Mission & Values

Mission Statement

Loyola College in Maryland is a Jesuit, Catholic university committed to the educational and spiritual traditions of the Society of Jesus and to the ideals of liberal education and the development of the whole person. Accordingly, the College will inspire students to learn, lead and serve in a diverse and changing world.

Core Values

These are the values of the College, as developed and articulated by the Loyola community and endorsed by the Loyola Conference, which is the institutional governing body:

—Academic Excellence
At Loyola, the pursuit of academic excellence includes promoting a love for learning and discovery. The College promotes the Jesuit tradition of openness by fostering and protecting academic freedom and embodies its Catholic heritage by integrating intellect with faith.

—Focus on the Whole Person
Loyola aims to honor, care for, and educate the whole person, encouraging students to strive after intellectual, physical, psychological, social, and spiritual health and well-being. The College emphasizes the liberal arts along with areas outside the academic context with innovative programming, retreat opportunities, as well as ecumenical and interfaith opportunities for prayer and meditation.

—Integrity and Honesty
The College strives to create an atmosphere of open, civil discourse and careful, respectful listening. Freedom of thought and expression is valued and protected. The College supports honesty and integrity in various ways, including a formal Honor Code. Loyola also expects students to embrace personal and professional standards of ethics – one of many reasons for including ethics in the core curriculum.

—Diversity
The Jesuits regard the rich diversity of life as inherently good. Seeking to increase its own diverse nature, Loyola encourages openness to new perspectives, and it actively celebrates diversity in all forms. This includes promoting “awareness of and sensitivity toward differences of race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, culture, sexual orientation, religion, age, and disabilities” as articulated in the undergraduate catalog. Loyola asks all community members to respect, value, and welcome the “inherent value and dignity of each person”.

—Community
Jesuits believe that humans are social by nature – i.e., created for relationship – and that love is “a more excellent way” (I Corinthians 12:31). Loyola seeks to foster a community based on trust, collegiality, collaboration, and dialogue. The College reminds its members of the practical wisdom of St. Ignatius, who encouraged people to give each other the benefit of the doubt – i.e., to be generous in spirit, and more ready to put a good interpretation than a negative one on each other’s words, actions, and intentions.

—Justice
Loyola’s commitment to justice begins at home with an environment where each individual is valued. Educationally, Loyola strives to foster global awareness, an understanding of privilege and its attendant responsibilities and an interest in service to the materially poor.

—Service
The Jesuit tradition is action-oriented, with a focus on forming “men and women for others”. Service opportunities extend Loyola’s helping hand throughout the greater Baltimore area, as well as to the wider national and international communities. The College also seeks to encourage habits of caring, engagement, and civic responsibility into its academic programs.

—Leadership
Jesuit educational institutions from their earliest beginnings became renowned for training leaders. Loyola hopes, by exploring leadership inside the classroom and beyond, to continue developing students who can serve as leaders in the College, in their communities, and in society at large.

—Discernment
The College encourages regular reflection and self-examination to create awareness of personal freedom, a sense of responsibility for choices and actions, and a balance between enlightened self-interest and promotion of the common good.

—Constant Challenge to Improve
Loyola challenges itself to strive for improvement on an ongoing basis. The College encourages students to think creatively and to challenge the status quo. Loyola also seeks to foster habits of learning which will encourage ongoing growth and change in its members, even after they leave the College community.