The Dominican Vision of Education

Founded by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael www.sanrafaelop.org and chartered in 1890, Dominican University of California seeks to embody Dominican educational ideals:

love of truth, beauty and life of the mind, and a deep respect for the dignity and worth of the individual.

St. Dominic Guzman's vision of reality was one of wholeness: integration of the human with the divine, and affirmation of the goodness in all creation.

The Dominican vision of education, therefore, seeks to reconcile seeming opposites: the religious and the secular, individuality and community, the body's potential and the aspirations of the mind and spirit. It aims to develop an appreciation of creation in all of its forms through the study of the sciences, arts and works of the imagination, while fostering a reflective attitude combined with social commitment.

Dominican's vision of education is hospitable to multiple cultural traditions and teaches a respect for the human person, with a concern for individual human rights and social justice.

In the curriculum and in student life, the University emphasizes the importance of integrity and freedom of individual conscience along with its corollary, the importance of developing an informed conscience. To this end faculty are encouraged to include consideration of ethical issues and application of ethical principles within disciplines, and to cultivate in students a habit of reflection.