The Johns Hopkins University | Commission on Undergraduate Education

Johns Hopkins University
Commission on Undergraduate Education
Final Report | May 15, 2003

CHAPTER 4
Mission and Vision of Undergraduate Education
at Johns Hopkins

The Johns Hopkins University has developed traditions and strengths based on its founding as the first research university in the United States in 1876. At that time, the German research university, which was one of the most successful academic models of the era, exerted a strong influence on the community of scholars that came together to start the new university. A particular goal of Johns Hopkins was to attract talented faculty either from the U.S. or abroad who were committed to developing new knowledge and who would train students in the research context. Less emphasis was put on mastering the Greek and Latin corpus that formed the core of the curriculum for most American liberal arts colleges in the 19th century. This tradition continues to influence the Hopkins approach to education today.

Notwithstanding our traditions and strengths, notions of a more perfect undergraduate education were inherent in the Commission's deliberations, and, before reviewing our recommendations, it is worth outlining the mission that we see for the University in its undergraduate programs and the Commission's vision for the experience that should be offered undergraduate students.

The mission of Johns Hopkins University with respect to undergraduate education is to prepare students to be informed and engaged global citizens. Undergraduates in all programs should hone critical thinking skills and develop their creativity. Those preparing for advanced study or the professions should achieve mastery of their disciplines. Graduates should be ready to engage in a lifetime of learning related both to their chosen careers and to their personal interests.

In particular, the following dimensions should characterize a Hopkins undergraduate education:

critical thinking, effective writing, and competent oral communication

educational breadth that is demonstrated by familiarity with the subject content and approaches to understanding the world carried out by humanists, natural scientists and engineers, and social scientists

familiarity with the origins and diversity of U.S. culture and history as well as with other world cultures to foster a sense of civility and an appreciation for diversity

intellectual depth that demonstrates a mastery at a high technical level of the findings and methods of a field of choice for advanced study and a mastery of discipline standards as defined by appropriate national professional organizations

experience with the process of knowledge creation and understanding of the research enterprise, especially as it is implemented in the majors

possession of technological literacy

appreciation for the necessity of continuous professional and personal development in the post- baccalaureate years

opportunities to develop the habits of community service and civic engagement

A Johns Hopkins education should thus prepare all undergraduates for leadership and achievement within their chosen career paths.

To fulfill this mission, the Commission envisions an education that is characterized by excellent teaching and advising, opportunities for research and creative endeavor, a high degree of faculty-student interaction, curricular diversity, the opportunity for small group learning experiences, and the development of international perspective. The vision is that of an education that is, to the extent possible, both individualized and personal.

The Commission also embraces the notion that a superior undergraduate education seeks to integrate the formal academic experience with students' lives outside the classroom. It values both intellectual and personal development. It reflects awareness that education takes place in many venues and that students have a lot to learn from one another. Residential life thus stands as an important aspect of the undergraduate experience since, in addition to the classroom, it is one of the chief ways in which students can take advantage of the extraordinary resource represented by their fellow students.

The Commission also is convinced that good education values diversity and that diversity of experience and curriculum is essential to a liberal education. A university that offers a broad intellectual range of courses and curricular programs, and that provides rich diversity in the make-up of its faculty and students contributes to a better learning environment and enhances the preparation of all students to make significant achievements once they graduate. A respect for and genuine welcoming of diversity is essential to the kind of civic engagement that we trust our graduates will embrace.

Finally, the vision for undergraduate education is one characterized by a strengthened sense of community that reinforces the intellectual life of undergraduates and the university as a whole. We like the formulation of the 1990 Carnegie Foundation report, Campus Life: In Search of Community, which espouses a vision of a campus community that is purposeful, open, just, disciplined, caring, and celebrative, and many of the Commission's recommendations are designed to achieve those ends.

In order to fulfill this mission and achieve this vision for undergraduate education, the University must summon its resources, but, more importantly, all members of the University community must collectively commit to this endeavor. The Commission believes that Johns Hopkins can bring its already fine programs to a new level of excellence, one fully worthy of our distinguished institutional heritage.

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