Why Most University Vision Statements Are a Joke — And How to Make Yours Soulful, Bold & Future-Ready
- Dr. Deepessh Divaakaran
- Apr 8
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
If your university’s vision can’t move its own people—how will it ever move the world? Maybe it’s time to stop writing for NAAC / NBA and start writing for the next generation.
Most university vision statements are outdated, uninspiring, and fail to speak to the students and faculty of today.
With Millennials and Gen Z in charge of teaching, and Gen Alpha (soon Gen Beta) as learners, the future demands bolder, emotionally resonant, and forward-thinking visions.
This article explores why this shift is crucial and how institutions can craft vision statements that will lead the next decade.
Contents in this Article
What If Your University Vision Statement Is Turning People Away?
Picture this: You land on a university website. You scroll down.
And there it is — the vision statement.
"To be a globally recognized centre of excellence in education and research..."
You yawn. And you're not the only one.
These aren't just words.
They're signals.
They either attract or repel.
And right now?
They're repelling.
The world has changed.
So has your audience.
Your faculty today? Millennials and Gen Z.
Your students today? Gen Alpha.
And soon? Gen Beta.
They don’t want bureaucratic jargon.
They want belief.
They don’t care for status.
They care for soul.
So why is your vision still written like it was drafted in 1995 by a committee trying not to offend anyone?
The Real Problem with University Vision Statements No One Talks About
Vision statements became a corporate ritual sometime in the '90s.
And higher education adopted them like a badge of legitimacy.
In India, it was NBA and NAAC started giving marks for Vision Statements.
And the colleges started just to copy paste Vision Statement.
But in most cases, these statements became museum pieces — dusted off once a year, shown to accreditors, and then forgotten.
According to a 2022 study by the Chronicle of Higher Education, fewer than 12% of students can recall their institution’s vision statement.
Faculty? Even less.
The problem isn’t the idea of a vision.
It’s the lack of visioneering.
India’s National Education Policy 2020 emphasized “transformative education” — yet many institutions still echo colonial-era aspirations or copy-paste corporate buzzwords.
Harvard didn’t become Harvard by playing it safe.
Nalanda didn’t become the world’s first residential university by seeking consensus.
And IITs didn’t earn global prestige by promising mediocrity.
The future belongs to the bold.
How NAAC and NBA Accidentally Killed the Soul of University Vision Statements
Let’s call out the elephant in the corridor—literally.
Accreditation bodies like NAAC and NBA, despite their well-intentioned frameworks, have unwittingly reduced university vision statements to a compliance checkbox.
Vision statement? Present? Check - 1 Mark
Displayed in the corridor? Check - 2 Mark
Painted near the principal’s office? - 2 Mark
Understood by anyone on campus? Not Checked
But Still Will get 5 Marks.
The purpose of a vision statement was never just to exist—
it was to ignite clarity, spark alignment, and inspire action.
But in the current system, institutions are rewarded for presence, not purpose.
Worse, if a vision statement dares to be too bold, too emotional, or too different—
it’s often seen as a deviation.
Creativity is punished. Conformity is rewarded.
And so, what do colleges do?
They print laminated boards.
Hang them in corridors.
Recite them during inspections.
And forget them the day after.
It becomes background noise, not a guiding north star.
The Real Tragedy of Compliance-Driven Vision Statements
Walk into any college during an inspection window:
You’ll see shiny new boards—laminated, framed, strategically placed.
Outside the Principal's office.
Near the admin block.
Above the faculty room door.
Even in hostel dining halls.
But ask a faculty member: “What does this vision actually mean to you?”
You’ll get a polite smile. And silence.
Ask a student: “How is this vision part of your journey?”
They’ll look confused.
Because the truth is: These vision statements are not guiding any one.
They’re being staged for accreditation cameras, not carved into the institution’s soul.
And when a college dares to write something original, radical, or bold—it often gets frowned upon by assessors who prefer conformity over courage.
Creativity is penalised. Uniformity is rewarded.
So institutions play it safe.
Water down their ambition.
Mute their originality.
And lose their future in the process.
What Accreditation Bodies Should Really Be Asking About University Vision Statements
Instead of “Is your vision statement displayed?”
Ask: “How does your vision drive faculty decisions?”
Instead of “Is it present in your documentation?”
Ask: “Can a second-year student explain what your university stands for?”
Instead of “Is it aligned with the mission?”
Ask: “Is it alive in your culture?”
The problem isn’t with NAAC/NBA as much as how checklists have become a substitute for consciousness.
It’s Time to Reclaim the University Vision Statement
Universities must stop writing vision statements for accreditors and start writing them for their future generations.
They should ask:
What truth are we willing to stand for?
What problem will our graduates solve 20 years from now?
What legacy will we leave behind—not on paper, but in people?
When accreditation becomes an outcome of authenticity, not an exercise in optics—education will rise again.
Crafting University Vision Statement in the Age of Identity and Impact
So how do we move from stale to stirring?
Here’s a practical roadmap:
Know Your Tribe: Speak to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Use language that moves them. Don’t simplify — electrify.
Anchor in Purpose: What problem will your graduates solve in 20 years? Make it central.
Be Brave: Don’t fear controversy. A good vision divides before it unites.
Think Cinematically: Your vision should play in the reader’s mind like a movie trailer, not a legal document.
Cut the Cliches: Replace "excellence" and "global leader" with real ambition.
Embed in Culture: Make it part of induction programs, annual festivals, even wall art.
Review Every 5 Years: Vision isn’t static. It’s a living compass.
Global Inspiration:
Minerva University: "Nurturing critical wisdom for the sake of the world."
Olin College of Engineering: "Reimagining engineering education from the ground up."
These visions don’t just inform.
They ignite.
What Ancient Wisdom Can Teach Us About Modern University Vision Statements
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna does not give Arjuna a management principle. He gives him vision.
One that connects his identity with duty. Fear with purpose.
This is the role of a university vision: to act as the inner fire for the institution. Not a document to be filed. But a mirror to reflect who you dare to become.
Ancient gurukuls weren’t built on policy. They were born out of clarity of vision: to nurture dharma-driven seekers who can lead society.
The same spirit must return.
A New Era of University Vision Statements Starts with Bravery, Not Bureaucracy
In a world where universities are fighting for relevance, rankings, and revenue, those with soulful, bold visions will win hearts.
It’s not about sounding modern.
It’s about being meaningful.
Ask yourself:
What are we here to create?
Who are we here to serve?
How will the world change because we existed?
When your answers to those questions become your vision…
You’ve already begun your transformation.
What If the Future Was Reading Your Vision Statement Today?
Because it is.
Every 15-year-old Gen Alpha student looking at your website is reading it.
Every Gen Z faculty member joining your campus is scanning it.
Every global partner, VC, start-up, policymaker—they’re watching.
And they’re silently asking:
Is this just another institution doing what's safe……or one that dares to dream at scale?
If your vision can’t move your own people, it won’t move the world.
If your vision can't scare you a little, it’s not big enough.
If your vision can't outlive you, it’s not worthy of the word.
The Legacy You Choose Starts Here
So here’s the real exam.
Not NAAC. Not NBA.
But this:
Will your vision create visionaries?
Or just more graduates?
The answer, as always, is not in a mark sheet.
It’s in the mirror.
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And there are colleges asking for laundry list of vision and mission statements to choose from!!!