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The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The SLU Mission in Action: The Five Dimensions

If one were to ask, “What is the fundamental purpose of a Saint Louis University education?” the likely answer would be, “To become men and women for others.” While this response would be true on one level, it would not explain how a SLU education produces its desired result.

One way in which the University has sought to express its instructional mission at a deeper level has been to explain it within a framework for student learning and engagement known as the “Five Dimensions of the Saint Louis University Experience.” The first two dimensions, scholarship & knowledge and intellectual inquiry & communication, are common to almost all college and university curricula. The third, community building, is less common, but is usually stressed at institutions such as SLU that are involved in their communities and are committed to diversity. The remaining two dimensions, leadership & service and spirituality & values, reflect key elements of SLU’s Jesuit Catholic mission.

Taken together, the Five Dimensions express the University’s hope that our students develop both professionally and personally according to the SLU mission. To foster this development, the University provides students with educational opportunities such as core courses, experiential-learning activities and capstone experiences.

Core courses are a vital part of the undergraduate education at SLU. A recent SLU graduate expressed the purpose of the core succinctly: “I was able to use my experiences in my core requirement classes to complement my major. The core courses have made me a more well-rounded, learned person. They have challenged me academically and driven me to think in ways other than my major classes have asked me to think.” Core courses are designed to foster intellectual inquiry and communication, helping students develop their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Philosophy and theology courses help students examine their values and beliefs, in order to develop as whole persons. Through the combination of core and major courses, students at SLU prepare to become leaders and lifelong learners.

Experiential learning includes a wide range of activities, such as internships, clinicals, practica, field experiences, service learning, research collaborations and study abroad. Through these opportunities, students apply and enhance their knowledge and skills in real-life settings, improve teamwork skills, address community needs, practice self-reflection and develop new perspectives with respect to social justice and global concerns. Experiential-learning activities provide students with real-world experiences that help them develop a better sense of direction and purpose in life. As another recent graduate commented, “Service learning gives you an opportunity to apply the classes that you are studying to life. It helps us connect and see that we are here at SLU to learn and study, not just to improve our lives but to improve others’ too.”

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Capstone experiences offer students opportunities to integrate and apply knowledge and skills learned in their disciplines and throughout their course work. With this integration comes a sense of intellectual coherence that otherwise might take years to grasp. Capstone courses often feature research projects, presentations or experiential-learning activities, allowing students to test theories learned in the classroom in real-life situations. According to one SLU alumnus, “My capstone experience gave me the opportunity to put into practice all elements of my Jesuit education-civic-mindedness, ethics, problem solving and spirituality.”

Through core courses, experiential-learning activities and capstone experiences, SLU prepares students for more than a specific job or field. Successful organizations require well-rounded employees who are able to see the big picture and make connections across fields. Even in technical areas, where knowledge directly related to a student’s major may provide one entry to employment, those who advance in their careers typically come to rely less on technical expertise and more on well-honed problem-solving and communication skills. In addition, since most people change jobs between four and seven times during their work years, it is important that SLU graduates possess a well-rounded educational foundation that will permit them to continue learning as jobs evolve.

By taking advantage of the unique educational opportunities SLU offers its students, both inside and outside the classroom, students engage themselves in the Five Dimensions of the SLU experience and live the University’s mission by becoming men and women for others. Among other things, this means that our students are becoming what American society and the world so desperately need: leaders who possess keen discernment, superior communication skills, and a deep ethical core.

Joe Weixlmann, Ph.D., is Professor of English and Provost at Saint Louis University.

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