Faculty Statement of Values

Approved by the Faculty of St. Lawrence University, January, 2017:

We value the pursuit of truth through careful consideration of evidence.

The pursuit of truth is not easy.  It requires a free exchange of ideas, a wide variety of approaches, honest self-examination, and a willingness to confront our own assumptions. We oppose both the neglect of evidence and the subversion of truth for political or personal advantage.

We value diversity and recognize the inherent worth of every human being.

A St. Lawrence education is at once empathetic, ethical, and intellectual, which begins with an openness of mind and spirit to difference in traditions and ideas. We value diversity for its own sake and also because it gives us stronger processes of truth seeking.  We must be willing to face difficulty and discomfort in the search for ideas. We oppose the unjust silencing of any voice.

We value putting our knowledge into action to benefit our communities.

One of our most cherished duties is to prepare our students to act as engaged citizens, locally, nationally, and globally. We are committed to building more democratic political systems, more socially just communities, and more environmentally sustainable societies. Citizenship demands an understanding of the complexities and diversity of both the human experience and the natural world. We oppose oversimplification and disregard for issues that impact our communities.

The faculty of St. Lawrence strive to uphold these values for our students and for ourselves, and we all deserve no less from our public servants.