Over the last 40 years, the mission statement has been consistently viewed as an indispensable management tool for organizations in both the public and private sectors. In addition, there is a plethora of popular management literature that puts mission identification as the first and most important task of an organization's leadership. Strategic planning theory in higher education holds the mission statement in the same high esteem. By some estimates, mission statements have risen to the level of mythology in what they have done and can do for organizations. Even more optimistically, some contemporary writers say that mission statements have not yet reached their full potential for unifying organizations and driving them forward. Almost in spite of this confidence, a second voice has arisen that questions whether the organizational performance promised by mission statements has actually materialized. Moreover, there is little empirical evidence that clearly demonstrates a relationship between mission statements and organizational performance. The purpose of this study was to explore the role and efficacy of community college mission statements in the strategic planning process. Role refers to the function of the mission statement within the institution's planning framework, both actual and desired, and efficacy refers to how well the statement fulfills the desired function. (Contains 5 figures.)