducting research in an ever-expanding array of disciplines; and reaching a growing number of Alabamians through public service and extension programs.

By striving for excellence in all its activities, Auburn represents a major resource in the state’s economic, social, and cultural development. In recognition of obligations to society, instruction, research, and extension programs are also sensitive to national and global concerns. The primary resource for realizing these goals, as at all universities, are the employees; and it is through systematic recruitment, assignment, development, recognition, and comprehensive programs that Auburn nurtures such a prominent, highly productive staff.

The Administrative and Professional Assembly

The Administrative and Professional Assembly consists of all non-faculty, “exempt” * employees who are members of the Administrative and Professional employee group. The Administrative and Professional Assembly was established to afford Administrative and Professional employees representative participation in the University governance process. Similar governance groups exist for other employee classifications: the University Senate for faculty members and the University Staff Council for staff employees.

The Assembly is an elected body established at Auburn University by authority of the University Board of Trustees. The purpose of the Assembly is to advise the President regarding policies, procedures and general welfare issues affecting the Administrative and Professional employee group. The Assembly is composed of 21 members from the Administrative and Professional employee group. The Assembly meets quarterly, and all meetings are open to Administrative and Professional employees. Representation on the Assembly is proportional among the vice presidential and presidential categories as determined by the Executive Committee of the Assembly. For a more detailed description of the Assembly's workings, please refer to the Administrative and Professional Assembly Constitution available on the Administrative and Professional Assembly web page.

Administrative and Professional employees are eligible to serve on various University committees. Each spring all Administrative and Professional employees are surveyed as to interest in serving on these committees.

In addition to the University committees, several Assembly committees exist for which all Administrative and Professional employees are eligible. A list of the Administrative and Professional committees is available on the Administrative and Professional web page.

All Administrative and Professional employees are encouraged to discuss any policies or concerns affecting the Administrative and Professional employee group with their representative on the Assembly. A list of Assembly members is available on the Administrative and Professional web page.

* “Exempt” employees at Auburn University are monthly salaried employees. The term “exempt” derives from the Fair Labor Standards Act, a federal law, which establishes categories of employees eligible for overtime payment. In general, the law “exempts” from overtime payment employees who meet certain criteria established by federal regulation.

Auburn University Staff Council

All non-exempt* employees are members of the University Staff Council (AUSC). This Council was established to afford University Staff employees representative participation in the University governance process. Similar governance groups exist for other employee classifications: the University Senate for faculty members and the Administrative and Professional Assembly for exempt employees.

The AUSC is an elected body established at Auburn University by authority of the University Board of Trustees. The purpose of the AUSC is to facilitate communication to the President regarding policies, procedures, and general welfare issues affecting the staff employee group.

The Staff in each division elects an individual who can best represent and serve as the point of contact for their Staff employees. This individual becomes the division’s AUSC representative. Council meetings are scheduled once each quarter. Council representatives are responsible for bringing employee concerns to the attention of the AUSC.

Staff employees are eligible to serve on various University committees. Each spring all Staff employees are surveyed as to interest in serving on these committees.

In addition to the University committees, several AUSC committees exist for which all Staff employees are eligible. Contact your division representative for more information.

All AUSC employees are encouraged to discuss any policies or concerns affecting the Staff employee group with their representative on the AUSC. A list of representatives is available on the AUSC web site.

* “Non-exempt” employees are, by and large, hourly wage employees. The term derives from the Fair Labor Standards Act, a federal law, which establishes categories of employees eligible for overtime payment. In general, the law “exempts” from overtime payment employees who are monthly salaried and declares non-exempt (from the law) hourly wage employees.

Onboarding

The university’s Onboarding Center provides a positive and welcoming experience for new employees. This experience aids new hires in becoming productive members within the organization as readily as possible. Services provided through the onboarding process includes: 

  • Assigning new hire paperwork and tasks to a new employee’s success at AU

  • Assisting new employees through the completion of the Form I-9/E-Verify

  • Scheduling orientation for full-time, benefit-eligible employees

  • Issuing employee identification cards (non-students)

  • Providing guidance to hiring departments

For additional information refer to the Onboarding Center website.

Upon completion of the onboarding process your employment orientation consists of two phases:

  • New Employee Orientation: Human Resources conducts a new employee orientation session at the Auburn University Administrative Complex. This session will provide general information to help new employees get started and will address University employment, conduct and job performance rules, and workplace policies. Additionally, it will assist employees in completing payroll deduction forms and in signing up for University benefits.

  • Departmental Orientation: A new employee’s supervisor will discuss detail relating to their specific responsibilities, expectations, and departmental policies. Typically, this discussion occurs no later than the first week of employment. The department may collaborate with the onboarding center for additional resources and best practices. Visit the Onboarding Center website for additional information.

Human Resources

Auburn University Human Resources (AUHR) functions to serve the best interests of both the employees and the University. The Associate Vice President for AUHR and staff are responsible for implementing human resource policies. They also handle recruiting, position classification, wage and salary administration, payroll and employee benefits, orientation, training, employee records, employee relations and employee recognition.

Members of the AUHR staff are available to provide assistance. Employees can find the AUHR offices in the Auburn University Administrative Complex, located at 1550 E. Glenn Ave., call 334-844-4145 or contact their Human Resources Liaison.