Mission, Vision and Values | University of Chester

Mission

Founded by the Church of England in 1839, we continue to be guided by Christian values and are justifiably proud of the open, inclusive and supportive environment that characterises the institution. Today, as the University of Chester, we welcome students and staff of all faiths or none.

We seek to provide all our students and staff with the education, skills, support and motivation to enable them to develop as confident world citizens and successfully to serve and improve the global communities within which they live and work.

This Mission, which has helped shape our development and diversification, actively continues to inform our future planning and enrichment as a University.

Vision

At the heart of the University’s vision is an unwavering commitment to ensuring an outstanding student learning experience, developing the expertise of staff, providing teaching excellence, and actively growing research and scholarship.

Through these actions, the University hopes to make a positive impact on the lives of students, staff, and the communities that it serves, enabling the institution to make a significant and growing contribution to the region, nationally and internationally.

In valuing and celebrating its long history and traditions, the University is committed to engendering a sense of pride and shared ownership in all that it does. It is dynamic and enterprising in its approach to developing new opportunities.

Foundational Values

Mindful of the University's history and Christian foundation:

We recognise the dignity and worth of every individual. Therefore, we value every member of the University; we endeavour to help all students and members of staff to discover their gifts and talents and grow to full potential; and we foster well-being for all.

We recognise the vital role of education in the service of society. Therefore, we encourage the acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills; and we acknowledge a responsibility to look for every opportunity to put that knowledge and those skills to good use throughout the community.

We recognise the inherent value of the pursuit of truth and freedom of enquiry. Therefore, we find joy in discovery; we take pleasure in invention; we celebrate human creativity; and we seek wisdom, embracing it wherever we find it, and strive to apply it to every aspect of life.

In humility, we aspire to honour these values and hold ourselves accountable to them.

MVFV ratified by The University Council. Amendments incorporated November 2014, July 2019 & May 2022.

For more information about the Cathedrals Group and its ethos, see: Wooldridge, E & Newcomb, E. (2011). Distinctiveness and identity in a challenging HE environment: A unique opportunity for The Cathedrals Group institutions.

Ford, D. (2011). Christianity and universities today: A double manifesto.