Gettysburg College Mission Statement
Gettysburg College is a residential, undergraduate college of the liberal arts and sciences that prepares students from across the nation and around the globe to pursue lives of personal and professional fulfillment and to engage the complex questions of our time through effective leadership and socially responsible citizenship.
This statement is grounded in the core values of the institution:
- The worth and dignity of all people and the limitless value of their intellectual potential;
- The commitment to a diverse and inclusive learning environment;
- The power of a liberal arts education to help students develop critical thinking skills, broad vision, effective communication, a sense of the inter-relatedness of all knowledge, sensitivity to the human condition, and a global perspective, all necessary to enable students to realize their full potential for responsible citizenship;
- The enrichment of the traditional liberal arts and sciences curriculum with the most promising intellectual developments of our time;
- The free and open exchange of ideas and the exploration of their ethical and spiritual dimensions;
- The value of a lifelong commitment to service, and the role of the College in both providing an example of public service for students and fostering a commitment to service among our young people;
- The value of ethical leadership that is inclusive, collaborative, and directed towards effecting change for the greater good;
- Our conviction that a residential college best promotes the sense of community, central to a liberal arts education, in which personal relationships between students, faculty, and staff can flourish.
This statement was adopted by the Gettysburg College Board of Trustees and Faculty Council in the Fall of 2016.
Gettysburg College: Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
At Gettysburg College, our perspective on diversity and inclusion is grounded in our core values. We believe in the worth and dignity of all people and the limitless value of their intellectual potential. We are also committed to providing a diverse and inclusive learning and working environment because it enhances the educational experience for all students. Research shows us that a diverse college environment is linked to the development of critical thinking skills. Nurturing, respecting, and sustaining an inviting campus climate where individual differences and identities are perceived as strengths, not deficits, is critical to developing a sense of belonging. We strive to be that place where everyone can live authentic lives without concern that this authenticity will negatively impact their opportunities for success.
The Association of American Colleges & Universities expresses it this way, “Making excellence inclusive is thus an active process through which colleges and universities achieve excellence in learning, teaching, student development, institutional functioning, and engagement in local and global communities. And instead of seeing diversity as a laundry list or as dichotomous—where one has either gender identity or racial identity, for example—we must address the intersections and multiplicities of identities and recognize how campuses must now engage the complexity of diversity.”
Inclusive excellence generates more innovative pedagogy and work processes, diverse curricula, high quality research, effective problem-solving and general creativity, creating a climate in which all community members can achieve their potential. When college demographics at all levels reflect the society in which we live, students graduate with role models, mentors and first-hand experiences that prepare them for successful futures.
Human Resources Mission Statement
In partnership with the Gettysburg College community, the Office of Human Resources prioritizes people and promotes an engaged, objective, and respectful workplace culture for our faculty and staff. Our goal is to ensure that all employees are welcome, supported, and able to achieve their full potential. We are committed to providing consistent, competent, and confidential service to all individuals we serve.
Purpose of Handbook
This handbook outlines the basic human resource guidelines, practices, and procedures of Gettysburg College as they apply to its administrative and support staff employees. This handbook contains general statements of the College's guidelines and procedures as they relate to employees, but is not all-inclusive. These guidelines and procedures may be modified, revoked, suspended, terminated, or changed, in whole or in part, at any time by the College. Accordingly, the College reserves the exclusive right to establish, change, interpret, or revoke its guidelines and procedures as necessary.
This handbook is not a contract, nor is it an invitation to contract. Furthermore, nothing in this handbook shall be construed as creating an express or implied contract or promise concerning the guidelines or practices that the College has implemented or will implement in the future.
Employment-At-Will
Gettysburg College is an at-will employer. Your employment with Gettysburg College is a voluntary employment-at-will relationship for no definite period of time. You maintain the right to terminate your employment with or without cause at any time, and for any reason. Gettysburg College retains the same right.
Terms of Appointment
Upon appointment, you will receive a letter that states the general terms of the appointment, the salary, the position, title, and other appropriate terms of employment. Nothing in the appointment letter is intended to alter the at-will employment relationship or to create a contract express or implied.
Continuing employment is based upon satisfactory performance, adherence to the College's expectations, and the needs of the College as determined by the President in consultation with responsible supervisors. However, nothing in this section precludes the College from taking immediate disciplinary action against an employee, up to and including immediate termination, for violations listed under the Standards of Conduct of this handbook (in Section 10), other policy violations, poor performance, and/or failure to meet the expectations the College has for its administrative and staff personnel at the discretion of the College.