Our Values

 

Citizenship: We believe that every individual has a vested interest in the community’s well-being and therefore an obligation to both our campus and outside communities. A commitment to exceeding the minimum expectations of membership is expected, active participation in positive change and service are lauded and decision-making takes the needs and dignity of others into consideration. Every person is responsible for his or her own actions and our community is better when we contemplate the context and impact of our decisions.

 

Competency: We believe that the development of one’s knowledge, skills and behavior contributes to an improvement in performance, professionalism, trustworthiness and success. The ability to do one’s work well is a key component of excellence and requires resourcefulness and conscientiousness along with a commitment to quality.

 

Discovery: We believe that learning is a lifelong process and that each of us is a learner as well as a teacher. In accordance with the liberal arts, we foster a spirit of exploration and encourage creative expression, the acquirement and application of knowledge, the seeking out of new experiences and trying on of new behaviors.

 

Holism: We believe that as a living/learning environment, the University is most effective when it fosters balance. We promote healthy and responsible opportunities for recreation, community building and leisure through a wide variety of social programs and campus traditions.

 

Leadership: We believe that leadership is not characterized by position nor authority. It is about congruent living with both one’s individual and communal values. Character and integrity are the pinnacles of leadership because they help to build trusting relationships in order to inspire collective action toward positive change. Leadership is as much about whom a person aspires to be as it is what a person is able to accomplish.

 

Respect: We believe that all interactions should be characterized by courtesy, compassion and an intention to understand before being understood. We appreciate the individual differences offered in our community, both in background and opinion, and challenge one another to handle conflict and controversy with civility.