To provide accessible, individually supported higher education to students whom conventional institutions are not built to serve, at a standard that requires no apology and with terms stated plainly.
The Principles That Govern Our Work
These are working commitments rather than sentiments. Each one can be tested against what the University actually does.
Access
Circumstance should not determine who is able to study. The University removes the barriers it can remove and is honest about those it cannot.
Rigor
Flexibility in how a student studies does not mean flexibility in the standard applied. Every assessment method is marked against the same criteria.
Attention
Teaching works best one to one, and advanced AI is what makes that affordable for every student rather than for a privileged few. The technology is here to give attention, not to economize on it.
Evidence
Teaching decisions follow published findings rather than preference. Where the evidence changes, the practice changes with it.
Patience
A student who needs an explanation four times is entitled to it four times. Nothing in the University's design penalizes taking longer.
Service
Our graduates are prepared to work in classrooms, communities and organizations where the need is greatest rather than where the reward is highest.
What the University Affirms
Saint Mary's is a Christian institution and affirms the historic tenets of the Christian faith. This statement describes the tradition within which the University was founded and continues to operate.
It is not a condition of study. Students of all faiths, and of none, are admitted on the same terms, assessed against the same criteria, and are not required to subscribe to any part of what follows.
- The authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures as the standard for faith and practice
- The triune nature of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- The deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, his death, resurrection and promised return
- Salvation by grace through faith, as the free gift of God to all who believe
- The Church as the body of Christ and its commission to make disciples of all nations
- The call to love God and to love one's neighbor, expressed in lives of worship, justice and mercy
The People Behind the Programs
The faculty who design the curriculum, set the standards and supervise the teaching.