Shared Values
Keuka College Values:
Integrity. At Keuka College, behaving ethically and with integrity means being honest, keeping promises, and respecting the property and interests of others. Our personal and professional integrity guides the actions of our college community, supports the character development, wellness, and spirituality of our students, and makes us a more civil society. Keuka College develops integrity and ethical behavior in its students through the curriculum and by consistent modeling of honest and forthright behavior by the faculty, staff, administration, and alumni.
Academic Excellence. At Keuka College, academic excellence is central to the college’s educational mission, and high expectations are set for students and faculty alike. We value intellectual achievement and scholarship, employ innovative and engaging educational practices to develop the whole person, and emphasize the cultivation of critical thinking skills and the love of learning. Academic excellence is not solely a function of the intellectual abilities of the college’s students, but rather is highly dependent on the quality and rigor of the teaching/learning process.
Student-Centeredness. At Keuka College, we provide a holistic learning experience fostering the intellectual and personal growth of each student. Students, teachers, staff, and alumni are engaged in a way that connects the learning process to the world beyond the college. Through academic programs, collaborative partnerships and experiential learning experiences, Keuka College students broaden their skills and perspectives of careers, personal responsibility, wellness, and civic engagement.
Diversity. At Keuka College, we acknowledge, respect, and celebrate our differences. Our community consists of many identities, each of which provides a valued perspective. We foster an inclusive environment in which we intentionally work toward understanding, respecting, and appreciating diversity. In doing so, we move beyond tolerance to understanding and mutual respect.
Global Perspective. At Keuka College, having a global perspective means being open-minded when working with people of diverse geographical origin and cultural heritage – learning from them, and they from us. In order to prepare students for the world of the 21st century, we provide them with opportunities to learn and interact with other cultures, peoples, and perspectives. Student exposure occurs in many ways – in the classroom through our domestic and international academic programs and curricula, and outside the classroom through multiple opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Stewardship. At Keuka College, we are committed to preserving and building our legacy for future generations and to fostering a sense of responsibility and commitment to the college. Active stewardship is an ethical and institutional responsibility that embodies careful, prudent utilization and management of our resources, including our people, financial holdings, natural resources, and capital assets. The College and its constituents have a moral and financial imperative to use our many and varied resources in ways that are effective, efficient, and sustainable.
Citizenship. At Keuka College, we believe citizenship includes aspects of leadership, service, and social responsibility. All members of the Keuka College community strive to be good leaders and exemplary citizens. Effective leaders and citizens exhibit common traits of wisdom, determination, vision, emotional intelligence, empathy and social responsibility. We actively model these qualities and mentor their development, thereby demonstrating and encouraging exemplary citizenship – locally, nationally, and globally.
Liberal Learning/Professional Education
We affirm the value of liberal learning both as a foundation for specialized study and as a principal means of achieving the College’s Learning Goals for Students.
We value the depth of knowledge, skills, and ethical perspective provided through study and practice in an academic discipline or professional field.
We affirm the need for clearly articulated integration between general education and the academic or professional major.
Experiential Learning
We are committed to learning from experience, integrating theory and practice.
We teach students to apply knowledge, values, and skills effectively in learning problem-solving.
We teach students to learn actively and systematically from classroom-based, co-curricular, and off-campus experiences.
A Supportive Living and Learning Community
A Supportive Living and Learning Community
We understand that all members of the community make important contributions as partners in the work of the College, and seek to integrate curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular learning.
We cultivate a spirit of service, shared responsibility, and leadership in all our community members and encourage the use of knowledge, skills, and resources for the benefit of others.
We recognize that learning is a lifelong process, and believe that it is best accomplished in a cooperative, mutually supportive environment.
We value human diversity in all its forms, and affirm the principles of human dignity and interdependence.
We value personal integrity, mutual respect, trust, and open communication, and expect that these principles will guide the actions of all community members.
We are committed to decision-making based on a balance between individual rights and community needs.
Essential Student Learning Goals
Experiential Learning- through involvement in multiple forms of experiential education both inside and outside the classroom.
Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World- through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts.
Intellectual and Practical Skills- through inquiry and analysis, critical creative thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative literacy, information literacy, teamwork and problem solving.
Personal and Social Responsibility- through local and global civic knowledge and engagement, intercultural knowledge and competence, ethical reasoning and action, foundations and skills for lifelong learning.
Integrated Learning-through synthesis and advanced accomplishment across generalized and specialized studies.
Based on essential learning outcomes identified by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).