Mission Statement & Values
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at William & Mary provides stellar educational opportunities for curious adults in the greater Williamsburg and W&M communities by:
· offering intellectually-stimulating courses and lectures on a variety of topics
· facilitating interactive and collaborative experiences such as discussion groups, field trips and hands-on activities
· engaging energetic volunteers and
· inspiring a passion for life-long learning to enhance the quality of life of its members and to benefit its communities.
Accomplishing Osher at W&M’s mission requires adherence to certain standards of behavior and core values. Members, instructors, Leadership Council representatives, committee chairs, and staff are expected to act in accordance with the following Core Values. (These Core Values are based on the W&M Core Values.)
Belonging. We create a welcoming, all-inclusive and caring community that engages adult learners who have a variety of interests and experiences. We actively recruit and welcome instructors and members from all walks of life.
Curiosity. We expect our instructors to encourage members to be skeptical. We want them to nurture and challenge our members’ curiosity. Our collective desire to learn new things and to engage as lifelong learners is a driving force of Osher at W&M.
Excellence. We are committed to delivering innovative life-long learning experiences to our members. We consistently judge the quality of our programs by focusing not only on the degree to which they meet the unique intellectual and social interests of our members, but on their consistency with best practices.
Flourishing. We strive to be good stewards of the monetary, physical, human and other resources provided to us by our members and through our associations with W&M and the Osher Foundation. We use these resources wisely to create an environment that allows personal and organizational growth.
Integrity. We strive to be honorable, trustworthy, and highly ethical in all that we do. We are accountable for achieving successes and innovations in our programs while conducting ourselves honorably.
Respect. We treat each other with mutual respect, recognizing and upholding each person's inherent dignity and worth. We provide needed adaptations to address special instructional and learning environmental requirements. We establish and nurture strong supportive relationships with W&M, Osher at W&M, and all other organizations that support us.
Service. We encourage members to utilize and apply their life-long learning skills in service to their communities and to each other. We hope that as they improve themselves by pursuing knowledge and obtaining new skills, they share this knowledge and those skills with their communities.
