About College of Charleston
Statement of Institutional Mission
The College of Charleston is a state-supported comprehensive institution providing a high-quality education in the arts and sciences, education, and business. Consistent with its heritage since its founding in 1770, the College retains a strong liberal arts undergraduate curriculum. Located in the heart of historic Charleston, it strives to meet the growing educational demands primarily of the Lowcountry and the state and, secondarily, of the Southeast. A superior-quality undergraduate program, enrolling 9,000 to 10,000 full-time students, is central to the mission of the College.
The College of Charleston seeks applicants capable of successfully completing degree requirements and pays particular attention to identifying and admitting students who excel academically. The College of Charleston serves a diverse student body from its geographical area and also attracts students from national and international communities. The College provides students a community in which to engage in original inquiry and creative expression in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom. This community, founded on the principles of the liberal arts tradition, provides students the opportunity to realize their intellectual and personal potential and to become responsible, productive members of society.
In addition to offering a broad range of baccalaureate degree programs, the College offers master's degrees and graduate certificates that take advantages of the unique opportunities provided by the people, institutions, and environment of the South Carolina Lowcountry and that offer the specialized knowledge and training sought by professionals living and working in the region.
Core Values
As members of the College of Charleston community, we affirm, embrace and hold ourselves accountable to the following core values.
Integrity – adherence to the highest ethical standards in all our professional obligations and personal responsibilities
Academic excellence – commitment to a dynamic intellectual community, high academic standards, strong academic programs, and a high quality faculty of engaged and engaging teacher-scholars
Liberal arts education – dedication to a liberal arts and sciences education that encourages intellectual curiosity and fosters each student’s ability to think creatively and analyze, synthesize, apply and communicate knowledge from many sources
Respect for the individual student – devotion to the intellectual, ethical and social development of each student
Diversity – commitment to a globally oriented and diverse academic community
Community – commitment to compassion, mutual trust, respect, civility, collegial shared governance, teamwork, and the general welfare of the institution and the individual
Public mission – commitment to our social responsibilities and to serving the educational needs of the state of South Carolina and our community
Executive Officers of the Administration
P. George Benson
President
Elise B. Jorgens
Provost/Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Mike Haskins
Executive Vice President for External Affairs
Steve Osborne
Executive Vice President for Business Affairs
Victor K. Wilson
Executive Vice President for Student Affairs
Sue Sommer-Kresse
Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Planning
Elizabeth Kassebaum
Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Vice President for College Projects
College of Charleston Board of Trustees
Robert W. Marlowe, Chairman
Marie M. Land, Vice Chairman
J. Philip Bell, Secretary
Donald H. Belk
John H. Busch
Demetria N. Clemons
L. Cherry Daniel
Frank M. Gadsden
James F. Hightower
William D. Johnson
G. Lee Mikell
Lawrence R. Miller
Annaliza Oehmig Moorhead
Y.W. Scarborough III
Sam Stafford, III
Joseph F. (Joe) Thompson Jr.
John B. Wood Jr.