Elizabethtown College. (2003).
Academic program:
Educational philosophy and institutional values of the College. Elizabethtown, PA: Author.
Elizabethtown
College
Mission Statement
Elizabethtown College is a community of
learners committed to independent thought and personal integrity as the
foundations of a life of learning.
Our mission is to nurture sound intellectual judgment, keen moral
sensitivity, and an appreciation for beauty in the world. High standards of leadership and
scholarship are the foundations of our distinctive blend of the liberal arts
and professional studies. In
keeping with the heritage of the Church of the Brethren, a historic peace
church like the Quakers and Mennonites, the College affirms the values of
peace, non-violence, human dignity, and social justice and seeks to make those
values manifest in the global community.
ÒEducate for ServiceÓ expresses our belief that the pursuit of knowledge
is most noble when used to benefit others.
Academic Goals
Elizabethtown College fulfills its
educational mission by:
á
Creating an
environment that encourages the spirit of free inquiry, stimulates
intellectual
curiosity, and cultivates academic achievement.
á
Developing
the skills for critical analysis and effective communication.
¥ Designing programs that
foster maturity, leadership, and responsible citizenship.
á
Providing
campus-wide support services necessary for the development of mind, body, and
spirit.
á
Serving as
a learning, resource, and cultural center for society at large.
á
Striving to
attain a diverse academic community.
á
Promoting
cultural pluralism and international understanding in a collegial
community.
The
institutional goals for the academic program at Elizabethtown College, in
outline, reflect this general statement of educational philosophy:
1.
A threefold
purpose in the education of students:
a.
A general
education (core) requirement, developing analytical and relational process of
thought, clear and coherent means of self-expression, and a growing
understanding of self and environment through distributional and integrative
requirements in the liberal arts.
b.
A specific
education requirement or major, preparing the student for advanced studies
and/or career opportunities by adding the different experience of specialized
in-depth knowledge to the breadth of the general educational requirements.
c.
A body of
electives ensuring flexibility in each studentÕs program that best suits
individual needs and interests, whether in general or major areas of study.
2.
Response to
contemporary needs for greater international understanding, by providing
general education in intercultural studies and languages.
3.
Provision
of support in both general education and major programs for cross-disciplinary
and interdisciplinary education.
4.
For major
disciplines of study, inclusion of opportunities in most of the liberal arts
traditions of sciences, fine arts, humanities, and social sciences, and in the
professional areas; while maintaining balance between professional and liberal
arts program of study for majors.
5.
Provision
for adult educational opportunities in a variety of traditional and
non-traditional modes, largely integrated with the regular educational program
and faculty.
6.
Fostering
an environment supportive of faculty research and professional development.
7.
Supporting
as a part of its regular educational program quality experiential learning
programs such as clinical experiences, supervised internships, field study and
other off-campus courses, and similar activities.
8.
Continuing
to support or to develop as appropriate, strong cooperative programs with other
institutions of higher learning.
(Elizabethtown
College. (2003). Academic program: Educational philosophy and
institutional values of the College.
Elizabethtown, PA: Author.)