Near the end of the fall semester last year, a student approached Kalicia Clements, associate professor in Southern Adventist University’s School of Education, Psychology, and Counseling, with a small but troubling concern. She had lost something important. They paused together to offer a simple, earnest prayer, asking Jesus to keep the item safe and help her find it.
When classes resumed in January, the student returned with unexpected news. She had found the missing item. For Clements, the moment marked more than an answered prayer. After class, the student shared a much larger request and asked if they could pray together again. Moments like this, she believes, reflect the deeper purpose of her work: strengthening students’ faith in ways that shape their lives now—and for eternity.
These interactions happen every day across Southern’s campus in Collegedale, Tennessee. Students’ lives are transformed as they experience Christ-centered learning, nurturing friendships, engaged faculty, and a campus committed to faith and service.
Enduring Purpose
Southern’s Board of Trustees adopted a new mission statement last year, articulating the university's enduring purpose as “Transforming Lives for Eternity.”
The statement provides a memorable expression of commitment, while the accompanying narrative preserves the essential pillars that define Southern: Dedicated to the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Southern Adventist University transforms lives for eternity by nurturing academic and personal excellence, encouraging a deep faith, cultivating a spirit of service, and fostering wholeness in mind, body, and spirit.
“At a time when higher education is often pressured to define success narrowly, this mission clearly centers Southern Adventist University on Christ, purpose, and long-term impact. It reminds us why we exist and anchors us amid rapid cultural and institutional change,” says Ken Shaw, university president. “Academic excellence and spiritual development are inseparable. Academic excellence sharpens the mind, while spiritual development shapes character and purpose. Together, they prepare students to think critically, live faithfully, and serve meaningfully.”
The new wording concisely captures the long-held belief that education not only prepares students for their contributions in the workplace but also shapes who they become. It affirms that academic, spiritual, and relational experiences matter far beyond a student’s time on campus, with that perspective shaping how the university teaches, mentors, worships, and serves.
A Lived Reality
While words within the mission statement are new, its substance is not. For generations, Southern has embraced a wholistic understanding of education.
“Southern has always educated the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. This mission simply gives clear language to a lived reality we see every day in our classrooms, worship spaces, service opportunities, and student relationships,” Shaw says.
This commitment is visible across campus: in classrooms where academic rigor is paired
with ethical reflection; in the wellness center where students gain strength through
perseverance; in worship services where students grow in understanding of biblical
principles; and in service opportunities where learning connects with compassion.
As the university with the largest Adventist undergraduate enrollment in North America,
Southern’s administration was pleased to see the results of a recently released study
affirming that Adventist higher education significantly strengthens the faith and
spiritual commitment of Adventist young adults.
The study, conducted by Strategic Resource Partners for the Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities, was shared at the association’s year-end meetings in October 2025. After surveying Adventist alumni from Adventist colleges and universities in North America, along with Adventist alumni who attended non-Adventist institutions, the research identified 31 core benefits, grouped into five major themes, where alumni from Adventist colleges consistently reported stronger outcomes than those who attended non-Adventist institutions. The themes—faith, mentoring, wholistic growth, friendship, and mission—revealed that Adventist universities offer an environment that is not only educational but also transformational.
Students themselves are evidence of this reality. Noah Esua, freshman computer science major, was baptized in December 2025 after his first semester on campus. “My experience at Southern has been filled with so many life-changing moments,” he says. “I met so many individuals who have changed the way I view God, for the better.”
The Long View
“Transforming Lives for Eternity” lengthens the view of education’s impact, asking students to consider not only what careers they will pursue after graduation but also who they will become. Whether in healthcare, education, business, or ministry, alumni carry with them an understanding of work as a calling—a way to live out their passions and God’s purpose in their lives every day.
As Southern moves forward, its mission statement serves as both anchor and guide, grounding the university in what matters most and shaping lives that reflect purpose, faith, and service—now and for eternity.
Read more, including statistics from the study and quotes about what this mission means to university employees, in the Spring 2026 issue of Columns at southern.edu/columns.
The views and opinions of campus guests do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Southern Adventist University. An individual's or group's invitation to speak or present on campus should not be regarded as a university endorsement of their philosophies and beliefs.
