Statement of Purpose Revised 1994

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Description

This is the announcement of a revised Statement of Purpose from the Davidson Journal in 1994,

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1994

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The Board of Trustees at its April meeting unanimously approved revisions to the college's Statement of Purpose recommended by a faculty /trustee committee that pondered the meaning of the seven-paragraph credo for more than a year.
Math professor Ben Klein, a member of the committee, said the revised statement is more coherent in language and more hospitable in intent in representing Davidson's beliefs. He said it does not weaken the college's commitment to religion, but broadens it, and makes it clear that the college welcomes anyone capable of making a contribution to the community regardless of their religious beliefs.
President John Kuykendall said the affirmation of Davidson's espousal of the Christian faith is more traditional in the revised statement than in the older version which was drafted in the 1960s. For example, he said, in place of describing Jesus as "the central fact of history," the new version takes the more traditional theological approach of affirming Jesus as "the revelation of God."
Kuykendall added, "It has always been part of our mission to accept students on a non-sectarian basis. The revised statement is more explicit in that regard, but I do not think that such an attitude of openness should be viewed as a retreat from the college's Christian heritage."
This is the second revision to Davidson's Statement of Purpose, which serves as the Preamble to the college's Constitution. It was originally written in 1962 or 1963 in the administration of President Grier Martin to remind people of the institutional commitment to religion at a time when those religious requirements were being questioned.
The complete text of the new Statement of Purpose follows here:
Davidson College is an institution of higher learning established by Presbyterians of North Carolina in 1837. Since its founding, the ties which bind the College to the Presbyterian Church have remained close and strong. The College intends that this vital relationship be continued to the mutual benefit of church and school.
Davidson commits itself to a Christian tradition that recognizes God as the source of all truth, and finds in Jesus Christ the revelation of that God, a God bound by no church or creed. The loyalty of the College thus extends beyond the Christian community to the whole human community and necessarily includes an openness to and respect for the world's various religious traditions. Davidson is dedicated to the quest for truth and encourages teachers and students to explore the whole of reality, whether physical or spiritual, with an unlimited employment of their intellectual powers. Faith and reason must work together in mutual respect if Davidson is to realize and maintain its particular vision of academic excellence.
The primary purpose of Davidson College is to assist students in developing humane instincts and disciplined and creative minds for lives of leadership and service. In implementing its purpose, Davidson has chosen to be a liberal arts college, to maintain itself as a residential community of scholars, to emphasize the teaching responsibility of all professors, and to ensure the opportunity for personal relationships between students and teachers. It is vital that all students in every class know and study under mature and scholarly teachers who are able and eager to provide for each of them stimulation, instruction and guidance.
Davidson seeks students of good character and high academic ability who share its values and show promise for usefulness to society. In the selection of faculty, the College seeks men and women who respect the purpose of the College, are outstanding intellectually, who have the best training available in their fields of study, and whose interest in students and teaching is unfeigned and profound. For its part, the College must provide adequate physical facilities, increase its financial resources, and furnish its faculty with the time and opportunity for creative scholarship fundamental to the best teaching.
As a liberal arts college, Davidson emphasizes those studies, disciplines and activities that are mentally, spiritually and physically liberating. Thus, the College concentrates upon the study of history, literature and languages, philosophy and religion, music, drama and the visual arts, the natural and social sciences, and mathematics. The College also requires physical education, provides for competitive athletics, and encourages a variety of social, cultural and service activities. While Davidson prepares many of its students for graduate and professional study, it intends to teach all students to think clearly, to make relevant and valid judgments, to discriminate among values, and to communicate freely with others in the realm of ideas.
As a College that welcomes students, faculty and staff from a variety of nationalities, ethnic groups and traditions, Davidson values its diversity and seeks to be a community that recognizes the dignity and inherent worth of every person. As a College whose tradition commits it to nurture the life of the spirit, Davidson endeavors to provide opportunities for religious services and other activities appropriate for the various religious traditions represented on the campus.
Davidson holds a priceless heritage bequeathed by those who have dedicated their lives and their possessions for its welfare. To it much has been entrusted, and of it much is required.

Source

Davidson Journal

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