Mission

The Adventist University of Central Africa is committed to provide a Christ-centered, quality education founded on a holistic approach that prepares people for the service of this life and the life to come.

Vision

The Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA) is to be a centre of excellence in undergraduate and graduate programs. Quality shall be the hallmark of all its undertakings including research and service delivery to its students, faculty, staff and the community at large.

Philosophy

The Adventist University of Central Africa, as a Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher learning, adapted a philosophy that operates on the basis of the Seventh-day Adventist worldview, which holds that God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and the source of true knowledge.  The entrance of sin caused man’s alienation from God, therefore the restoration of the relation between man and his God is the main aim of Adventist Christian Education that leads students to discover and understand the truth through critical thinking.

Objectives

• To promote the development of the mental, spiritual, physical and social strengths of an individual until his highest potential is reached;
  
  
• To develop the student to become a useful member of society empowered not only with intellectual skills, but well-developed character.  The University focuses it goals and its objectives on the principles of the Bible;
  
  
• To inculcate into the student the desire for a life style based on a balanced natural food, principles of hygiene and physical exercise; and,
  
  
• To help the student to become a useful member of the community endowed not only with intellectual skills, but also with a well-balanced character of a good citizen of this world and the world to come.
  
  

Beliefs and Values

AUCA is a Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher learning that nurtures the mental, spiritual, social and physical capacities of its personnel and students. The values of the University are rooted in the Bible and should be seen in the daily activities of the university administrators, workers, and students.
Through a process of discernment based on dialogue and reflection, university designates the following as core beliefs and values of AUCA:

1. Faith: AUCA is a faith based institution of higher learning. The faith nurtured in the institution is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and in the 28 beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. While other religious traditions and individual beliefs of our personnel and students are respected, the university administration and faculties are expected to integrate a biblical, Seventh-day Adventist faith into learning activities of the students.
   
   
2. Excellence: As a faith based institution of higher learning AUCA seeks to combine faith with reason in the pursuit of academic excellence. AUCA Senate and Administration call all members of the university community to excel as individuals and as professionals within their specific roles.

3. Integrity: Concerned for the good of the community in this life and the life to come the University commits itself to honesty in all relations with students, faculty, staff and administration. Through the University integrity, workers and students maintain the trust of the surrounding community, public, and governmental agencies.
   
   
4. Community:  Informed by the example of Jesus Christ, and by the fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church AUCA demonstrates a spirit of unity and connectedness with one another through expression, curtsey, hospitality, shared values and loving communication without respect to ethnic, gender, or other differences. AUCA extends this value of community by reaching out to neighbors and to members of the larger civil and ecclesial communities.

5. Respect: AUCA values and respects the contribution of each member of the university community to the advancement of the mission of AUCA. AUCA encourages and supports each other as colleagues working together for the good of the whole institution.
   
   
6. Compassion: Inspired by the example of Jesus Christ AUCA opens its workers and students’ hearts to those in physical, spiritual and mental need. AUCA consciously reaches out beyond its boundaries to serve others in need with compassion and mercy.

7. Fairness and Justice: recognizing the dignity of all persons (students, staff, teachers and administrators) AUCA seeks to avoid any acts of injustice toward each other and addresses instances of injustice both within and outside of the university community from a stance of informed advocacy. AUCA holds each other accountable and endeavors to practice responsible stewardship of the resources available to us.

Strategic Pillars/Goals

The following have been identified as AUCA’s Academic strategic pillars/goals for the planning period 2011-2016.

• To develop spiritual programs that will enhance the spiritual growth of the academic, non-academic staff and students that will inspire the non-Adventist members of the AUCA community to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour.
  
  
• To provide holistic Christ-centered education capable of creating well rounded educated individual in meeting the academic challenges of 21st century’ dynamic and competitive labour market/business environment.

• To consolidate present undergraduate programmes, reinventing developmental graduate programmes, encourage and recommend academic staff to professional bodies, and embark on cutting edge academic research and publications, workshop, seminars, and conferences towards branding AUCA.
  
  
• To provide market driven academic curricular that meets the standards of local and international needs in terms of management, accounting, finance, economics, IT courses, education taking into account the skills need of the Rwandan economy.

• To benchmark performance relative to other local, regional and international Institutes of Higher learning and adopt the best practices.
  
  
• To network and develop linkages with other stakeholders in Rwanda and other countries for knowledge, skills, competence and technology transfer.

• To think, develop, and build physical and technical infrastructure that meet the needs of the undergraduate & graduate schools and to recruit, develop and retain highly qualified & competent workforce that hold the university’s philosophy, mission, vision & beliefs with local needs’ sensitivity and who have a regional and global perspective.
  
  
• To create and promote equal opportunity and social justice sensitivity for all the staff and students. 

• To sustain financial management practices that will continue to promote financial self-sufficiency of AUCA community towards developing new physical infrastructures in its second campus of Gishushu and to make Masoro campus fully functional as a professional centre.