Educational Philosophy

As a community college faculty, we believe that...

1. Our students are entitled to the experience of a first-class education, starting from wherever they find themselves when they come to us;
2. All of our students, whether returning adults or youth fresh out of high school, deserve the benefits that can come only from lifetime learning, and a passion to understand themselves and the world;
3. Every program should challenge our students to acquire new skills and tested beliefs, vital understandings and self-knowledge, and competitive excellence;
4. Our own learning must be passionate and ongoing, spilling over into our offices and classrooms;
5. Our joint collegial efforts are vital to our own professional satisfaction, the success of our students, and the continued vitality of our county, state, and nation;
6. We are responsible, and accountable, for creating a college community engaged through its students in the civic life of the larger community;
7. Every student is unique, calling from us caring, creative, engaged pedagogy so that each one can learn in a safe, civil, vibrant context;
8. Each student and his/her work deserves the benefit of our respect, our kind attention, our informed skill, and our critical evaluation.

Therefore, we will...

1. Nurture our own learning as well as that of our students as we plan and carry out our work;
2. Attend to the expansion of our own competence in our discipline, and in the discipline of teaching;
3. Prepare for class with energy and enthusiasm;
4. Engage our colleagues, both faculty and students, in our learning;
5. Welcome our students into our confidence, believing that all students are capable of learning and achieving far beyond their expectations;
6. Value our colleagues as vital participants in this joint project;
7. Guide our students through an active engagement with the subject matter before us, encouraging them to take advantage of campus services and other opportunities for continued academic growth;
8. Confront incivility and bigotry whenever and wherever we encounter it;
9. Challenge our students to take the risks associated with change and growth;
10. Face the challenges of each new group of students with dedicated energy;
11. Embody for our students the value of the life of the mind engaged in the adventure of life in a democracy.