Our Mission and Vision
The vision of the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph is ‘to be recognized locally and globally for our commitment to developing future leaders for a more sustainable world’.
Reflecting the University of Guelph's commitment to ‘Improve Life’, Lang's vision represents a foundational belief that business can and should be a ‘force for good’ in the world. This translates into our mission, wherein we seek to:
- Push the frontiers of knowledge through research in business, management and economics, building on industry foundations unique to the University of Guelph.
- Foster the long-term success of our students’ career aspirations, organizations and the betterment of society through research-inspired and socially-relevant educational programs, which develop teamwork, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Encourage an ethos of community engagement and ethical and responsible leadership in a complex and ever-changing world.
Our Vision and Mission are built on three pillars of Active Learning, Research with Impact, and Community Engagement:
Active Learning.
We value pedagogies that foster student engagement. We are committed to providing a supportive and challenging learning environment, in which students apply theory to real-world problems, work collaboratively with others, and have the opportunity to develop essential and transferable skills.
Research with Impact.
We value a diverse array of scholarly pursuits, including discovery, integration, application, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Our impact is realized through the advancement of discipline-based theory, management practice, and public policy.
Community Engagement.
We value authentic and meaningful partnerships, recognize the importance of collaboration and community outreach, and appreciate the role of others in achieving our goals.
We attract students and faculty who have a social conscience, an environmental sensibility and a commitment to community involvement. We offer robust and challenging programs to students across five academic units:
- Department of Management
- Department of Economics and Finance
- Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies
- School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management
- Executive Programs (MBA, MA Leadership)
Lang's commitment to the United Nations Global Compact
Left to Right: Dean Christensen Hughes addressing the UN's Global Compact in 2015; Bachelor of Commerce students hold signs of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals; Bachelor of Commerce students attend a UN's Global Compact event in New York City.
The UN's Global Compact encourages businesses and academic institutions worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies. The UN Global Compact is a principle-based framework for businesses, stating ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. These principles led to the development of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), a global platform to encourage responsible management education. We are both champions and signatories to the PRME initiative.
Read more about our commitment to developing and being leaders for a sustainable world: