Traditional values lead to years of student success

Drury is a small, liberal arts university that has held to its core values since its establishment in 1873. These core values - the affirmation of the worth of all peoples and cultures, the creation of an environment that supports spiritual, physical, and intellectual development, and the preparation of students for unprecedented global change - help students become successful, productive, and responsible citizens in a rapidly changing global society. These values find their origins in Drury's unique church affiliation, and they are responsible for an academic and spiritual environment that provides students with unique opportunities and advantages.

Drury’s tradition encourages students to explore ethics and spirituality in a non-judgmental, tolerant atmosphere that cherishes diversity. This atmosphere is described quite well in early 20th century college literature:

"Nothing is more important than that...individuals work out for...themselves [sic]...a satisfactory philosophy of life... while avoiding the offenses of sectarianism, the church-related college is able to give its students definite help in arriving at adequate standards of value in relation to religion and the spiritual life."

The need for a satisfactory philosophy of life has not been diminished in the complex global community that characterizes the twenty-first century.

Drury has, for more than 135 years, maintained a commitment to small classes and personal interactions among students, staff, faculty, and administration that will serve today’s students quite well. Early 1900s college literature emphasized small size as a means to

"...maintain an intimate personal relationship between... student(s) and...teachers, as well as among the students themselves. This affords a distinct advantage...(for) youth...seeking to find (their) proper place in life and to develop the latent resources of... character and personality."

More than 80 years later, in an America quite different from what it was during the Great Depression when those words were written, those advantages are still vital, desirable, and available at Drury.