About Aquinas  
   

Our Mission


Learn about the meaning behind the Aquinas College Seal.

Aquinas College, an inclusive educational community rooted in the Catholic Dominican tradition, provides a liberal arts education with a global perspective, emphasizes career preparation focused on leadership and service to others, and fosters a commitment to lifelong learning dedicated to the pursuit of truth and the common good.

 

We value:

  • liberal arts education as career and life preparation;
  • helping students assess their interests, strengths, weaknesses, and values and set personal, academic, and career goals;
  • an approach to education which emphasizes the interrelatedness of knowledge;
  • academic majors, career related field experience, community service, and foreign study as enriching components in preparing students to be part of a changing world;
  • an openness to truth, wherever it may be found. Values, ethics, and morality are explored in the context of Judeo-Christian ethics and Catholic teaching with full respect for other religious traditions, academic freedom, and personal conscience;
  • holistic student development - intellectual, personal, social, physical, spiritual, and vocational through curricular and co-curricular experiences;
  • understanding of one's own and other cultures;
  • diversity and inclusiveness in a challenging and supportive learning community;
  • our Catholic orientation, Dominican heritage, and Ecumenical perspective;
  • service to others as a way of living one's beliefs rather than just talking about them and as a connection between the individual and society and the campus and the world;
  • an appreciation of all God's creation - people and environment;
  • the further development of one's religious belief, one's relationship to God and one's lifelong response to God's call to know, love and serve;
    the trust, support, and encouragement of trustees, alumni, benefactors and friends.
 

Our Diversity and Integrity Statements

Diversity - Aquinas College is committed to equality. This statement of the College speaks to this commitment, as do our history and heritage. We believe that diversity is a blessing, which brings a richness of perspectives to our intellectual, cultural, social, and spiritual life. All members of our community - faculty, staff, students - will demonstrate respect for each other regardless of our differences. All of us will be sensitive in our actions, words, and deeds. We will demonstrate these sensitivities in our classrooms, curricula, offices, meeting places, and living environments. We will maintain the diversity of our Board of Trustees, faculty, student body, and staff and appreciate the different gifts each brings to this community regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or disability.

 

Integrity - Aquinas College is rooted in the Dominican traditions of prayer, study, community and service, combined with a deep respect for truth, honesty and integrity. In this spirit, we strive to create an environment in which integrity is prized and practiced. We expect all community members to uphold these values through honesty, fairness, and respect for others.
 

Our Heritage

Founded by the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1886, Aquinas has a Catholic heritage in the Dominican tradition of working and serving as outlined in the Dominican Charisms. It is lived out by Aquinas students who volunteer their time and talents in the Grand Rapids community and by those who travel to places such as Oaxaca, Mexico; Appalachia, Kentucky; or any of several other service-learning locations. To learn more about the history of Aquinas College, check out our Heritage & Traditions website.		  

Our Namesake

The College is named for St. Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century Dominican scholar and teacher considered to be one of the most brilliant minds of his time and one of the most influential thinkers in the history of the Catholic church. St. Thomas stressed the importance of having an open mind and open heart and continuously learning from our life experiences. Throughout the years, the Aquinas community has continued to foster a learning environment centered on these principles.
 

Our Programs

The Dominican History within the context of Higher Education dates to the 13th century. Curricula innovation is a hallmark of Aquinas. That educational heritage continues at Aquinas each year as approximately 2,300 students register for classes in both its undergraduate and graduate programs, which encompass 61 majors including signature programs in Sustainable Business and Conductive Education.		  

Our Accreditation and Governance

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association since 1946. >Aquinas College Statement of Affiliation Status (pdf)

 

Aquinas College is governed by its Board of Trustees in conjunction with the President's Office. Juan Olivarez, Ph.D., began his service as the seventh president of Aquinas College on July 1, 2011.