Mission Statement/Memberships of the University

Historical Prologue:

A comprehensive, co-educational institution, The University of Scranton is by tradition, choice and heartfelt commitment, a Catholic and Jesuit university. Founded in 1888 as Saint Thomas College by the Most Reverend William G. O’Hara, D.D., the first bishop of Scranton, it achieved university status in 1938, and was entrusted to the care of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1942.

The Mission of the University:

The University of Scranton is a Catholic and Jesuit university animated by the spiritual vision and the tradition of excellence characteristic of the Society of Jesus and those who share in its way of proceeding. The University is a community dedicated to the freedom of inquiry and personal development fundamental to the growth in wisdom and integrity of all who share in its life.

The Characteristics and Goals of the University:

As a Catholic and Jesuit University, The University of Scranton

1. Shares with all, the fullness of the Catholic intellectual tradition, the distinctive worldview of the Christian Gospels, and the Spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola.
2. Educates men and women for others who are committed to the service of faith and promotion of justice.
3. Invites persons from other religious traditions and diverse backgrounds to share in our work and contribute to our mission.

As a Comprehensive University, The University of Scranton

4. Offers degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the traditional disciplines of the liberal arts as well as in pre-professional and professional areas.        
5. Provides educational opportunities and support programs that promote the mission of the University, meet the needs and interests of traditional and non-traditional students, and serve the needs of the local region.

As a University in the Liberal Arts Tradition, The University of Scranton

6. Offers undergraduate students a core curriculum in the Jesuit tradition based on the arts and sciences.  
7. Imparts to students the importance of gathering, evaluating, disseminating, and applying information using traditional and contemporary methods.
8. Provides learning experiences that reach beyond the fundamental acquisition of knowledge to include understanding interactions and syntheses through discussion, critical thinking, and application.
9. Promotes a respect for knowledge and a lifelong commitment to learning, discernment and ethical decision making.

As a Caring Community, The University of Scranton

10. Fosters a spirit of caring, grounded in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, that enables all members of our community to engage fully in our mission, according to their needs and interests.
11. Facilitates the personal growth and transformation of all members of University community through a spirit of caring.
12. Extends this spirit of caring to the wider community through civic engagement and service.
13. Enhances our sense of community by demonstrating high standards and care for our physical environment.

 As a Dynamic Institution, The University of Scranton

14. Develops goals and aspirations by systemically reflecting on opportunities for and challenges to fulfilling our mission.
15. Fulfills our mission through careful planning and management of resources in order to achieve our aspirations while remaining affordable to our students.
16. Engages the University community in purposefully monitoring progress toward the accomplishment of our mission.

Institutional Student Learning Outcomes:

Graduates of The University of Scranton will move beyond the possession of the intellectual and practical skills that form the basis of professional competence and inspired by The Magis possess the knowledge and ability to address the most significant questions, engaging their colleagues successfully and ethically, and advancing towards positions of leadership in their chosen field of study. Furthermore, our graduates will, through their experience of cura personalis, demonstrate that they are persons of character and women and men for and with others, through their devotion to the spiritual and corporal welfare of other human beings and by their special commitment to the pursuit of social justice and the common good of the entire human community.

Upon completion of their program of study, students will be able to:

    1.  Develop and use the intellectual and practical competencies that are the foundation of personal and professional development and lifelong learning including oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, and technological competency and information literacy[1].

    2.  Exhibit broad knowledge of the human condition, understanding the world in its physical and natural aspects, as well as the philosophical and theological basis for modern thought, faith and belief.

    3.  Demonstrate competence in their chosen field of study, using the knowledge and ability to address the most significant questions, and advancing towards positions of leadership.

    4.  Employ their knowledge and intellect to address situations in a way that demonstrates a devotion to the spiritual and corporal welfare of other human beings and by a special commitment to the pursuit of social justice and the common good of the entire human community.

Memberships of the University