Dana College nurtures and challenges all who are part of the Dana community by offering and encouraging participation in educational opportunities, on-campus worship, and service experiences that connect the College community to the city, the region, and the world. As a college of the ELCA, Dana aspires to be an increasingly diverse living and learning environment where the dignity of every person is respected.

Note: The objectives following each goal are meant to serve as examples of means for implementing the goals. Other examples may be added in the future.

Dana College seeks to help students:

1. find meaning and purpose in their lives.
   Students will examine and articulate their personal faiths, values and ethics.
   Students will participate in experiences that encourage growth through periodic reflection and self-examination.
   Students will develop awareness of their roles as members of various communities.
2. communicate effectively.
   Students will practice and evaluate their communication in a variety of settings and contexts.
   Students will develop their ability to communicate with a variety of audiences utilizing appropriate choices of media, technology, messages and strategies.
3. develop habits of inquiry.
   Students will practice thinking in a variety of ways that encourage creative and critical thinking.
   Students will continue to develop their capabilities to discover, evaluate, and use information.
   Students will understand and learn to apply a range of methodological approaches to identifying and solving problems.
4. examine various ways humans think about and live in the world.
   Students will discover and examine various ways humans make sense of the world through appropriate selection of diverse educational experiences.
   Students will explore cultures different from their own by actively participating in transcultural experiences.
5. recognize and develop their potential.
   Students will identify their strengths and capabilities.
   Students will articulate the growth they recognize in themselves as a result of their college experiences.
6. actively participate in and help to shape society.
   Students will explore and practice strategies for effective leadership.
   Students will participate in service experiences that benefit the community.
7. pursue personalized programs of learning that prepare students for vocations, careers, and graduate and professional study.
   Students will select and complete a major appropriate to their interests and capabilities.
   Students will select and complete a program of general study and experiences that satisfies the College’s educational goals and objectives.