UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

Statement
of Educational Philosophy

The University of Rochester seeks to provide a supportive environment for learning, research, and teaching at the collegiate, graduate, and professional levels. To accomplish this, we bring together faculty, students, and staff who have achieved excellence or show great promise toward that goal, who are dedicated to learning, and who will help to build a community that encourages all of its members to succeed and grow.

Our University’s distinctive heritage—in particular, the remarkable scholars and citizens who have been a part of our community, such as abolitionist Frederick Douglass, women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony, and corporate leaders and philanthropists George Eastman and Joseph C. Wilson, as well as numerous path-breaking scholars—makes us particularly appreciate the importance of including persons from diverse backgrounds and origins who carry with them their own valued and important perspectives.

The University’s motto—Meliora ("always better")—defines excellence as a process of continual improvement. We believe that such improvement requires that all individuals in our community be free to explore and share their experiences and thoughts, uninhibited by prejudice or discrimination. Thus, our pursuit of excellence requires that we create and support a community of faculty, students, and staff who together and individually enhance diversity and who strive to make themselves and our community ever better.