Mission:

This mission is based on the value of a liberal arts education for students who are diverse in ethnicity, background, age, and preparation.

The mission obligates the university to be open to the voices of all its members, to be responsive to the needs of its community, and to measure its success by the success of its students.

To accomplish its mission, the university offers a broad array of undergraduate programs in arts and sciences and professional fields of study, and it offers selected graduate programs below the doctoral level. It fosters the intellectual growth of its students through learning assistance in University College, honors courses, and student research. It cultivates faculty members who are excellent in teaching, active in scholarship, and generous in service.