Vision

Steeped in Dominican Ethos, Liberal Learning through Foundations, Breadth, Depth and Integration for Responsible Global Citizenship

We educate one student at a time in the company of others, each unique yet all distinctly Dominican. In dialogue with a Dominican ethos, our students grow as liberal learners through creative and rigorous study marked by solid foundations, disciplinary breadth and depth, and ongoing integration as they aspire to become ethically responsible global citizens. Each student develops an emerging sense of personal and professional vocation through a variety of means, including thoughtful interaction with courses, professors and other students, and intensive advising and mentoring. We encourage students to participate in internships, study away (international and domestic), community-based learning, and undergraduate research, scholarship and creative investigations. Diverse insights coalesce in each student’s distinctive educational trajectory, purpose and plan, as we inspire students to discern the big picture and name their place within it—to stand somewhere and to stand for something, conscientiously positioned in relationship to the world.

Dominican ethos describes the distinctive character of our university’s culture. It includes an environment of Caritas et Veritas, in which we contemplate the meaning of existence and strive collaboratively for a more just and humane world. It understands that study is at once contemplative and communal. It unites reflection and dialogue as we collaborate in the search for truth. It enables students to develop a sense of care and responsibility for oneself, one’s community, and the wider creation. It fosters trust, tolerance, mutual accountability, and belonging. Students enter into conversation with a Catholic intellectual tradition that affirms the compatibility of faith and reason, a universe marked by both intelligibility and mystery, the sacredness of all creation, the dignity of every living being, and concern for the common good. They acquire basic knowledge about Christianity in its various dimensions, and how it interacts with secular and other religious beliefs, practices and worldviews.

Upon graduation, students educated at Dominican University possess character, knowledge and skills to take informed, ethical action in the world and to influence others for the good.

View our Vision Graphic (pdf)

Our vision rests upon the following undergraduate learning goals and outcomes, which are mapped to the core and built upon through other curricular and co-curricular experiences.

Dominican University Undergraduate Learning Goals and Outcomes

Preamble

At Dominican University, we approach teaching and learning with an emphasis on reflective, integrative, and applied learning to enable students to synthesize concepts and methods across domains. We ask students to apply knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems and to assume responsibility for their own learning.

Upon graduation, students educated at Dominican University possess character, knowledge, and skills to take informed, ethical action in the world and to influence others for the good. As stated in our undergraduate bulletin, “In distinctive ways, the core curriculum helps students meet the learning goals outlined in the Vision for Undergraduate Education.”

Steeped in the Dominican ethos, with an expectation that students will strive collaboratively for a more just and humane world, we expect students to foster trust, tolerance, mutual accountability, global citizenship, and belonging.  We invite them into conversation with a Catholic intellectual and liberal arts tradition that explores the compatibility of faith and reason, a universe marked by both intelligibility and mystery, the sacredness of all creation, the dignity of every living being, and concern for the common good. 

Goals—What we want our students to know, do, and value:

Knowledge: Students will gain knowledge that increases their understanding of themselves and the world around them, enhances their ability to see connections across domains, and diversifies their frames of reference.

Intellectual and Practical Skills: Students will draw on this knowledge as they develop their abilities to access, understand, analyze, synthesize, create, and effectively communicate ideas and information in order to address real-world issues, both individually and collaboratively.

Personal and Social Responsibility: Students will use their knowledge and skills as they acquire a disposition of living mindfully and ethically in our diverse world, effectively engaging in civic life at Dominican and beyond.

Outcomes—Dominican University students completing an undergraduate degree (core curriculum, majors, and co-curricular experiences) will: