Mission and Values

Our Mission

We develop principled leaders who influence community, embrace humility, and pursue excellence as faithful stewards of God’s provision.

Purpose Statement

To use our God-given gifts and academic talents to further God’s kingdom through the realm of business.

Values

Community, Humility, Excellence, and Stewardship are not four separate ideas – they form a coherent vision of Christian formation. They guide how students grow over time, how faculty and staff lead together, and how the Hankamer School of Business strives to fulfill its calling.

Community – We influence those around us for their good and for God’s glory.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12)
We believe meaningful learning happens in community. In the HSB, students, faculty, and staff are known, supported, and invited into shared life together. Classrooms, advising spaces, student organizations, and informal gathering spaces all play a role in shaping a culture where relationships matter and individuals are valued. Community fosters collaboration, trust, and mutual accountability. It is where students learn to lead with empathy, where faculty and staff invest personally in student growth, and where shared purpose strengthens our collective work. By cultivating community, we create an environment where people can flourish together.

Humility – We exemplify Christ as we learn, work, and lead just as he humbled himself for our sake.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)
In a world that often celebrates self-promotion and individual achievement, we affirm humility as a distinctive mark of Christian leadership. Humility shapes how we teach, how we learn, and how we engage others—with openness, curiosity, and respect. Our faculty and staff model humility through service, mentorship, and a commitment to lifelong learning. Employers and partners consistently recognize Hankamer graduates for their humility—leaders who listen well, work collaboratively, and lead with integrity. Humility keeps us grounded, receptive to growth, and attentive to the needs of others.

Excellence – We honor the LORD by pursuing excellence in all that we do.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. (Colossians 3:23-24)
Excellence is an essential expression of our faith. As Christians preparing students for the marketplace, we pursue excellence not for prestige, but as faithful stewardship of our gifts and responsibilities. We emphasize rigorous academics, skill development, professionalism, and preparation for meaningful careers. Excellence shows up in the classroom, in research, in student organizations, and in the standards we set for ourselves and our students. Through excellence, we honor those we serve – students, employers, communities – and ultimately God.

Stewardship – We steward the resources entrusted to us, knowing all we have is not ours, but rather from the Lord.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1 Peter 4:10)
Stewardship frames how we understand business, leadership, and vocation. We recognize that our resources – students, time, finances, opportunities, and influence – are all gifts entrusted to us for faithful use. In the HSB, stewardship means preparing students to view work as vocation and business as a means to serve the common good. It shapes how we teach profit and purpose, how we engage with communities, and how we encourage generosity and responsibility. Stewardship reminds us that what we do and how we do it matters and serves as a testimony to higher calling.