The following role and mission statement for the university was adopted by the Oakland University Board of Trustees on July 21, 1982. It emphasizes four essential ingredients for the direction of the university: excellent and relevant instruction; high-quality basic and applied research and scholarship; responsive and effective public and community service; and a comprehensive schedule of student development activities. As a state-supported institution of higher education, Oakland University has a three-fold mission. It offers instructional programs of high quality that lead to degrees at the baccalaureate, master's and doctoral levels, as well as programs in continuing education; it advances knowledge and promotes the arts through research, scholarship, and creative activity; and it renders significant public service. In all its activities, the university strives to exemplify educational leadership.