MICA’s DNA

Mission, Vision, and Tenets

Our vision is audacious. Our mission is bold.

Our Mission and Vision statements and our Tenets are an authentic reflection of MICA as we are today and what we aspire to be going forward.

A Thoughtful Process

MICA's new Mission, Vision, and Tenets were approved by the Board of Trustees on May 22, 2017.

The entire MICA community—alumni, faculty, parents, staff, students, and trustees—were engaged in rearticulating our Mission and Vision Statements, and generating the philosophy underpinning them and the new Tenets. The inclusive process involved convenings, small group discussions, open surveys, and individual conversations. We also sought input from external stakeholders in various fields. The steering committee was co-led by the president and chair of the Faculty Executive Committee. This full engagement has ensured that the outcomes are thoughtful and, importantly, an authentic reflection of MICA as we are today and what we aspire to be going forward.

The Mission statement expresses MICA's fundamental rationale for existence. Our Vision describes the long-range change that inspires our Mission. And our Tenets undergird MICA's culture, personality, and actions.

Mission

EMPOWER students to forge creative, purposeful lives and careers in a diverse and changing world. THRIVE with Baltimore. MAKE the world we imagine.

What does this mission mean to the MICA community?

Vision

A just, sustainable, and joyful world activated and enriched by artists, designers, and educators who are valued for their leadership and imagination.

What does this vision mean to the MICA community?

Tenets

  • We assert the centrality of artists, designers, and educators in society.
  • We shape culture.
  • We flourish through collaboration.
  • We embrace differences and champion equity.
  • We invent through thoughtful disruption.
  • We strive for excellence and rigor.
  • We act with intent and critical appraisal.
  • We model a community of care.
  • We take pride in our resilience.
  • We exemplify passion and conviction.
  • We have fun.