Mission & Vision

Dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom, of truth, and of virtue

 

The University of Dallas is dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom, of truth, and of virtue as the proper and primary ends of education. The University seeks to educate its students so they may develop the intellectual and moral virtues, prepare themselves for life and work in a problematic and changing world, and become leaders able to act responsibly for their own good and for the good of their family, community, country, and church.

The University understands human nature to be spiritual and physical, rational and free. It is guided by principles of learning that acknowledge transcendent standards of truth and excellence that are themselves the object of search in an education.

The University is especially dedicated to the pursuit of liberal education in both its undergraduate and graduate programs. In its liberal arts programs the University is committed to the recovery and renewal of the Western heritage of liberal education. The University is equally committed to providing professional programs at the graduate level. Its professional programs, in a common spirit with the University's liberal arts programs, are dedicated to reflecting critically upon the ends governing one's own profession, to fostering principled, moral judgment, and to providing the knowledge and skills requisite for professional excellence. Whether professional or liberal, the University is convinced of the priority of the ethical over the technical, of the primacy of persons over things, of the superiority of the spirit over matter. The University seeks to offer those graduate and undergraduate programs that will address important needs of society, and that can be offered in a manner consistent with the University's primary institutional commitments.

The University as a whole is shaped by the long tradition of Catholic learning and acknowledges its commitment to the Catholic Church and its teaching. The University is dedicated to the recovery of the Christian intellectual tradition, and to the renewal of Catholic theology in fidelity to the Church and in constructive dialogue with the modern world. It seeks to maintain the dialogue of faith and reason in its curriculum and programs without violating the proper autonomy of each of the arts and sciences. The University is open to faculty and students of all denominations, and it supports their academic and religious freedom. It thus seeks to provide an academic and collegial community which will help students acquire a mature understanding of their faith, develop their spiritual lives, and prepare themselves for their calling as men and women of faith in the world.

Our Vision

Academic excellence embodied in a rigorous Catholic education dedicated to a lifelong pursuit of wisdom, truth and virtue.
Adopted by the University of Dallas Board of Trustees on May 29, 2020.

• The University of Dallas is committed to the study and development of the western tradition of liberal education, and the Catholic intellectual tradition.

• The University of Dallas understands human nature to be spiritual and physical, rational and free. It is guided by principles of learning that acknowledge transcendent standards of truth and excellence that are themselves objects of inquiry and research.

• The University of Dallas is open to faculty and students of all faiths, and it supports their academic and religious freedom without discrimination.

• The University of Dallas seeks to maintain the dialogue of faith and reason, while assuring the proper autonomy of each of the arts, sciences, and professions.

• The University of Dallas promotes professional and graduate education that shares a common spirit with the liberal arts: reflecting critically on the ends governing the profession, fostering principled moral judgment, and providing the knowledge and skills requisite for professional excellence.