Campus Council

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. 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 or performance 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 which 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.