ST EDWARDS UNIVERSITY

St. Edward’s University is an independent Catholic university that welcomes qualified students of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs and serves a culturally diverse student body. The university’s undergraduate programs achieve a balance among the humanities, the sciences and the professions. These programs seek to make graduates competent in a chosen discipline, help them understand and appreciate the contributions of other disciplines and prepare them to further their life goals. Graduate and professional development programs enhance students’ knowledge and skills in order to prepare them to take advantage of more challenging employment opportunities. Graduates in all programs should be prepared, through training in critical and creative thinking as well as moral reasoning, to analyze problems, propose solutions and make responsible decisions. They should be able to express themselves articulately in both oral and written form. They are encouraged to develop an understanding of the human person that is derived from reason and open to faith. The university promotes excellence in teaching and learning in an environment that encompasses innovative pedagogy in the curriculum and co-curriculum as well as engagement with the broader community. A caring faculty and staff, recognizing that learning is a lifelong process, teach the skills needed to be independent and productive. They encourage individuals to confront the critical issues of society and to seek justice and peace. Students are helped to understand themselves, clarify their personal values and recognize their responsibility to the world community. The university gives the example of its own commitment to service. St. Edward’s was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, from which it acquired distinguishing characteristics: the courage to take risks, an international perspective and the commitment to provide educational opportunities for students of varied cultural, religious, educational and economic backgrounds. St. Edward’s expresses its Catholic identity by communicating the dignity of the human person as created in the image of God, by stressing the obligation of all people to pursue a more just world and by providing opportunities for religious studies and participation in campus ministry. St. Edward’s seeks to provide an environment in which freely chosen beliefs can be deepened and expressed.