Grinnell College is a community for the development of intellectual and moral character in undergraduate students through study, discourse, and practice of the liberal arts. Seeing knowledge as an end to be pursued for its own sake, but recognizing also a responsibility to cultivate humane values, an appreciation of human diversity, and a commitment to justice in human relations, the College helps students to free themselves from the bonds of ignorance, habit, prejudice, and apathy.
Both in its residential life and in its academic program, the College supports personal responsibility, free inquiry, and the exercise of critical thinking, and encourages its members to appreciate the various forms of human creativity and to understand the ways in which scholars and artists have conceived of and examined the human condition.
Our goal is to graduate men and women of great intellectual ability, character, and autonomy; who are knowledgeable, yet curious and open-minded; who proportion their beliefs to the quality of the supporting evidence and reasoning; who write and speak clearly, fluently, logically, and persuasively; who try always to act wisely and humanely, on the basis of sound and perspicacious judgement, sympathetic understanding of the values and perspectives of others, and close attention to relevant facts and principles; and who, when in positions of authority, apply their understanding and ability for the common good.
For a more detailed statement of the College's principles, values, and practices, see ``Core values of Grinnell College'' (http://www.grinnell.edu/President/ffe/ccviedef.htm).
Original draft (March 21, 2001)
To comment on the proposed mission statement, send e-mail to stone@cs.grinnell.edu.
This document is available on the World Wide Web as
http://www.cs.grinnell.edu/~stone/mission-statement/orchid.xhtml
created March 27, 2001
last revised October 21, 2001