As a college for women, the College of Saint Benedict was founded to educate marginalized and disenfranchised young women – the daughters of German immigrants and farmers. Our legacy, as a Catholic and Benedictine institution, calls CSB to be an open and welcoming campus for all. 

As a college for women, CSB maintains a visible commitment to diversity and inclusion: including gender nonconforming and transgender people, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people of various ages, people with limited economic means, and people of varying religious, spiritual and political beliefs. At CSB, we live our Benedictine value of respect for persons. This commitment requires ongoing intentionality and work to fully hear the perspectives of women and other marginalized groups. In our community, this intentionality is worthy and valued.  

As a college for women, CSB honors, values and respects the voices, perspectives, and needs of women. We expect CSB and SJU to amplify women’s stories and to educate men about their role in amplifying the voices and perspectives of women. 

As a college for women, CSB is a space centered on serving women physically, socially, intellectually, and spiritually. CSB provides experiences that have value and meaning for our students and assist in their identity development and their emotional growth as women and as Bennies. We expect the space CSB provides, and the activities needed for this development, to be supported by an integrated model that invests equally in the curricular and cocurricular experiences of women and men. 

As a college for women, CSB advocates for women and women’s issues, seeking to end institutionalized sexism and structural inequity present within and outside of our community. Bennies graduate from CSB with a full understanding of their rights as women and with tools to dismantle systems of privilege and oppression.

As a college for women, CSB develops women leaders. Visible role models within the community are key to that aim. We expect CSB and SJU to continue CSB’s legacy of thoughtfully and intentionally recruiting and hiring women into positions of power. We expect the expertise, leadership, and professionalism of women at all levels of the integrated organization to be authentically valued. We expect their advocacy on behalf of CSB students to be listened to intentionally. We expect women and men to be paid fairly and their work to be valued equally. We expect opportunities to be given based on ability and potential, rather than gender stereotypes. 

Endorsed by the CSB College for Women: Mission, Vision and Strategic Directions Committee on June 5, 2020

Endorsed by the CSB Board of Trustees on June 19, 2020

Endorsed by the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict on October 22, 2020