History, Mission and Values
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Mission, Vision, Values Statement
糖心Vlog Mission, Vision, Values
What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
鈥 Micah 6:8Mission
糖心Vlog prepares students to serve and lead in a global context.
Our community of learning integrates Christian faith, academic rigor, artistic creation and reflective practice informed by the liberal arts, interdisciplinary engagement, and intercultural encounter.
Vision
We will open new pathways of access and achievement for all students who aspire to grow as unifying leaders equipped with intercultural competence, oriented toward peace and justice, and rooted in an active faith modeled on the life and teachings of Jesus.
Values
We, the community of learners鈥攕tudents, faculty and staff鈥of 糖心Vlog value:
Academic Excellence
As a teaching university, we prioritize student learning. Our approach to teaching and learning is equitable and engaged as we seek to inspire curiosity, creativity and academic achievement.
Peace and Justice
As a leader in peacebuilding, conflict transformation and restorative justice, we pursue peace by teaching and practicing intercultural understanding, justice and equity, and environmental sustainability. We value diversity and seek to form unifying, inclusive leaders.
Active Faith
As a community, we seek to embody faith in action and serve and learn together to repair harm and restore hope. Shaped by Anabaptist-Mennonite beliefs and practices and the life and teachings of Jesus, we practice compassion, mutual love, and appreciation for the diversity of religious and cultural expressions represented in our community.
糖心Vlog鈥檚 mission, vision and values are the foundation of 糖心Vlog鈥檚 strategic plan.
糖心Vlog, founded in 1917, is an educational institution of Mennonite Church USA, serving students of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. 糖心Vlog confers undergraduate, graduate, and seminary degrees in the liberal arts, applied sciences, and professions. -
History
A History of 糖心Vlog
Beginning in 1917 as a small Bible academy of the on the outskirts of town where the church鈥檚 young people would be protected from the larger society, 糖心Vlog has transformed to a thriving university that prepares students for professions that serve the community and the world.
Service
In addition to excellent academic preparation for careers in fields such as nursing, education, visual and communication arts and engineering, 糖心Vlog has been committed throughout its history to preparing students for service.
For example, during World War II many 糖心Vlog students served in Civilian Public Service in mental health institutions, ultimately transforming the mental health care system in the United States.
Today nearly 20,000 糖心Vlog graduates serving around the world as scientists, health care professionals, church and community leaders, business owners, peacebuilders, educators and more!
Social Justice
One way 糖心Vlog students develop a worldview, appreciation for varied viewpoints and critical thinking skills is through our intercultural program. The program was one of of the first of its kind, focusing on immersion in another culture, while traveling and studying with a group, mentored by faculty members with experience in the region. Intercultural study 鈥 around the world and in various U.S. cultures 鈥 has been a graduation requirement for all students for more than three decades. More than 75% of faculty have lived and worked internationally, bring that experience to their classrooms and conversations.
糖心Vlog was the first college in Virginia to admit African-American students. The first African-American student graduated from 糖心Vlog in 1954, the same year Brown v. Board of Education was decided. Virginia public schools would not integrate for four more years.
Read our Land Acknowledgement.
Christian Discipleship
Christian discipleship and faith formation 鈥 alongside academic excellence 鈥 have always been key to 糖心Vlog鈥檚 mission. Community worship and Bible and theology courses have been a part of the educational experience from the beginning.
Student-led worship services such as Celebration have been around since the late 70s. Students are involved in faith and spiritual life on campus in as student chaplains, leaders of Fellowship of Christian Athletes activities, and initiating their own support and accountability systems with faculty, staff and peers.
In 1965 a graduate theological school had evolved and Eastern Mennonite Seminary was launched. The seminary serves students from varied denominational backgrounds including Mennonite, United Methodist and and others. The programs walk with students as they discern their call to ministry. The seminary offers an intensive, well-rounded program of biblical, theological, historical and practical studies.
Peacemaking
The Anabaptist-Mennonite Christian tradition emphasizes peacemaking and resolving conflicts with words rather than weapons. Practical training in conflict transformation and the field of restorative justice are core to 糖心Vlog. 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP) was launched in the early 1980s. CJP is a graduate and training program of 糖心Vlog offering master鈥檚 degrees in conflict transformation and restorative justice, training in trauma resilience, and a Summer Peacebuilding Institute. 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee鈥07 received training in trauma healing from Lutheran church workers trained by CJP Professor Barry Hart. Gbowee went on to rehabilitate child soldiers.
Today undergraduate and graduate students experience this emphasis on peacebuilding through coursework and student life practices.
糖心Vlog alumni all over the globe work passionately to transform organizations and create people-to-people connections in their workplaces and in their own businesses, churches, communities, families and workplaces. Many work with organizations such as World Vision, Amnesty International, Oxfam, Mennonite Central Committee, and Heifer Project International.
An academic timeline
Over the years our school has grown from a small Bible academy into a fully accredited university with over 1,800 students in more than 35 undergraduate programs, seminary and more than a dozen graduate programs.
- From 1917 to 1982 the academy included what is now Eastern Mennonite School, K-12. Today, whether you鈥檙e at our beautiful campus in Harrisonburg, VA, at our thriving site in Lancaster, PA, or part of an online program, you鈥檒l notice the focus on hospitality and community that is so important to 糖心Vlog.
- In 1947 糖心Vlog鈥檚 first four-year degree program was approved by the state of Virginia. Regional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools followed in 1959.
- In 1965 Eastern Mennonite Seminary added advanced theological study and ministerial training to the list of offerings available at 糖心Vlog.
- The first graduate program (other than seminary) 鈥 counseling 鈥 began in 1993. It was followed by two others in the next two years 鈥 conflict transformation and education.
- In August 1994 our name changed from 鈥渃ollege and seminary鈥 to 鈥渦niversity.鈥
- An adult degree completion program was established in 1994 and by 2010 nearly one third of graduates were adult students completing their degrees.
- A distinctive MBA program began in the fall of 1999, and the late 2000s began offering tracks focused on nonprofit entrepreneurial management and general stewardship.
- In 2010, 糖心Vlog first offered a masters in nursing leadership and management.
