Tracing Institutional Identity: A Language-Based Analysis of State Universities’ Mission and Vision Statements

Mission and vision statement plays a pivotal role in conveying an institution’s identity, goals, priorities, and aspirations. In the increasingly competitive field of universities and colleges, mission and vision statements are their strategic edge, keeping their institutions relevant and aligned with the global and national educational trends. This study explores the recurring themes, linguistic choices, rhetorical strategies, and discourse structures of mission and vision statements from thirteen (13) state universities and colleges (SUCs) from Region III in the Philippines. The researcher used a qualitative approach and content analysis tools—lexical density, lexical diversity, and metafunctions of language from Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Four (4) themes emerged from the statements which were used to appeal to their stakeholders and position themselves as centers for sustainable and inclusive development. Key findings from the study revealed that SUCs in Region III use language in shaping their identity, creating an impression that mission and vision statements are more than formal academic texts, but a strategic discourse filled with numerous linguistic and rhetorical strategies. The unique choice of words and phrases also creates a more personalized feel, enabling the universities to stand out among others despite having the same themes, structures, and progression. Furthermore, the study was able to discover a strong alignment of SUCs to several national and global educational frameworks and development goals such as Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Education 2030 Vision. This study contributes to the expanding field of educational linguistics and discourse analysis by offering meaningful and in-depth insights as to how universities leverage mission and vision statements as strategic communication tools for conveying their identity, purpose, values, and priorities while also potentially influencing their path and decision-making.