Graduate Catalog 2017-2018 
    
    Nov 22, 2024  
Graduate Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Foundational Principles


A Christian university for the arts, sciences, and professions, Malone University grounds its educational mission in the biblical call to seek Christ’s kingdom first in all things. As we work out our calling, we put into action foundational principles that reflect our Christian faith, our Evangelical Friends heritage, and our desire to seek truth. These foundational principles help guide our work over time in the face of changing external exigencies and are the means by which we articulate what is and has been intrinsically important to the institution.

  1. We cultivate the life of the mind by pursuing and witnessing to the truth.

The academic life of Malone University falls under a broader goal of seeking truth in all areas, including the humanities, arts, sciences, social sciences, personal health, theology, and the professions. We value and foster intellectual breadth and virtue, believing that individuals who seek Christ’s kingdom first are called to embark on a lifelong process of learning. The quest for knowledge and truth enables us to be better stewards of God’s creation. As people who are being transformed by Christ, we witness to the truth in many ways, such as engaging in research, scholarly inquiry, and professional endeavor; working for justice; and strengthening community life.

  1. We are called to know Christ and make Him known through the integration of learning and faith.

We believe that faith and knowledge are inextricably bound to one another and should not be compartmentalized or fragmented. Professors and students at Malone examine what the Christian faith has to say about a given discipline and what that discipline has to say about the Christian faith. These actions stem from our belief that Christ is known not only through Scripture, the workings of the Holy Spirit, and tradition, but also through the pursuit of knowledge. We are called to make Christ known through scholarship in our individual disciplines, evangelism to our community, and service to others. These actions reflect our conviction that a Malone education should equip students to fulfill their callings. Therefore, we nurture intellectual curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, compassion, and spiritual growth.

  1. We are shaped by and draw upon our Christian and institutional heritage.

Our educational mission is rooted in our understanding of the historic Christian faith. This broad Christian tradition provides us with a Christocentric perspective of intellectual inquiry and engagement with the world. Consistent with evangelicalism, the University has maintained its concern for biblical faith, proclamation of the gospel, and service to local and international communities. Shaped by our holiness and Friends heritage, Malone is an institution that values piety, concern for ordinary people, and experiential activism. From its founding, Malone University has welcomed staff members from different Christian denominations and traditions, enriching the resources of the University. The dialectics that emerge from these diverse perspectives compel us to an ongoing process of communication with one another and the community at large. This variety of Christian experience offers a basis for openness in the learning process, critical examination of worldviews, and cultivation of individual spiritual journeys.

  1. Because we are called to love our students, we intentionally focus our work on promoting their intellectual, spiritual, and social growth.

The congenial and collegial atmosphere at Malone reflects a theological and intellectual commitment by the faculty, staff, and administration to educate and disciple our students in ways that challenge their intellect, encourage their faith and develop their character. We hold that learning flourishes in a community where people draw upon Scripture, tradition, reason, experience, and inquiry through thoughtful conversation and active relationships with others. The relationships that are formed between members of our campus community and students foster a dialogical process that reflects this belief that learning is not a solitary activity, designed for self-interested ends.

  1. We live and learn in a community that manifests and develops concern for others.

As a university community we are called to learn from one another, develop relationships, and work out our vocations in ways that demonstrate concern, accountability, respect, and humility. We extend these principles to the larger community and the world as we examine and endeavor to promote justice, civic responsibility, peace, and reconciliation. Through outreach, evangelism, and service we desire to witness to the love and grace of Christ. We emphasize corporate worship, prayer, study of Scripture, and other spiritual activities to prepare ourselves for learning and service, as well as to nurture and strengthen the spiritual life of the community. God’s grace is evident in our communal life as we seek to live out this calling in a broken world.