Objects
Statement of Basis and Principles
Vision
Mission
Purpose
Objects
The objects of Redeemer University College are defined in section 3 of its Provincial Charter (the Act), which is also included as article 1 of the Consolidated By-Laws, No. A-1. These objects set forth the identity and religious foundation of the institution.
“The objects of the University College are to provide, at the post-secondary level,
(a) for the advancement of learning and dissemination of knowledge on the basis of the Reformed confessions, traditions and perspectives;
(b) degree, diploma and certificate programs and courses of study based on Biblical and theological studies, studies in the foundations of Reformed Christian perspectives, which programs and courses may include studies in the general arts, humanities, and sciences, both natural and social, permeated by such Scripturally-directed Reformed Christian perspectives, in accordance with the Statement of Basis and Principles set out in the by-laws of the University College;
(c) diploma and certificate programs and courses of study sponsored jointly with other institutions or organizations”.
Statement of Basis and Principles
(all references to “man” are to be understood as gender inclusive)
Our supreme standard is the Bible. These Scriptures, both Old and New, reveal some basic principles relevant to education, which we affirm:
Scripture: The Scriptures are the written and inspired Word of God, the infallible and authoritative rule of faith for the direction of the whole of life.
Creation: God created and structured the universe in all its many ways by His Word. The meaning of the creation is focussed in man, God's image-bearer, with whom He has established a special covenant relationship in Jesus Christ.
Sin: Man's disobedience, which brought God's curse upon all mankind, alienated man from his Creator, himself, his fellow man, and the rest of the creation; distorted his view of the meaning and purpose of life; and misdirected human culture and learning.
Redemption: Christ, the Word of God incarnate, is the only Redeemer, the Renewer of our whole life. He restores man and the rest of the creation to God and calls man back to his God-appointed task in the world.
Human Life: Man is by nature a religious being. All of human life, including educational work, must be understood as a response to the one true God. Consequently, man serves either the Lord or a god of his own making.
Knowledge: True knowledge of God, ourselves and the rest of the creation is made possible only by means of a true faith in Jesus Christ, in whom are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. True knowledge is attained only when the Holy Spirit enlightens men's hearts by the integrating Word of God and sets them in the truth. However, by God's gracious providence after the fall, those who rejected the Word of God do provide many valuable insights into the structure of reality.
Teaching and Learning: In the context of their scholarship, the teachers of the University College are called to lead students toward a deeper understanding of God's world and its history and to help them reach a cultural maturity grounded in the Biblical faith. In order to carry out this calling, the teachers and students of the University College should endeavour to discover God's laws and the structures of the creation so that the students may effectively take up their specific responsibilities and vocations in a way that will further the coming of the Lord's Kingdom.
We believe that this Statement of Basis and Principles is wholly in harmony not only with Scripture but also with the historic creeds of the Reformation.
Redeemer’s Mission Statement was approved by the Board in 1988 as a further refinement and delineation of the Objects and Statement of Basis and Principles. The Vision Statement received Board approval on September 26, 2009 as part of the Strategic Plan
Vision
To be internationally engaged as an excellent liberal arts & sciences university that is unabashedly Christ-centred and prepares students to reflect a distinctive worldview in any vocation and place they are called.
Mission
The mission of Redeemer University College is: (a) first, to offer a university-level liberal arts and sciences education which is Scripturally directed and explores the relation of faith, learning and living from a Reformed Christian perspective; (b) and second, to support research and creative endeavour in this context.
Purpose
Central to this mission are the following objectives:
- to advance knowledge through excellence in teaching and in scholarship;
- to be an academic community in which faculty, staff and students can develop intellectually, socially and spiritually;
- to equip students for lives of leadership and service under the Lordship of Jesus Christ;
- to reach out through academic service to society;
- and in all these things to glorify God.