Mission & vision

Mission Statement

UW Bothell holds the student-faculty relationship to be paramount. We provide access to excellence in higher education through innovative and creative curricula, interdisciplinary teaching and research, and a dynamic community of multicultural learning.

  • Serve college-age and established adult students, as well as the community at large, by providing access to a premier institution of higher education.
  • Emphasize and develop critical thinking, writing, and information literacy, in order to graduate students with life-long learning skills.
  • Actively recruit and support outstanding faculty scholars with a passion for communication.
  • Build an inclusive and supportive community of learning and incorporate multicultural content and diverse perspectives on ethnic and racial groups, gender, sexual orientation, social class, and special needs.
  • Encourage and support collaborative, interdisciplinary, and cross-program initiatives.
  • Provide quality curricula by making use of the best of educational technology in support of teaching and learning.
  • Attract and support an internationally diverse student body and a nationally recognized faculty and staff.
  • Create and support excellence in student services, academic services such as library, writing center, computing services, and physical facilities.
  • Foster productive relationships with the employment community and promote a strong public service commitment.

The University of Washington Bothell is committed to achieving this mission and promotes the on-going review of our outcomes, organizational structures, and processes that support this mission and these goals.


Vision Statement

The University of Washington Bothell will be a transformational learning community. We will serve as a catalyst to enhance the quality of life throughout our region.

Our culture of learning, committed to disciplined inquiry and responsible service, will be woven into our organizational and operational life. We will be noted for discipline-bridging scholarship, valued in the community, and respected in the academy. Our success will attract a highly motivated and diverse student population and a faculty and staff of exceptional ability and dedication.


Core Values

Three principal values underlie UW Bothell’s identity and signature strength as an institution of higher learning. These core values are crucial to the realization of our mission and to the fulfillment of our vision for the future:

Transformational Education

We have an overriding commitment to providing our students with the best possible university education through challenging programs of study and innovative methods of instruction. We value engaging our students in transformational learning experiences that challenge their expectations, broaden their horizons, and stimulate their ambitions.

It is our goal to foster a passion for life-long learning, intellectual engagement, and respectful appreciation for others’ perspectives.

Engaged Scholarship

As scholars and learners, we embrace scholarship that is innovative and rigorous. We encourage intellectual contributions that transcend the boundaries of conventional disciplines and enhance the education of our students.

Our scholarship contributes to our region’s dynamic economy and enhances the lives of its people. Awareness of and involvement in our community keeps us open, responsive, and responsible.

Inclusive Culture

Our diverse community promotes understanding and collaboration across disciplines, cultures, and beliefs. All students, staff, and faculty are both learners and teachers mutually engaged in a collective effort.

Our entrepreneurial history has taught us that flexibility, responsiveness to change, and respect for multiple viewpoints are essential organizational capabilities. These principles will continue to guide our governance and commitment to the welfare of the whole.

Approved by the General Faculty Organization March 13, 2002
Approved by the Cabinet April 11, 2002