Mission

The College of Arts and Sciences (the College), through its General Education Program (GEP) and a rich variety of programs, promotes learning, individual growth, and the common good. Drawing upon the heritage of the Catholic, Jesuit identity of the University, the College challenges students to develop habits of careful inquiry and precise expression both to realize fully their own potential and to see the gifts of others. The College curriculum is so structured that graduates shall know nature, value culture, and endeavor to serve others. The ultimate unity of knowledge demands the breadth of the curriculum in the GEP. For depth, the multiple majors prepare graduates in particular fields, diverse methodologies, and practical applications. The College encourages making connections—intellectual, spiritual and social—meant to sustain a lifetime of distinguished achievement which honors God’s creation and nourishes the human spirit.

For centuries, the Jesuit tradition of excellence has stressed liberal arts and the sciences, including the formative disciplines of philosophy and theology. Through education, the College promotes key Ignatian values: seeking God in all things, seeing Jesus Christ as exemplar, caring for the person, working for others, engaging in individual and communal discernment, and cultivating a personal relationship with one’s God. In this spirit, the Faculty of the College—both in the classroom and in scholarly endeavors—models and inspires a lifelong love of learning, an increase of understanding, and a desire to solve problems. The College seeks to foster a sense of community, dedicated to the free, unfettered exchange of ideas and centered on imaginative collaboration wherein heads and hearts engage in constructive purpose.

Whether students are reading a classic text, speaking a foreign language, molding clay in a fine arts studio, exploring the purity of symbolic mathematical expression, or developing new knowledge through scientific experimentation, growth in learning aims to foster stronger faith, deeper wisdom, and a keener spirit of caring. Graduates of the College should be able, with lasting consequence, to:

• Speak thoughtfully with others in their languages,
• Delight in the wonder of diversity,
• Draw good sense out of confusion,
• Couple past to present and future,
• Listen carefully and write powerfully,
• Reflect with reverence and respect,
• Be generous with knowledge and teach others,
• Walk the earth with dignity, integrity and grace,
• So as to live and die before God in peace.