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SOUTHERN'S MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES

Southern Adventist University is a co-educational institution established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, offering doctoral, master’s, baccalaureate, associate degrees, and one-year certificates. Various delivery modalities (face-to-face, online, hybrid and other) are employed in order to effectively support learners enrolled in the university’s classes and programs.

The Mission

Grounded in Jesus Christ and dedicated to the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we equip students to embrace biblical truth, embody academic and professional excellence, and pursue Spirit-filled lives of service.

The Vision

Southern Adventist University’s vision is to:

  • Model the love of Jesus in every interaction.
  • Invite each student into a saving relationship with Jesus.
  • Inspire each student to engage with God’s Church and the world through service and witness.
  • Provide each student with an exceptional learning experience that equips them to thrive in a fluid, global job market.

Core Values

As Southern Adventist University employees, we:

  • Embrace the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Worldview and Fundamental Beliefs
  • Love Others as God Loves Them
  • Act with Integrity
  • Live Prayerfully
  • Serve Others Generously
  • Follow God’s Calling
  • Pursue Excellence
  • Exercise Responsible Stewardship
  • Offer an Exceptional, Wholistic Learning Experience

Educational Philosophy

Rooted in its theological understanding of God and humanity, the educational philosophy of the Seventh-day Adventist church is summarized as follows:

  • God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, is the Source of all knowledge.
  • Created in the image of God for the purpose of communion with Him, humanity has sinned and has separated from Him.
  • Through infinite love, God sent His Son to restore this relationship with us, a personal relationship that begins now and continues throughout eternity.

Within the context of this theological understanding, education is viewed as an essential element of redemption and must focus on developing the whole person. Through harmonious development of the physical, mental, spiritual, and social dimensions, the individual becomes better equipped to bring wholeness to a broken world.

Institutional Goals

Southern Adventist University will:

Learning Community
Nurture campus learning communities that engage students with ideas that mark educated persons, global and multicultural perspectives, and advanced technology to develop both ethical principles and intellectual flexibility.
Faculty and Staff
Hire and develop a competent and diverse faculty and staff who model balanced, ethical lives; integrate faith and learning; demonstrate scholarship through teaching, research, and other scholarly and creative activities; and celebrate and energize the student spirit as they respect and support the different ways students develop their minds, their persons, and their citizenship.
Students
Recruit, retain, and support a capable, diverse student body.
Campus Environment
Provide a safe, nurturing learning community of faith for students, faculty, and staff.
Student Service
Enable every student to participate in local service and/or mission service activities. 
Partnerships
Pursue and nurture partnerships with alumni, church, community, business and industry, civic organizations, and government in order to analyze, project, and respond to changing needs to help ensure that graduates are prepared for a life of service.
Stewardship

  • Supervise resources entrusted to the university through effective, fiscal management to fulfill its mission, vision, and goals.

“ Southern will seek
to enable every
student to participate
in local service and/or
mission service activities.”

Student Learning Goals

Students of Southern Adventist University will:

Spiritual
Grow in a vibrant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, while integrating into their lives Bible-based beliefs and values as understood by the Seventh-day Adventist church.
Intellectual
Develop a commitment to life-long learning and demonstrate a mastery of the cognitive skills of critical reasoning, independent thinking, reflective judgment, communication, and creativity needed to confront the issues, ideas, and values of historical and contemporary civilization.
Occupational
Exhibit excellence and moral leadership in their chosen field of study and/or profession.
Social
Develop socio-emotional maturity that will enable them to be effective leaders and contributing members of their churches, families, groups, and communities in a global society.
Physical

Take responsibility for their own well-being through a health-promoting lifestyle.