"You have to choose between what the world expects of you . . . and what you expect for yourself" -adapted from James McBride in The Color of Water Franklin Pierce University recognizes its highest goal to be the development of intellect and character. That which must set a Franklin Pierce education apart from others is that we demand that our students make contributions far larger than they could have hoped when they arrived. Our purpose in this enterprise is to prepare leaders of conscience for the next century, whether our graduates' aspirations are global or local. We understand this to be the paramount charge and responsibility of the College. Franklin Pierce University commits its energies and resources to becoming an academic home in the truest sense. Our community educates students from a rich diversity of backgrounds who are committed to advancing their lives and the lives of others through hard work, high standards, and service. As an academic home, we will be recognized as a superior New England regional institution grounded in the liberal arts, the sciences, business, and related professional disciplines. This identity and the mission which animates it will have a special influence on the citizens of New Hampshire and north-central New England through the College's Division of Graduate and Professional Studies. II. Context The well-managed college is distinguished by two features: First, by its ability to identify the needs and demands of the academic marketplace; second, by its sound judgment in determining which of those needs and demands it should endeavor to meet. The institution which tries to be all things to everyone ends by being not much to anyone. The question here is one of institutional identity, of institutional vision. The well-managed college has a keen sense of direction; it knows its strengths and weaknesses; it recognizes its own limits; it knows its own traditions and it acts in continuity with those traditions. The Vision Statement of the College stands always as an ideal which the Franklin Pierce community strives to attain - but an ideal never perfectly realized. Our challenge is to narrow the distance between our ideal vision of the College and the reality of FP as it exists today. This is a stimulating and worthy challenge, one that asks the best of all who make up the College community. Critical to the College's statement of vision is the concept of "academic home." For Franklin Pierce College, this term holds special meaning and is distinguished by a core of defining characteristics. Thus, the "academic home" which this College embraces and must nurture is a secure and supportive place of learning, one which offers an educational environment of clear standards, high expectations, and a predisposition to challenge students to achieve their utmost. We prepare leaders of conscience by guiding students through a demanding curriculum, always seeking, as an academic home, to support and to stretch the development of intellect and character. By design, our academic and co-curricular program will foster in our graduates the characteristics and values recognized in our "leaders of conscience" today. These leaders are principled in the face of adversity, as in all matters; balanced in weighing options; decisive in pursuing a chosen course; open to new ideas; seeking always to improve upon the current condition; careful in the judgment of others; gentle in the care of the souls of those they influence; and inspirational and nurturing of similar qualities in others. As an academic home, we are a dwelling place of good books, good teachers, good students, and good technology. These defining features are apparent in each of our programs, our facilities, and in our physical layout. In the end, we live our mission fully: to produce the highest quality of academic achievement, and a new generation of leaders for our communities. |
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