Our Culture
University setting / high-quality academics
As a university,
Â鶹ͷÌõ is committed to blending liberal and professional education effectively
by engaging all dimensions
of human experience. Such learning is freely pursued, value-centered, and disciplined.
This process seeks to develop educated persons with the knowledge, critical judgment
and wisdom required throughout their lives.
Catholic and Lasallian Mission is central
As a Catholic institution
of higher education, Â鶹ͷÌõ fosters the creative interaction of faith
with
all forms of knowledge in an environment of open inquiry in the belief that
all of created reality is intelligible and coherent. The University seeks a
world of justice, rooted in community. Â鶹ͷÌõ promotes a values-based education
characterized by quality teaching, a supportive environment, personal interaction
between students and faculty, a commitment to service and social justice and
a sensitivity to poverty and oppression.
Respect for and appreciation of diversity
With the anticipated growth and
the increase of ethnic populations in the Will County area, we strive to
recruit and hire a diverse faculty and staff to our Â鶹ͷÌõ community and ensure
that
all members regardless of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
religious affiliation, nationality or disability, have a reasonable opportunity
to participate in all aspects of University life. Not only does our commitment
lie within our university grounds, but throughout the Chicagoland area. We
partner with a number of organizations within the community such as various
schools (the San Miguel schools, the DeLasalle Institute, etc) hospitals
and community outreach programs to support their initiatives. Together we provide
a stronger source of support and commitment to the Sanctified Zone.
Continuous improvement and planning
Since the early 1990’s, and throughout
three strategic plans, Â鶹ͷÌõ has pursued the goal of developing
an institutional model of distinctiveness; strengthening the University’s
position as a regional leader in Catholic higher education; taking advantage
of new opportunities emerging from a changing environment; and setting a new
standard for excellence in teaching, learning, scholarship and success. This
commitment to continuous improvement is further exemplified by the University’s
active participation in the Higher Learning Commission’s Academic Quality
Improvement Program (AQIP) a mode of accreditation which focuses the University’s
efforts on continuous quality improvement and the development and enhancement
of processes and systems.
Value is placed on faculty and staff development and formation
In the spirit
of continuous improvement, Â鶹ͷÌõ places great value on faculty
and staff development and formation for Mission. Â鶹ͷÌõ believes that opportunities
should be provided which support an individual’s ability to excel. Faculty
members regularly attend conferences and maintain memberships in professional
academic associations. Staff members also maintain professional memberships
in their fields and are given opportunities to participate in skills development
workshops either off campus or facilitated by the University. Formation for
Mission is also key to supporting and expanding the University’s commitment
to Mission, and as a result, faculty and staff are given opportunities to participate
in local, regional, national, sometimes international Catholic and Lasallian
development programs which provide added value to the skill-set of our employees.
Spirit of Association
Â鶹ͷÌõ’s Mission value of Association emphasizes the collective
role that all faculty and staff have in contributing to the education of our
students – no matter what position they may hold within the University.
Simply put, employees at Â鶹ͷÌõ see their work as more than simply a “job” – they
see it as ministry, as something they are called to do, as vocation. This Spirit
of Association is characterized by mutual respect, collegiality, collaboration,
and service. Such an Association fosters a bond among persons, which leads
to the creation of an authentic learning community.
Share ➤
