The academic program at Emory & Henry has been developed through a process of thoughtful planning and spirited debate by faculty and students. Since the college's founding in 1836, the academic program has been firmly rooted in the liberal arts tradition, but the specific nature and shape of curricular requirements have changed from time to time in response to changing needs of students and the demands of society. Today, the college's academic program responds both to the short-term needs of students and to their long-term welfare, shaped by these goals:
- To develop the student's intellectual abilities in thinking about significant matters and distinguishing the important from the unimportant, relating competency to integrity.
- To understand religion as an intrinsic and abiding reality of human nature.
- To strengthen the framework within which ethical decisions and responsible actions are conducted.
- To relate educational preparation to vocational opportunities.
- To evoke in the student an understanding that a key motivation behind vocational choices should be commitment to serve others.
- To nurture the distinctive human impulse for curiosity as a continuing search for truth, through lifelong learning.
The academic program implements these goals through specific experiences, creatively designed to respond to the developmental needs of students. The program constitutes an integrative approach to liberal learning.