Mission, Values
& Outcomes

Lourdes University is a community of
learning, reverence, and service.

Mission, Values & Outcomes

Our Franciscan Values

Rooted in the Franciscan tradition, Lourdes University expresses its Franciscan identity as:

a Community of Learning
a Community of Reverence
a Community of Service

We are first and foremost a community because community is fundamental to the Franciscan tradition. As a Franciscan institution we acknowledge and celebrate our relationship to God, to self, to others, to all of creation. The mission of Lourdes is carried out in the context of a community that begins on the Lourdes campus among students, faculty, and staff and flows outward to embrace the religious and civic communities whom we engage. As a community we are called to grow, to be hospitable and inclusive, to be peacemakers and justice seekers.

We are a community of learning. In the Franciscan tradition the love of learning stems from a desire to grow in our understanding of God, of creation, and of each other. The quest for truth, understanding, and excellence in academic disciplines allows for growth and transformation to take place both in ourselves and in the world around us.

We are a community of reverence. Reverence recognizes and respects the dignity and worth of each human person and all creation. Reverence takes us beyond tolerance and calls us to treasure the diversity of the human family with its various races, cultures and traditions.

We are a community of service. The Franciscan tradition is intimately tied to service. The members of the community challenge one another to cultivate a spirit of gratitude, to be mindful of those who feel unconnected and who are in need, and to develop and share our gifts with the broader community.

Mission Statement

Lourdes University, rooted in Catholic and Franciscan traditions, provides a values-centered education that enriches lives and advances academic excellence through the integration of the liberal arts and professional studies.

Guiding Principles

In support of this mission, Lourdes University:

Nurtures a diverse community that supports students in fulfilling their potential.
Commits to the engagement of faith and reason, inspired by our Catholic and Franciscan intellectual traditions.
Provides a holistic, student-centered education, rooted in the liberal arts that prepares individuals for meaningful careers and lifelong learning.
Fosters personal integrity, ethical understanding, social responsibility, care for all of creation, and a commitment to community service.

Learning Outcomes

The Mission Statement, Guiding Principles, and our Core Franciscan Values express Lourdes' purpose and identity. To ensure the realization of this vision, Lourdes' has articulated observable and measurable learning outcomes. To be understood correctly and appreciated fully, the learning outcomes must be interpreted in light of the complete texts of the Mission, Guiding Principles and Core Franciscan Values. Lourdes University believes that a college education includes sufficient breadth in the liberal arts and sufficient depth in an area of specialization to prepare graduates who will be recognized as educated persons and prepared for meaningful work and/or graduate study. The learning outcomes describe the competencies graduates achieve through their life and study at Lourdes.

Learn More

Learning Outcomes
Philosophies & Goals
Service Learning

About Lourdes