The first is from my alma mater, Randolph-Macon College. It’s a small (<1200 students, undergrads only) liberal arts school near Richmond, Virginia. And, no, it didn’t used to be a women’s college.
Randolph-Macon is an undergraduate, coeducational college of the liberal arts. The purpose of a Randolph-Macon education is to develop the mind and the character of its students. They are challenged to communicate effectively, to think analytically and critically, to experience and appreciate the creative process, to develop qualities of leadership, and to synthesize what they know with who they are.
At Randolph-Macon College the liberal arts constitute a comprehensive educational opportunity. The curriculum includes exposure both to broad perspectives and specific concepts. Students explore the natural and social sciences, the arts, and the humanities, while they also achieve a deeper understanding of the single discipline in which they major. They are guided in this endeavor by a faculty of teacher-scholars who are dedicated to the liberal arts and active in their professional disciplines and in the extra-curricular life of the campus.
At Randolph-Macon the maturation and testing of the skills, values, and character required for a lifetime of challenges extends beyond the classroom. Students are encouraged to meet with faculty both socially and intellectually, and they have the opportunity to participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities. Interaction within the college community is assured by residential environment and an enrollment of approximately one thousand. Located in Ashland, Virginia Randolph-Macon College offers a curriculum and a cultural life enriched by the close proximity of Metropolitan Richmond and Washington, D.C.
A Randolph-Macon education conveys a sense of life defined by historical continuity and ethical responsibility. Founded by Methodists in 1830, Randolph-Macon is an independent college that retains a relationship with the United Methodist Church. Through this living tie the College draws strength from a religious tradition that nurtures creative social change and personal accountability.
Randolph-Macon believes that a liberal arts education challenges the intellect, imagination, and character. Graduates of the College have the capacity to realize their potential as professionals, leaders, and lifelong learners. The comprehensive nature of a liberal arts education at Randolph-Macon College prepares students to respond to the changing career opportunities and to meet life’s challenges with confidence, enthusiasm, and ethical awareness.
In an attempt to find a completly opposite school from R-MC, I am posting the mission statement from Arizona State University. It’s student enrollment is >59,000.
Arizona State University’s goal is to become a world-class university in a multicampus setting. Its mission is to provide outstanding programs in instruction, research, and creative activity, to promote and support economic development, and to provide service appropriate for the nation, the state of Arizona, and the state’s major metropolitan area. To fulfill its mission, ASU places special emphasis on the core disciplines and offers a full range of degree programs—baccalaureate through doctorate, recognizing that it must offer quality programs at all degree levels in a broad range of fundamental fields of inquiry. ASU will continue to dedicate itself to superior instruction; to excellent student performance; to original research, creative endeavor, and scholarly achievement; and to outstanding public service and economic development activities. As a result of this dedication, ASU was named to Research Extensive (formerly Research I) status in 1994, recognizing ASU as a premier research institution.