Kalamazoo College was founded in 1833 with a commitment to academic excellence, liberal learning, freedom of individual conscience, and appreciation of difference. James and Lucinda Stone, who led the College from 1842 to 1863 and who were primarily responsible for the academic reputation which gained the College its charter in 1855, embodied and extended those original values. In their teaching and leadership, the Stones sustained their vision of a college that transcended barriers between faculty and students, between intellectual pursuits and moral values, and between campus life and the larger life of American society and world events.
This original vision was carried forward in the next century by the administration of President Allen Hoben (1922-1935). This era is characterized by Dr. Hoben's concept of the College as a "Fellowship in Learning," an academic village whose members collaborate in the project of education. Dr. Hoben encouraged the high level of faculty involvement in campus life that distinguishes the College today. He also made the new Stetson Chapel a meetinghouse where community members could share opinions, insights, and concerns.
During the administration of President Weimer Hicks (1954-1971), the Kalamazoo Plan was born, fulfilling the Stones' original notion of the academic community as an integral component of the world beyond it. Dr. Hicks also enlarged and strengthened the Kalamazoo College faculty, raising the level in intellectual leadership and personal commitment to values that sustained the College through its transition to a "global campus."
Founded over 168 years ago by visionary Baptists, the College operates as an independent organization, while acknowledging its historic link with the American Baptist Church. The College recognizes its indebtedness to the spirit of individuals such as the Stones and Presidents Hoben and Hicks, and calls upon all members of its community to work individually and collectively to sustain a legacy of care and respect for the individual, unceasing growth as an object of life and learning, commitment to social justice and community welfare, and courage in seeking an understanding of, and respect for, different points of view. Through the Kalamazoo Plan and its emphasis upon global education, Kalamazoo College seeks to bring its traditions to bear upon the educational needs of students in the contemporary world. In the combination of on-campus study, the career development internship program, study abroad, and the senior individualized project, students experience the dynamic relationship between academic and experiential learning, between life in a small community and life in the wider world, and between Western culture and the wealth of cultures beyond it.
This unique global perspective of education at Kalamazoo College entails not only an awareness of the diversity and shared experiences among the peoples of the world, but also a respect for and appreciation of that diversity. As a reflection of the world community, the campus community is likewise composed of individuals with differing backgrounds, interests, goals, and values. In joining this community, students, faculty, and staff dedicate themselves to maintaining an atmosphere of mutual caring and respect for the dignity of each individual and for his or her contribution to campus life. Community members are called upon to seek an understanding of the unknown, in themselves and in others, with courage and with responsibility. In our common search for knowledge, that which brings us together and binds us to each other, we aim for an education that calls upon community members to make informed judgements and to take responsibility for translating learning into life, an education that produces confidence in approaching the complexity and plurality of a world moving toward a global society. Our goal is to achieve unity and diversity within a cooperative and challenging community, where each member is encouraged to realize his or her full potential.
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The Honor System
more than just a set of regulations,
it is a definition of the very essence of this community
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