Jesuit Education is

• based on St. Ignatius Loyola’s insight that God may be known “in all things,” his vision of the fundamental goodness of the world, and his view of human endeavor as a partnership with the creating God

• committed to learning and the search for knowledge which demands academic excellence and to a love of the world which leads to the desire to create a better and more just existence

• pledged to forming men and women for others who seek to transform the world by being leaders in the service of others

• dedicated to developing the habit of reflecting on values which is crucial for making sound judgments

• supportive of religious diversity within the university community as a condition for religious dialogue and for the development of a genuine partnership-in-service to culture and society.

Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, on the 200th anniversary celebration of Jesuit education in the United States, described the characteristics of a graduate of a Jesuit Institution:

Our purpose in education, then, is to form men and women “for others.” The Society of Jesus has always sought to imbue students with values that transcend the goals of money, fame, and success. We want graduates who will be leaders concerned about society and the world in which they live. We want graduates who desire to eliminate hunger and conflict in the world and who are sensitive to the need for more equitable distribution of the world’s goods. We want graduates who seek to end sexual and social discrimination and who are eager to share their faith with others.

In short, we want our graduates to be leaders-in-service. That has been the goal of Jesuit education since the sixteenth century. It remains so today.