Mission

Western New England University, a comprehensive private institution with a tradition of excellence in teaching and scholarship and a commitment to service, awards undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in various departments from among our Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and School of Law. One of only a few U.S. comprehensive institutions enrolling under 5,000 students recognized with national and international accreditations at the highest levels in law, business, engineering, and social work, we serve students predominantly from the northeastern U.S., but enroll students from across the country and around the world. The vast majority of undergraduate students reside on campus. Our 215-acre campus in Springfield, Massachusetts, is remarkable for its beauty, security, and meticulous upkeep.

Our Mission

The hallmark of the Western New England University experience is an unwavering focus on and attention to each student’s academic and personal development, including learning outside the classroom. Faculty, dedicated to excellence in teaching and research, and often nationally recognized in their fields, teach in an environment of warmth and personal concern where small classes predominate. Administrative and support staff work collaboratively with faculty in attending to student development so that each student’s academic and personal potential can be realized and appreciated. Western New England University develops leaders and problem-solvers from among our students, whether in academics, intercollegiate athletics, extracurricular and cocurricular programs, collaborative research projects with faculty, or in partnership with the local community.

At Western New England University, excellence in student learning goes hand in hand with the development of personal values such as integrity, accountability, and citizenship. Students acquire the tools to support lifelong learning and the skills to succeed in the global workforce. Equally important, all members of our community are committed to guiding students in their development to become informed and responsible leaders in their local and global communities by promoting a campus culture of respect, tolerance, environmental awareness, and social responsibility. We are positioned well to accomplish these goals as a truly comprehensive institution whose faculty and staff have historically collaborated in offering an integrated program of liberal and professional learning in the diverse fields of arts and sciences, business, engineering, law, and pharmacy.

Our Core Values

• Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Scholarship, understanding that our primary purpose is to provide an outstanding education supported by faculty with the highest academic credentials, and with national prominence in their fields.
• Student-centered Learning, providing an individualized approach to education which includes a profound commitment to small class sizes, personalized student-faculty relationships, and student engagement and personal growth both within and beyond the classroom.
• A Sense of Community, treating every individual as a valued member of our community with a shared sense of purpose and ownership made possible by mutual respect and shared governance.
• Cultivation of a Pluralistic Society, celebrating the diversity of our community, locally and globally, and creating a community that fosters tolerance, integrity, accountability, citizenship, and social responsibility.
• Innovative Integrated Liberal and Professional Education, constituting the foundation of our undergraduate and graduate curriculum, providing global education, leadership opportunities, and career preparation.
• Commitment to Academic, Professional, and Community Service, promoting opportunities for all campus community members to provide responsible service of the highest quality to others.
• Stewardship of our Campus, caring for the sustainability and aesthetics of the environment both within and beyond the campus.

Our Next Great Century

After celebrating its Centennial in 2019, Western New England University looks forward to a new century, new decade, and new opportunities to evolve. Our focus will remain on educating the whole student, but in a twenty-first century context highlighting the demands of a diverse and global society, the accelerating pace of technology, and the necessity of attention to environmental sustainability. We must continue to develop as a comprehensive institution offering an integrated program of liberal and professional undergraduate and graduate education while establishing ourselves in a position of national leadership and a welcoming and attractive destination for international students.