Read the Curry College NEASC 2012 Self-Study Report.

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Standard One: Mission and Purposes
Description
The College’s Mission Statement and educational goals were drafted in 1990 and formally
approved by its Board of Trustees in February of 1991. They are represented through a onepage
document consisting of three parts: a narrative description and overview of Curry College
and the nature of the education it provides; a two‐sentence “mission statement,” and seven
educational goals formulated to lead to attainment of the mission. Taken together, these
components of the College’s mission define its distinctive character and reflect its traditions
and goals for the ongoing development of the students it serves.
The Mission Statement asserts that the College develops “liberally educated persons who are
able to gain and to apply knowledge humanely, intelligently, and effectively in a complex,
changing world.”
The educational goals are:
• THINKING CRITICALLY (to analyze, synthesize, hypothesize, evaluate, and to reason
quantitatively)
• COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY (to see, listen, speak, read, and write well)
• UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT (to articulate an interdependence of individuals, family,
societies, history, and the natural environment)
• APPRECIATING AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE (to experience and comment on artistic
phenomena)
• DEFINING A PERSONAL IDENTITY (to identify strengths and weaknesses as learners, to
become increasingly self‐directed and disciplined, to care for self and others, to behave
more responsibly, both personally and collectively, to become more aware of physical,
social, psychological, and spiritual identity)
• EXAMINING VALUE SYSTEMS (to formulate and apply standards for behavior, to make
informed choices with awareness of responsibilities and consequences, to increase
tolerance and appreciation of diversity), and,
• ADAPTING AND INNOVATING (to access information, to anticipate, detect, respond to,
and create change, and to prepare for lifelong learning)
As an institution with the liberal arts foundation suggested through its mission and goals,
Curry’s curriculum and programs have, over the years, reinforced its mission and focus on two
hallmarks of the College’s education: “a high respect for the individuality of every student and a
developmental approach to learning that maximizes opportunities for achievement,” as
emphasized in Curry’s Catalog. The College’s curricula, policies, student life and the larger Curry
community have been infused by these values: the liberal arts, the application of knowledge in
the world, respect for the individual, and the maximization of opportunities for achievement.
The College shares its mission and goals through a range of media to its key stakeholders:
students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni and the broader public. The Mission Statement is
Curry College 2012 Self-Study
Standard One