Our Mission

The College of Our Lady of the Elms, a Catholic college, educates a diverse group of students in a supportive, vibrant learning community. Combining a liberal arts education with professional studies, Elms College empowers students to effect positive changes in the community and in the world.

Affirming the founding tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Elms College challenges students to embrace change without compromising principle, to respond creatively to the demands of their chosen careers, and to advocate for people in need. Elms College is a community rooted in faith, educated in mind, compassionate in heart, and responsive to civic and social obligations.
Revised and Approved 2021

Elms College Core Values

The Elms College community affirms our Catholic identity and our relationship with the Sisters of St. Joseph. We, as trustees, faculty, staff, and students, aspire to live and work as an academic community according to these core values.

Faith 

Elms College, empowered by love and faith, welcomes all, while seeking to promote the traditions of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph, through programs that challenge all members of the college community, spiritually, ethically and intellectually.

Community

Elms College commits to compassion and relationship building, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, creating a sense of belonging for the entire campus community. This encourages us to respond to the needs of others, in a spirit of hospitality, within and beyond the college.

Justice

Elms College aspires to the highest standards of social responsibility as an institution and is committed to instilling values of equal opportunity and justice in our college community. Individually and collectively, we are dedicated to pursuing the common good and to improving the lives of all people.

Excellence

Elms College fosters excellence in our students and in our community by educating the whole individual, intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically. We challenge each other to realize our full potential to impact the world through our knowledge and enhanced skills.