The career college sector of higher education has always been mission-driven, and despite a few bumps in the road, has always had students' interests at heart. Particularly in the last couple of years, many institutions have realigned themselves with their core mission and values in the changing career education landscape - still so very much focused on teaching employable work skills to help adults accomplish their career goals and objectives.

I have long been an advocate of mission statements - not just for the aggregate institution, but for individual departments as to how they see their work in concert with who they are and their contributions to a school's unified purpose.

In retrospect, I'm wondering if we should take mission statements even one step further - for the faculty. After all, who remains closest to the pulse, needs, characteristics and accomplishments of our students? Who best forms the professional relationships on the most frequent basis, and who better to represent the subject matter, the school and even the industry?

I encourage schools to have their instructors write individual mission statements that reflect their philosophy of teaching and their student commitment, also in concert with the school's unified mission. It brings a focus and a refreshing example of the most integral part of our institutions - the faculty themselves! The mission statements should be displayed in the classroom and lab as a reminder of the crucial and welcomed role our instructors play in the lives of their students. I might even suggest that prospective teachers write a personal mission statement as part of the application or onboarding process.

It's not beyond reason that those who have the most effect on our students are also those with missions that really have the most profound effect on our institutions and the sector at large.