Coordinate Mission, Values and Vision

In 1995 the Board of Trustees of the College of Saint Benedict and the Board of Regents of Saint John's University adopted a single statement of mission and values and vision for the future which guides the colleges in planning.

Coordinate Mission and Vision

The mission of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University is to provide the very best residential liberal arts education in the Catholic university tradition. They foster integrated learning, exceptional leadership for change and wisdom for a lifetime.

On the undergraduate level, the College of Saint Benedict enrolls women and Saint John's University enrolls men. Together the two colleges make these mission commitments to their students:

• A coherent liberal arts curriculum which focuses on questions important to the human condition, demands clear thinking and communicating, and calls forth new knowledge for the betterment of humankind.
  The colleges will excel in study of the intersection of global cultures and community sustainability, leavened by the commitments of the Catholic intellectual life.
• An integrative environment for learning which stresses intellectual challenge, open inquiry, collaborative scholarship and artistic creativity.
  The colleges will excel as learning communities promoting the integration of professional and personal lives through opportunities for experiential learning.
• An emphasis on the personal growth of women and men which incorporates new knowledge about the significance of gender into opportunities for leadership and service on each campus and across both campuses.
  The colleges will excel, individually and coordinately, in cultivation and reflection on the social, spiritual and physical development of men and women.
• An experience of Benedictine values which fosters attentive listening to the voice of God, awareness of the meaning of one's existence and the formation of community built on respect for individual persons.
  The colleges will excel in fostering the understanding and cultivation of the individual and communal vocation of all, informed by the Catholic intellectual tradition, Benedictine values, ecumenism and respect for diverse cultures.
• Cultivation of the habit of promoting the common good which is formed by knowledge, faith and an open-hearted response to the needs of others.
  The colleges will excel in fostering understanding of Catholic social teachings and consequent action to improve the well-being of the underserved, enhance overall community life and protect the environment.