All schools, whether primary and secondary schools or higher education, have mission statements to tell the public and their bodies what they’re all about and Baruch College, of course, is no exception.

While it hasn’t been updated in a while, the statement is still very accurate and reflects the school community as it is today.

However, the mission statement does miss one vital component of many Bearcats’ college experiences — the huge club and organization community on campus and the nearly daily events that come as a result of them.

As the mission states, Baruch “remains dedicated to being a catalyst for the social, cultural, and financial mobility of a diverse student body, reflective of its historical mission. Baruch College educates men and women for leadership roles in business, civic and cultural affairs, and academia.”

This correctly presents the school, as it does have a very racially and socio-economically diverse population and the goal for many students is to ascend in the financial hierarchy of our society.

Baruch also aims to improve students’ critical thinking and analytical skills, cultural awareness and sense of ethics, according to the statement, which can be found on the school’s website1.

The mission statement is pretty in line with those of other CUNY schools, such as City College’s goal to unleash their students’ potential and foster “research, creativity, and innovation.”

Similarly, Hunter College’s three-paragraph mission statement explains their objective is to emphasize creativity, research and “human diversity,” while also advocating for their students to use New York City’s resources to their advantage.

These statements are all relatively similar, but both CCNY’s and Hunters have further reach; Baruch’s mission statement should touch on more than just the teaching and classes.

There is vibrant club life and student comradery on campus that this statement completely leaves out. Obviously, as this is a school, classes are a big part of time spent on campus, but many students are in at least one of the over 130 clubs and organizations that meet here weekly.

These groups teach students a lot about accepting each other’s differences, working together and being creative. They even help students work on their marketing and organizing skill, for those who are part of committees and executive boards.

Students get to experience different cultures and religions through clubs and their events, they participate in activities they normally wouldn’t have the opportunities to do at on-campus events.

This school is about a lot more than just the knowledge that is dispersed in class, it’s about the community students grow to be a part of during their time here, and the mission statement, while overall pretty on point, should be modified to reflect this.