Comparing the Mission Statements
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Editor’s Note: Presented below are Dartmouth’s two Mission Statements, first the present one, followed by President Wright’s proposed changes.
PRESENT MISSION STATEMENT
Dartmouth College combines the best features of an undergraduate liberal arts college with the intellectual vitality of a research university. Founded as an undergraduate institution more than two centuries ago, Dartmouth offers excellent graduate programs within the Arts and Sciences and in business, engineering, and medicine. The professional schools, among the first established in their respective fields, have had a historic role in defining the school’s intellectual values. Dartmouth encourages a love of learning and discovery in every member of its community. It celebrates the diversity of that community, which includes men and women from different backgrounds, abilities, economic circumstances, perspectives, races, religions, national origins, and sexual orientations.
Dartmouth has a special character and is committed to fostering the unique bonds that exist between the institution and those who learn, teach, and work here. This character is rooted in the following essential elements:
A devotion to a vital learning environment that relies on a faculty dedicated to outstanding teaching and scholarship; a talented and intellectually curious student body; a staff committed to the institution and its purposes, and alumni/ae supportive of the pursuit of the highest ideals of teaching and learning.
A conviction that one of Dartmouth’s strengths is providing students with close contact with faculty, and an appreciation that the quality of the educational and research experiences Dartmouth offers is one measure of its success.
A resolve to enrich the learning experience at Dartmouth by encouraging regular interaction among members of a diverse community. A Dartmouth education should prepare students for life in a complex world, one in which the ability to understand and appreciate differences and similarities among all people and societies is essential.
A commitment to sustain an academic residential community that cultivates and nurtures the social, emotional, moral, and physical wellbeing of its members. Dartmouth encourages intellectual endeavors, artistic expression, community service, athletics and outdoor activities, religious life, and political and social activism.
A recognition that its setting and location in northern New England offer Dartmouth unique advantages, special traditions, and ongoing obligations related to understanding our relationships to our community and to our environment.
PROPOSED CHANGES
Our Mission:
Dartmouth educates the most promising students of this generation to be leaders of the next generation with a faculty of scholars dedicated to teaching and the creation of new knowledge.
Our Core Values:
- We are committed to academic excellence and to a culture that encourages collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
- We expect faculty to embrace teaching and mentoring students with a passion and to be leaders in the scholarly or creative work shaping their fields.
- We welcome and respect difference and believe that diversity is a key strength of our shared sense of community and contributes significantly to the quality of a Dartmouth education.
- We recruit and admit exceptional students from all backgrounds, regardless of their financial means.
- We foster a culture that instills a sense of responsibility for the broader community and the environment.
- We encourage the vigorous and open debate of ideas within a community that encourages mutual respect.
Our Legacy:
Since its founding in 1769, Dartmouth has provided an intimate and inspirational setting for distinguished faculty and talented students to come together in one of the finest academic communities in the world. Dartmouth faculty contribute substantially to the expansion of human understanding around critical issues. Dartmouth is committed to providing the best undergraduate liberal arts experience in the world and is enriched by excellent, historic professional programs in the Dartmouth Medical School (founded 1797), the Thayer School of Engineering (1867), the Tuck School of Business (1900) and the graduate programs in the Arts and Sciences. Together they sustain an exceptional learning environment that emphasizes independent thought, academic excellence, and the lifelong pursuit of learning.
Pioneering programs and continuing leadership in computation and international education are hallmarks of Dartmouth. The College provides a comprehensive out of classroom experience, including service opportunities, engagement in the arts, and strong athletic, recreational, and outdoor programs. Dartmouth graduates are marked by an understanding of the importance of teamwork, a capacity for leadership, and their keen enjoyment of a vibrant community. Alumni/ae loyalty to Dartmouth is legendary and their engagement is a defining and sustaining quality of the College.
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