Founded in 1911, Connecticut College today is where liberal education is being redefined for the 21st century. Our Connections approach encourages students to ask personal and meaningful questions and explore answers by integrating courses from multiple disciplines, engaging in off-campus learning and sharing what they have learned with the larger community. Our graduates are prepared to be creative, adaptive thinkers ready to tackle the world’s most complex problems. Connecticut College educates students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society. Academic Excellence Rigorous academic standards, innovative and engaging faculty members, and a diverse classroom curriculum challenge students to reach their full intellectual potential. The College expects students to learn outside the classroom as well, through such activities as research, travel, and internships. The College facilitates those opportunities in the belief that a diversity of experiences is essential for genuine academic excellence. The College also expects and strongly supports faculty scholarship, research, and creative work that advances human knowledge and expression and informs... excellent teaching. Diversity, Equity and Shared Governance In the early 20th century, Connecticut College was founded in the belief that all qualified students - women as well as men - deserve an opportunity to secure an education. The College strives to be a community in which all members feel comfortable, respect each other's differences, and seek common ground. The College promotes understanding by offering a variety of academic and social experiences and is committed to building greater access, opportunity, and equity. Students, faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni all participate in the governance of the College. Education of the Entire Person The College supports and nurtures the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, creative, and physical development of its student body. Connecticut College encourages students to engage in a wide range of activities, including academic pursuits, athletics and physical education, artistic expression, and community service. The College fosters an appreciation for the natural and aesthetic connectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. It prepares students to be responsible citizens, creative problem-solvers, and thoughtful leaders in a global society. Adherence to Common Ethical and Moral Standards Connecticut College maintains a strong commitment to its long-standing Honor Code. Students are expected to monitor their own faithfulness to the principles of honesty and moral integrity and to display courage in academic and social interactions. The principles of justice, impartiality, and fairness - the foundations for equity - are paramount. Community Service and Global Citizenship Connecticut College fosters civic responsibility and enhances academic excellence through a long tradition of community involvement and through courses that provide opportunities for service. The College promotes an understanding of local, regional, national, and international peoples, groups, cultures, and issues, and encourages students to take a life-long interest in them. Environmental Stewardship Connecticut College is proud of its pioneering tradition of ecological awareness and responsibility and intends to remain a leader in safeguarding the environment. The arboretum campus is an ecological showpiece, and the College's procedures and programs aim to preserve and protect the environment, both locally and globally, and to prepare citizens sensitive to the need for responsible environmental stewardship. Mission statement and values adopted by the College and the Board of Trustees, October, 2004