In an effort to follow best-practices of backwards design, the General Education Task Force began its work by drafting a revised mission statement for Stonehill College's General Education program. Draft statements were workshopped in the task force, then shared with faculty during Academic Development Day sessions for further review and feedback. The version represented here was completed November 13, 2018. It will continue to be revised as our plans for the program's revised structure and requirements develop.
OUR MISSION
What are the questions that motivate you?
Here, you will explore enduring questions that animate us, discover new questions that confront us, and reflect on the connections between our lives at Stonehill and our rapidly changing, diverse world. At Stonehill, you will encounter classes that shape both your four years here and your life and career after graduation. As you explore your path, the General Education Program encourages you to broaden your worldview: being a Stonehill student means discovering challenges that motivate you and the ideas that inspire you.
"The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which [they are] being educated. The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for [themselves], to make [their] own decisions ... To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions..."
James Baldwin, A Talk to Teachers, October 16, 1963
Who am I and who do I want to be?
This question urges you to consider: what led you to where you are today? Where do you want to go, and what will you need in order to get there? From the moment you arrive on campus, you will be engaged in thoughtful conversations that will inspire and encourage you to explore and articulate who you are. How can you best express yourself? In order to understand and develop your role within your community, first you will ask questions and develop your own unique gifts.
What is the world like? [Who makes up the world and where do I fit in? We need to nuance this more]
As you develop your own questions, you will also learn how others have answered enduring questions of value, purpose, and knowledge. What voices are included and what voices have been excluded? How do people express their values? What is the value of seeking to understand others? Here, you will develop the intellectual skills necessary to understand how knowledge is created and shared.
How can we live together and address injustices?
What does it mean to create a more just and compassionate world? How can we achieve this aim? As you identify and pursue your unique vocation, the courses you take and the experiences you engage in will prepare you to live a life of social responsibility. At Stonehill, social responsibility means both respecting the inherent dignity of each person and developing the skills to be leaders in your communities as they seek to address injustices.
How can I make a difference? [We determined that “what impact can I have?” is language that wasn’t resonating, and the italicized questions are some of the alternatives offered in our meeting]
Throughout your four years at Stonehill, you will have opportunities to make an impact on your community, whether you define that as your campus community, your hometown, or the people and organizations you encounter through internships, H.O.P.E., or other service opportunities. At Stonehill, you will learn what contributions are meaningful to you, so that when you graduate, you’ll be prepared to continue to make a positive impact, both personally and professionally.
OUR HISTORY & PURPOSE
“Wherever we work we assist others not only to recognize and develop their own gifts but also to discover the deepest longing in their lives. And, as in every work of our mission, we find that we ourselves stand to learn much from those whom we are called to teach.” Holy Cross Constitution 16
Stonehill was founded on June 30, 1948, as a college rooted in the vision and mission of Blessed Father Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Our primary responsibility is to assist students in identifying and pursuing their unique gifts. Fr. Moreau believed that educational institutions should be catalysts for the transformation of the world. He challenged Holy Cross priests, brothers, and sisters to become educators, envisioning vibrant communities of scholarship and faith where students would engage in a dynamic exchange of ideas. Today, our students come from a wide range of faith traditions and backgrounds, enabling rich and inclusive conversations in our classrooms and on our campus; what unites us is our shared commitment to the creation of a more just and compassionate world.
Our Questions of Purpose respond to and continue these traditions today:
Mind: At Stonehill, you will learn to think critically, to push your intellectual boundaries, and to challenge yourself in order to engage with the pressing needs and questions of the day.
Heart: Our students strive toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world because you are encouraged to see the many links between your academic education, your future vocation, and your role as an active, responsible citizen.
Passion: Being a Stonehill student means bringing commitment and a sense of justice to your work. Doing what you love and loving what you do means seeking ways to make a difference, here on campus, in your communities, and in your workplaces. Zeal – appears in Fr. Moreau’s writing with some frequency – concern from faculty has been closeness to Zealot; understand that faculty have strong opinions about this, but we are a Holy Cross institution. What might be important is defining this for ourselves.
Hope: In our scholarship and in our community we confront difficult questions and experiences of pain and injustice. You will grapple with those questions and experiences in order to build the knowledge and self-assurance to work towards equity and justice.
Community: Being part of the Stonehill community means being part of something beyond yourself and taking responsibility for contributing to the well-being of your community. Stonehill students embrace the life-long process of working in solidarity with their communities towards the common good.
Throughout the reimagining project, we welcome feedback from the Stonehill Community. If you wish to provide input on the current draft of the mission statement, please use the form below.
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