Mission Statement

Our mission is to transform lives through higher education in Christ-centered community. As a Christian community of scholars, we model the hospitality of grace, the pursuit of truth, and the practice of discipleship, all within the Wesleyan-holiness tradition, as we prepare graduates who think with clarity, act with integrity, and serve with purpose.

Mission Contexts

• Liberal Arts
• Selected Professional Studies
• Graduate Studies
• A Wesleyan Theological Vision for Life and Thought
• Cross-cultural Community Life

Core Values

• Education in a Vital Christian Community
• Partnership with the Church of the Nazarene
• Hospitality in Admissions
• Excellence in Teaching
• Holistic Education and Leadership Development
• Global Understanding, Service, and Ministry

The university motto of “Character-Culture-Christ” was first introduced in 1933, and although the mission has undergone various modifications, the descriptors of the motto reflect the institution’s most basic ideals. The continuity provided by this motto keeps the institution focused on the pivotal role of education in character development, the nurturing of cultural analysis and critique, and the tremendous potential of simultaneously pursuing the best in education and Christian commitment.

Vision Statement

Southern Nazarene University will be a school of choice in the South Central Region of the United States, known as one of the finest small teaching universities in the country with one of the most transformative campus experiences on earth.