Mission
We educate students for productive, creative and reflective lives of achievement, leadership and service in a diverse, dynamic and interdependent world.
Guiding Values
Susquehanna University is:
• A selective, residential, national liberal-arts college focused on deliberate preparation for professions, careers, and engaged citizenship;
• A learning community that supports excellence in scholarship, research, creative activity, and collaboration in and out of the classroom among faculty, staff, and students;
• A diverse community that cultivates inclusive excellence, intercultural competence, and global citizenship;
• An innovative community whose faculty and staff are its greatest resource;
• A collaborative community that expects ethical behavior and mutual respect from all its members;
• A responsible community committed to financial and environmental sustainability;
• An engaged community that inspires and empowers alumni to be perpetual stewards of their alma mater;
• A welcoming community that honors its Lutheran heritage through a commitment to service in the region and the world and the free and open exploration of ideas; and
• A beautiful campus that fosters a holistic living and learning experience.
Learning Goals
Our learning goals articulate a vision of our students as competent, liberally-educated people who develop the skills they need to succeed in the job market post-graduation and to pursue advanced degrees.
Our students engage in an ongoing processes of cross- and multi-disciplinary education to develop depth of knowledge; examine ideas within the context of their academic major and from the perspectives of other disciplines as well; and synthesize all facets of their educational experience to frame a way of thinking about their major area(s) of study, their potential career path, and their lives as a means to achieve, lead and serve in their communities and around the world.
We want our graduates to possess:
- An awareness of creative, natural, societal and cultural forces that shape the world
- An integrated set of intellectual skills
- A mature understanding of self-mind, body and spirit
- An understanding of personal ethical responsibility
The learning goals of Susquehanna University articulate a vision of our students as confident, liberally educated, and committed to multidisciplinary education as global citizens, working within and across their academic disciplines. They productively gather and apply all facets of their educational experience to personally and professionally frame their vocations, areas of study, and lives, demonstrating achievement, leadership, and service in the world.
SU students investigate the creative, natural, social, economic, and cultural forces that shape the world, and gain familiarity with:
the richness of human thought and expression across time and into the present;
the ongoing ways humans seek to explain the natural world; and
the breadth and depth of global human interactions, including belief systems, values, practices, and ways of organizing life.
SU students develop an integrated set of intellectual skills that empower them to:
think creatively and critically to analyze issues, consider solutions, and make effective decisions;
incorporate methods of analysis from a broad range of academic disciplines to understand and explore conflict, and solve problems;
engage effectively with others through gathering, evaluating, synthesizing, and articulating information to generate informed opinions and arguments through multiple avenues; and
work effectively within a team, function with professional and digital competency, and understand and navigate problems that often elicit complex and ambiguous responses.
SU students develop a mature, integrated sense of themselves through a holistic liberal arts experience, including:
appreciating the limits and contexts of their own experience, and the ability to value the experiences of others with diverse backgrounds;
critically examining their strengths and struggles, and realistically evaluating the potential positive or negative impact of inputs and activities; and
committing to ongoing development of one’s intellectual, physical, and spiritual life.
SU graduates develop and internalize their own integrated vision of the common good, and how to pursue it in the context of their lives, including:
pursuing sustainable relationships with their natural and social environments;
continued growth to discern and pursue improvement in themselves, their communities, and the world;
understanding and valuing both the universality and diversity of human experience; and
willingness to strive for responsible personal and interpersonal actions that serve the greater good.