Research: To discover, expand and disseminate knowledge of how to facilitate organizational learning

Service: To build the knowledge and capacity of organizations to adapt, learn and renew themselves in order to effectively accomplish their objectives

Education: To provide opportunities to students, faculty and the community to increase their understanding of organizational learning, how it is developed and sustained

We believe that people who work in organizations can enhance their competence at making their organizations more versatile, nimble, flexible and adaptive.

We believe that much can be learned about how organizations learn as well as how they resist learning.

We believe that the University has an important role to play in studying this critical characteristic of organizations, and in supporting individuals who want to develop organizational learning.

We see organizational renewal as the ability to adapt and evolve in order to succeed in a world of changing environments. Organizations that are able to renew themselves are more likely to meet new challenges, seize new opportunities and attract/retain dynamic, talented people. Most importantly, organizations that renew are more likely to survive and grow.

COLR is a multidisciplinary research and service center established in 1998 at Saint Louis University. Housed in the College of Public Service, COLR is supported by the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Administration, and the School of Social Service. COLR includes faculty and graduate students from the departments of Communication, Decision Sciences and MISS, Educational Studies, Leadership and Higher Education, Management, Psychology, Research Methodology, Public Policy Studies, Sociology, and Social Work.