Mission Statement

Sacred Heart University’s mission and its guiding principles shape our community: who we are, how we interact, and who we aspire to be.

It calls our entire community to strengthen the distinctive culture that defines our institution, with a particular focus on inclusive excellence. We are a university rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, inspired by the pioneering vision of the Second Vatican Council, which embraced the Church’s desire to respond to the needs of a changing world while remaining true to its living tradition. In that same pioneering spirit, SHU must embrace the future while intentionally nurturing and maintaining its essential nature.  SHU’s extraordinary and rapid expansion of our student population, our physical plant and the university’s vision for research has entailed growth in both size and complexity. The institution responds to the demands of growth while maintaining its commitments to teaching excellence, research, mission, social justice, inclusive excellence, and to the key tenets of our Pioneer Journey: intentional reflection and courageous civil discourse. Our guiding principles provide a roadmap for affirming our values and purpose, identifying our priorities, and shaping the University’s future. Our mission and culture will continue to be the cornerstones of all that we do.

Mission Statement

Sacred Heart University, founded to be governed and administered by laity, is rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts. Open and welcoming, the University embraces a vision for social justice and educates students in mind, body and spirit to prepare them personally and professionally to make a difference in the global community.

Vision Statement

Sacred Heart University aspires to achieve prominence through innovative teaching, learning, and research while cultivating a campus community that is recognized as caring and creative.

Core Values

As a Catholic University inspired by the Second Vatican Council, we adhere to these values as intrinsic to our reason for being.

  • Preservation, transmission and development of the Catholic intellectual and liberal arts traditions.
  • Commitment to excellence in all that we do.
  • Pursuit of truth and knowledge as intrinsically valuable through teaching and scholarship.
  • Promotion of the common good of society.
  • Recognition of the dignity and worth of every human being.

Guiding Principles

Informed by our Mission, Vision, and Core Values, these Guiding Principles represent and shape our student-centered community, who we are, how we interact, and who we aspire to be.

  • Ethical, Integral, Trustworthy
  • Welcoming, Inclusive & Diverse
  • Engaging Hearts: Mind, Body and Spirit
  • Ambitious, Courageous, Forward Thinking
  • An Enduring Tradition in the Modern World
  • Serving the Community