You may notice that our statements have an action focus. They are purposefully written in the present affirmative, so they can act as a prompt for deeper conversation and inquiry. We can look at all the elements of a statement such as collaborating in ways that help us be the best we can be, such as:
- What are the ways we are collaborating now? How well is that working?
- In what ways can we improve our collaborating? Where can we look for innovative partners?
- What is the best we can be? What's better than that? How do we get there?
Or we can look at the whole statement at once:
- Is what we are about to do collaborating in ways that help us be the best we can be?
- How can this project help us focus on collaborating in ways that help us be the best we can be?
- Where are we already collaborating in ways that help us be the best we can be? What can we learn from that?
The statements are intended to be challenging; but focusing on them will take us closer to being the University we truly want to be. The Values Statement is a conversation starter, and it is our community conversation and collective action that will make the difference to our future.