“We need to keep our campus less industrial and as pure as possible,” Tacoma said. “We are one of worst universities environmentally in the Big Ten.”

The topic of a greener campus is something other students said the university should take into consideration.

Ashley Kaminski, an education senior, said more environmental programs are important enough to highlight in the university’s mission statement.

“I like the recycling bins they have added, but there should be more,” she said as she searched for a place to dispose of her water bottle.

Most people at the university would support the campus being more environmentally responsible, said Jim Potchen, chairman of the Executive Committee of Academic Council.

“We are trying to be more environmentally friendly, but we can definitely improve on it,” he said. “A statement like that in the mission would be a fine idea, and it’s good for that to have come from the students.”

In 2006, the university had its 10-year accreditation visit by the Higher Learning Commission, where it assesses the performance of the university against its mission statement.

Senior Associate Provost June Youatt said one of the comments mentioned the mission statements’ dense language.

“They said it was more complicated than it needed to be and that a strong sense of direction might benefit from a statement that was clearer and better communicated both inside and outside the university,” Youatt said.

The proposal for a new mission statement will be introduced on Oct. 2 at the Executive Committee of Academic Council meeting.

Provost Kim Wilcox will ask the committee to assign it to subcommittees of the governance system, Youatt said.

Right now the mission statement isn’t specific enough for everyone to understand, Potchen said.

“It’s much easier to lead people if we can get congruence between multiple parties to what the purpose of our activities are,” he said.

Research, resources and other activities with the university have changed since 1982, Potchen said.

“It’s not so much as trying to describe a new direction as it is in making sure that what’s in the statement reflects the university and where it’s going,” Youatt said.