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Welcome to Elmhurst College:
Educating the Whole Student for Life
When my family and I joined the Elmhurst College community in 2008, we were impressed first by the remarkable physical beauty of the campus, located in a vital and attractive suburb of one of the country's most exciting cities, Chicago. We also were immediately struck by the warmth of the people we met—students, faculty, and staff—and by their devotion to making every aspect of the campus "what college ought to be," as we like to say.
But beneath its architectural beauty, at the animating heart of our community, lives a vibrant, student-centered culture. Our faculty and administration are committed to three ideals: providing an outstanding liberal arts education to every undergraduate; challenging each student to think critically and constructively about their beliefs and values; and preparing each student from their first day on campus for meaningful, successful lives in a global society. These three ideals—liberal education, self-formation, and early professional preparation—guide all of our undergraduate academic and co-curricular programming.
Liberal education. Effective liberal education begins with a great faculty. Located in 22 departments from art to urban studies, ours are dedicated teachers and scholars. The College has long been known for the high quality of its faculty and their success in forming mentoring and advising relationships with students. We intentionally keep our class sizes small and limit our first-year enrollment so that strong educational bonds between teachers and students can be formed and nurtured, starting with our Big Questions Orientation and inquiry-driven first-year seminars.
Many of our faculty are recognized leaders in their fields. They contribute to the visual and performing arts and engage in scholarly research and publication at a level more often associated with major research universities than small liberal arts colleges. This, too, benefits our students, as they perform research under the direction of these accomplished faculty.
Self-formation. Elmhurst students explore the world not simply to understand it, but also to understand and transform themselves, to grow as self-directed, ethical individuals while preparing for professional futures that are consonant with their values and worldviews. Our students are not cogs in a wheel; they are unique agents of their own futures and citizens of a world in which they have a stake and to which they bear a responsibility.
Whether by contributing to the extensive cultural life of Chicago, serving the community's underserved, or studying in academic programs spread around the globe, the individuals of Elmhurst College seek out opportunities to cultivate themselves through intellectual, spiritual, and social-justice exploration.
Early professional preparation. As our students learn about the world and themselves, they also are preparing to enter an increasingly competitive work environment. We believe students should be exposed early to professional options, so that their ultimate decision about a life path will be highly informed by real-world experiences. Thus, from the beginning, our students meet actual professionals in the private and public sectors and are encouraged to engage in pre-professional activities, such as mentoring, shadowing, and internships. We also offer a select number of outstanding graduate programs which complement our undergraduate tracks and position our students for entry or advancement in their chosen professions.
Our success has garnered us consistent ranking by U.S. News & World Report in the top tier of the Midwest's best colleges and universities with master's degree programs. Visit our website's Explore Elmhurst link to learn more about this very special campus and the opportunities we offer our students.
As you explore Elmhurst College, I think you’ll find a campus that is engaged and engaging. We are an increasingly diverse community in which each member is committed to learning from and contributing to the self-formation and professional preparation of the other. Though we are affiliated with the United Church of Christ, Elmhurst College students embrace many religious traditions and none—and that’s fine with us. We prize critical and constructive thinking, imagination and wit, compassion, and the cultivation of informed respect for different cultures and ways of life.
I hope you'll continue to explore Elmhurst College. If you do, I think you'll discover what my family and I have found: that a beautiful campus can be home to experiences that transform the whole person in unexpected and exciting ways. And that's what a great liberal education is all about.
Sincerely,
Dr. S. Alan Ray
President
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