Mission:

Delaware State University is a public, comprehensive, 1890 land-grant institution. The mission of the University is to provide for the people of Delaware and others who are admitted, meaningful and relevant education that emphasizes both the liberal and professional aspects of higher education. Within this context, the University provides educational opportunities to all qualified citizens of this state and other states at a cost consistent with the economic status of the students as a whole. While recognizing its historical heritage, the University serves a diverse student population with a broad range of programs in instruction, service, and research, so that its graduates will become competent, productive and contributing citizens.

Vision:

Delaware State University will be a diverse, selective teaching, research and service university in the land-grant tradition, serving the people of the state of Delaware and the region. It will be a university of first choice for students from the state. It will:

Excel in the education of undergraduates in the Liberal Arts and in the professional, technical and scientific development of the workforce.

Attain a significant educational presence in all three Delaware counties, emphasizing also services for adult learners and providing for the re-certification needs of professionals.

Provide an important engine for research and economic development in Delaware, especially in Kent and Sussex counties.

Offer an array of master’s and doctoral programs in areas of importance to the social and economic development of Delaware. Through those programs graduate leaders in areas such as Education, the Natural, Social and Health-related Sciences and professions, Agriculture, Social Work, Aviation and Business.

Develop a community of scholars with talent and expertise that will garner regional and national recognition.

Enhance competition in intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA division I level, with an increasing emphasis on the participation of female student-athletes.

Develop the Arts as an integral part of the University’s programs and cultivate relationships in the Arts across the state and region.

Continue to build a culture of global awareness through internationally focused teaching and learning activities and by cultivating collaborative relationships with international programs, higher education institutions and global communities

Philosophy:

Delaware State University, a progressive, 1890 land-grant, comprehensive, public-assisted institution, is committed, foremost, to academic excellence and intellectual competence. Freedom of expression and inquiry, the exchange of ideas, cultural activities, intensive classroom instruction, and numerous informal events of the university community combine to ensure that each student receives a thorough and marketable education.

The University recognizes that education is attained, in part, through the activities of the students themselves. It strives to provide and maintain a corps of scholars, lecturers, and educators dedicated to the enlightenment of mankind.

To this end, the University endeavors to:

Provide a well-rounded liberal arts education with a concentration in either the sciences, the humanities, or the professions.

Provide service to the citizens of the state by increasing their ability to make practical application of knowledge.

Develop conceptual thinking ability and nurture the inquiring mind of each student.

Develop student skills in oral and written communication.

Encourage optimum physical development and the safeguarding of health.
Encourage students to serve their home, the community, the nation, and the world.