Kansas State University

The mission of Kansas State University is to foster excellent teaching, research, and service that develop a highly skilled and educated citizenry necessary to advancing the well-being of Kansas, the nation, and the international community. The university embraces diversity, encourages engagement, and is committed to discovering knowledge, the education of undergraduate and graduate students, and improvement in the quality of life and standard of living of those we serve.
Kansas State University is a comprehensive, research, land-grant institution serving students and the people of Kansas, the nation, and the world. Since its founding in 1863, the university has evolved into a modern institution of higher education, committed to quality programs, and responsive to a rapidly changing world and an increasingly diverse society's aspirations. Together with other major comprehensive universities, K-State shares responsibilities for developing human potential, expanding knowledge, enriching cultural expression, and extending its expertise to individuals, business, education, and government. These responsibilities are addressed through an array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, research and creative activities, and outreach and public service programs. Its land-grant mandate, based on federal and state legislation, establishes a focus on its instructional, research, and extension activities, which is unique among the Regents' institutions.
Through quality teaching, the university is committed to providing all students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, understanding, and skills characteristic of an educated person. It is also pledged to prepare students for successful employment or advanced studies through various disciplinary and professional degree programs. To meet these intentions, the institution dedicates itself to providing academic and extracurricular learning experiences that promote and value both excellence and cultural diversity. K-State prepares its students to be informed, productive, and responsible citizens who actively advance cultural, educational, economic, scientific, and socio-political undertakings.
Research and other creative endeavors comprise an essential component of K-State's mission. All faculty members contribute to the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge, applications, and products. These efforts, supported by public and private resources, are conducted in an atmosphere of open inquiry and academic freedom. Essential to this mission's pursuit is the university's commitment to broad-based programs in graduate education at both the master's and doctoral levels.
Faculty, staff, and administrators share their expertise through service to the university and disciplinary organizations via outreach, engagement, and extension-related activities. Their work supports numerous projects related to the goals, missions, or aspirations of the departments, colleges of the university, and the members of the professional community. Through outreach and engagement initiatives, partnerships are established with various stakeholders to translate knowledge and basic research into applications that address public needs. These service activities are integrally related to the land-grant mission.
The extension is governed by Kansas statutes that empower elected county councils and district governing boards with authority and responsibility to assess needs and conduct a local educational program in cooperation with Kansas State University and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A network of local extension professionals and volunteers link Kansas State University faculty, the National Cooperative Extension System, to the USDA, which produces high-quality educational programs.
If the proof is in the numbers, our case is clear. K-Staters are known for aiming high and then looking even higher from first-year students to tenured professors to entire departments. K-State is consistently ranked in the top 10 for many prominent Princeton Review rankings. We boast some of the highest numbers of national scholars in a public university, and our experts are called on to solve problems worldwide.
How do you know if you are Wildcat material? It is easy. Wildcats are family. We are welcoming and inclusive. We believe in the greater good. We are the first to volunteer for demanding tasks. We love a challenge. We think before we act, and our actions are rooted in integrity and compassion. Being a Wildcat means taking chances to solve complex global challenges while still taking the time to do the simple things that make a big difference, like smiling at a stranger. No matter who or where you are, there is a place for you at K-State. We want to give you the tools you need to have an unforgettable college experience, land your dream job, and help change the world for the better. That is the Wildcat Way.
It does not matter if you ask a long-time professor, recent graduate, passionate alum, or a fresh-eyed freshman. Pick a member of the K-State community at random and ask him or her what it means to be a Wildcat, and you will most likely get a one-word answer: Family.
K-Staters consider themselves family, and that belief shines through contributions as diverse as our members. Researchers invent solutions to problems that could save a life halfway across the world, and students band together on a Saturday morning for community service. Thousands of Wildcat fans pack our stadiums shouting in unison, and our leadership guides us in ways befitting the obligations of a land-grant university.
These obligations could be considered our family values, and the many ways we achieve them are the Wildcat Way. We invite you to come along for the ride because there is always room for one more in the K-State family.