1) What is our mission?

WORKSHEET #1
What is the current mission?
1) Multi-Media Services (MMS) seeks to facilitate and enhance educational communication by providing materials in subjects and multimedia formats that support and enrich the Institute’s curriculum. The department's aim is to assist students, faculty and staff in locating multimedia materials that meet their educational needs. (via Pratt Library Website)

2) The mission of Pratt Institute is to educate artists and creative professionals to be responsible contributors to society. Pratt seeks to instill in all graduates aesthetic judgment, professional knowledge, collaborative skills, and technical expertise.  (via Pratt Website)

What meaning does the mission have for you?
-  None.

In what ways has the organization furthered the mission?
- The mission of MMS [the department which currently oversee's the facility] does not apply to Memorial Hall. The theatre should have it's own stand alone vision and mission that relates back directly to the Pratt Institute mission.

WORKSHEET #2
What are our challenges?
- Short and Long term challenges:
changing demographics
changing community conditions
cultural and/or social trends
economical and funding environment
competition (internal and/or external)
new technology, models, and/or methods

Which of the challenges above are the most significant for the organization? 
- Currently the challenges that Memorial Hall faces is funding. Memorial Hall is not visible to the entire community. There are some who don't see the potential or its significance on campus. Others don't even know that the facility exists (including students and staff members). The hall is often only used when VIP speakers / presenters come and extra seating is needed. In its current state Memorial Hall also has an intimidating and unwelcoming air about it because of its secularization from the campus.

WORKSHEET #3
What opportunities does the organization have to address compelling issues or conditions (short/long term or both)?
- Some of the most compelling issues that Pratt / Memorial Hall faces is that there is a community (internal/external) demand for affordable presenting space. Within Pratt, there is the need to create a more cross curriculum collaboration; performing arts are a corner stone to foster these collaborations. Also, the external community feels that Pratt can be a welcoming place, and Memorial Hall can fit small productions and community ceremonies.

What opportunities does the organization have to fill a gap in its area of service? 
-There needs to be a solid organization to the facility. Staffing that can handle the amount of requests and events/productions in the facility. Current policies need to be put in place to allow for a more transparent functionality. Once the staffing issue is addressed the minor issues, such as facility repairs and upgrades can be dealt with in a productive manner for all departments on campus as well as the external community.

What opportunities does the organization have to be a leader, to set a new standard of performance? & Which opportunities are most promising for the organization?
-Once there is a stable staff and facility, just opening the doors to the community, allowing them to visit, observe, and learn opens the facility up. Also, by allowing external community members to see the facility. I am of the strong belief that if you open up the possibilities to people they will open up more possibilities for you (the facility). Upgrading the facility's technology is a corner stone to this "opening up the box".  Many of the majors at Pratt are very dependent on current technology which is extremely important to the quality of the departments.

-For students, I know one of the important issues that they want addressed is the lack of attention that is paid to their work. There is a lack of gallery space, writing majors often don't see their works come to life. Digital animation and film students rarely get to see there stuff "on the big screen". By adding a few dollars for technology upgrades as well as overall facility upgrades, you automatically enable more displace and showcasing of work.

-For the external community, there are groups willing to pay for use of the space. Rentals could bring in a great deal of revenue that can go back into the space. Also, involving the community with the students directly supports the mission of the Institute.

WORKSHEET#4
Does the mission need to be revisited?
- Yes.

What do I see as a possible mission?
- The mission of Memorial Hall is to foster collaborations within the Institute's academic programs, as well as enable and encourage events by and for the greater Pratt community in an educational environment.

I have to revisit this:
Questions about the Mission (Yes, absolutely; To some extent; Not at all)
~Is it short and sharply focused?
~Is it clear and easily understood?
~Does it define why we do what we do or why he organization exists?
~Is it sufficiently broad?
~does it provide a direction for doing the right things?
~Does it address the opportunities?
~Does it make our competence?
~Does it inspire our commitment?
~Does it say what, in the end, we want to be remembered for?