“Enriched by the Lasallian Catholic heritage, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota awakens, nurtures, and empowers learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.”
Official Mission Statement of Saint Mary’s University
At Saint Mary’s, Our Mission Is Alive
If not nurtured properly, a mission statement can become meaningless words. But not at Saint Mary’s. We see it fulfilled each day as student members of our diverse and global learning community complete assignments, courses, and programs. We see it as our students continue to reach new heights of intellectual, spiritual, personal, and professional development. We see our mission alive as our students become effective leaders and bring positive change to their respective worlds.
In the Lasallian spirit of zeal and faith, Saint Mary’s University keeps its mission alive by serving the needs of individual students, by promoting life-long learning, and by providing relevant and innovative educational programs designed to challenge and support you in your quest for career advancement and spiritual and personal growth. Dedicated to learning, responsiveness and flexibility, innovation, diversity, and accessibility, we are committed to bringing you a practical, professional, and ethical education in a dynamic and caring online environment.
Lasallian Education
Although Saint Mary’s University is a Lasallian Catholic institution, we warmly welcome students of all faiths. If you are not Catholic, you may be wondering what a Catholic education is all about. Here, we introduce you to our faith tradition and explain how it influences faculty, courses, and programs overall.
Lasallian History
Saint Mary’s University began in the heart of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, patron saint of teachers and priest, advocate for the poor, and educational innovator of 17th century France. De La Salle is credited with launching a new system of Christian schools in which teachers helped parents shape the educational, ethical, and religious lives of their children. De La Salle’s spiritual and educational insights serve as the foundation of the Lasallian Community today, a network of more than 1,000 educational institutions in 81 countries enriching the spirits, souls, and lives of more than three quarters of a million students around the world. Lasallians acknowledge living in the presence of God and invite all to participate in that reality.
Lasallian Learning
What does it mean to learn in the Lasallian tradition at Saint Mary’s University? First, it means that Saint Mary’s faculty and staff pursue excellence in teaching and learning with ardent zeal by creatively, practically, and personally responding to your intellectual, spiritual, and developmental needs. Second, Lasallian learning means that we are committed to serving a global community in which all creation is respected as made in the image of God and in which justice and peace flourish.
Catholic Learning
As a Catholic university, Saint Mary’s is grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition and vision. We are inspired and guided by biblical values. As such, we encourage ongoing reflection and dialogue in the light of faith and the rich, growing body of human knowledge—a body to which we encourage you to contribute your own insights. Finally, as a Catholic university, Saint Mary’s is faithful to the Christian message as embodied in the Church. We are, as an institution, committed to the service of the human family.
Lasallian + Catholic Learning
As a member of the Saint Mary’s University community, you will become part of the great international Lasallian network, formed by the joining of two traditions that encourage students to become educated, competent, and compassionate members of society. As we work to nurture your intellectual, spiritual, and personal development to prepare you for a life of service and a commitment to social justice, you gain the values you need to evaluate and respond appropriately to differing perspectives on real world and real work issues, problems, and themes.