APSU Institutional Mission Profile

Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-8-101, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) requires public higher education institutions to annually submit an Institutional Mission Profile. The current APSU Institutional Mission Profile was approved by THEC on November 12, 2025.

Austin Peay State University
Institutional Mission Profile

Austin Peay State University is a community-minded comprehensive public institution in Clarksville, northwest of Nashville, committed to meeting the needs of Tennessee and the southeastern United States. Faculty and staff provide excellent educational and co-curricular experiences at Austin Peay through the quality of the academic programs, the innovative and caring approach of academic support services, and the distinction of faculty – both in teaching and in scholarship and research. With a Carnegie Classification of a “Master’s: Larger, Research” institution, Austin Peay emphasizes student-centered teaching in order to ensure relevant learning experiences across varying disciplines, including behavioral and health sciences and STEM fields, business, education, and the arts. Austin Peay also offers two doctoral programs, the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and the Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology. The University predominantly serves students throughout Tennessee and the southeastern region. Through its Division of Military and Veteran Affairs, APSU is committed to supporting military-affiliated students and offers programs and student support services at its own educational facility on Fort Campbell and the Newton Military Family Resource Center. Austin Peay is the state’s largest provider of higher education to military-affiliated students, serving as a Veterans Education Transition Support (VETS) Campus. Furthermore, APSU is one of only two institutions in Tennessee that hosts the VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) program in collaboration with the US Department of Veterans Affairs. As a result of these efforts, APSU has been recognized as the state’s first VETS Bravo campus. The university also houses the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts and the Center of Excellence for Field Biology, as well as the state’s first teacher residency program, which is also the first federally registered teacher apprenticeship program in the country.