Statement of Purpose
Wooster's fundamental purpose is to stimulate undergraduates to reach
the highest standard of intellectual achievement, one that will support
their development as independent, responsible, and creative human beings.
In its dedication to the study of the arts and humanities, the natural
sciences, and the social sciences, Wooster is committed especially to excellence
in teaching and learning. Through excellent teaching, students learn
that intellectual achievement requires careful study of the many patterns
of human inquiry; they learn that all ideas are not created equal; and
they gain the discipline and tools for a lifetime of intellectual discovery.
Such teaching requires that each faculty member be actively engaged in
a discipline or set of disciplines and demonstrate this engagement through
scholarship, performance, or exhibition appropriate to their discipline.
Wooster aims to establish an atmosphere in which intellectual inquiry
is unconstrained by ideology, fashion, or creed, and where ideas are tested
through critical discourse in a diverse community. Wooster students and
faculty enter into a compact to pursue these goals, and the distinctive
expression of this philosophy is the Independent Study Program. Through
Independent Study, the College intends that students graduate with more
than just demonstrated knowledge; they will have participated as scholars
in the development and articulation of ideas. The habits of mind that students
develop at Wooster will be central in shaping their future.
Integral to Wooster's mission as an academic institution are its residential
nature and its membership in the local and national community. The College
sponsors a variety of cultural, religious, athletic, social, and volunteer
programs, both on and off campus, and considers important the values they
foster. The academic program is complemented by other educational opportunities
designed to broaden and enrich each student's development and to cultivate
qualities of leadership and service. Through these activities, Wooster
and its students become responsible members of the larger community and
make educational and cultural resources available to those from outside
the institution.
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