5000 Values and Beliefs

Policy Type: 
Program

I. Policy Title: Values and Beliefs

II. Who Does This Policy Affect:

All HFC faculty, staff, students, vendors/contractors and visitors to our campus

III. Purpose

The decisions we make are a reflection of our values and beliefs, and they are always directed towards a specific purpose. That purpose is the satisfaction of our individual or collective (organizational) needs. When we use our values to make decisions, we make a deliberate choice to focus on what is important to us.

IV. Policy Statement

Teaching and Learning

  1. View the teaching-learning process as our central mission.

  2. Strive to foster in our students critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, creativity, and a sense of responsibility for their own educational achievement.

  3. Recognize and appreciate that learning must be a life-long process to ensure success in a dynamic and increasingly
    technological society.

    1. Believe that continuing scholarship and curricular development improve the quality, vitality, and relevancy of our courses and programs.

  4. Are committed to providing the first and second years of college-level education for those who wish to obtain an associate degree, to earn a career-related certificate, or to transfer to other institutions.

    1. Believe in providing courses, programs, and facilities for those who desire career-related knowledge and skills, job upgrading, or retraining.

  5. Are committed to providing courses, programs, services, and facilities for the social, cultural, and personal development of individuals.

  6. Strive to prepare students to be compassionate, ethical, and rational citizens in a multicultural, multiracial democracy.

Responsiveness and Support

  1. Believe that all members of the college community are to be treated with dignity and respect.

  2. Value academic freedom and a diversity of ideas, cultures, and beliefs within our college community.

  3. Strive to afford all students full access to classes and services.

  4. Believe that on-going assessment and evaluation are necessary to improve instructional programs and services to students.

  5. Are committed to providing a full range of learning opportunities, from assisting students in improving basic skills to challenging academically talented students desiring advanced collegiate study.

Quality

  1. Value and promote excellence in our programs and services.

  2. Believe that continuing professional development of all staff is essential for excellent instructional programs and collegiate
    services.

Partnership

  1. Believe that shared governance produces sound, creative, and ethical decisions and policies at all levels of our institution.

  2. Value our role as a community resource and seek to address the diverse needs of the communities we serve.

    1. Value our natural environment and work cooperatively toward its preservation.

MISSION

We of Henry Ford Community College are dedicated to the education and enrichment of our students and community. As a comprehensive community college with a diverse student population, we value teaching and learning. To prepare our students for a rapidly changing world and workplace, we are committed to providing knowledge, communication skills, and cultural opportunities. We foster critical thinking, creativity, integrity, and self-esteem.

Ours is a tradition of building futures. We measure our success by the success of our students in a democratic, diverse, and increasingly technological nation.

PURPOSES

Henry Ford Community College is a comprehensive, public, non-residential, community college which meets the diversified post-secondary educational needs of the community by:

  1. Providing the first and second years of college level education for students planning to transfer to other educational institutions.

  2. Providing one- and two-year career programs for students preparing for employment.

  3. Providing courses and programs for the general education and for the social, cultural, and personal development of individuals.

  4. Providing courses and programs for those individuals who need or desire additional technical knowledge and skills, job upgrading, or retraining.

  5. Providing opportunities both for students needing or desiring more advanced intellectual challenges commensurate with their abilities and for students needing or desiring to improve basic skills.

  6. Providing counseling, guidance, and evaluation services for current students and for individuals considering further education and training.

  7. Providing educationally related services such as speakers, resource personnel, resource materials, the use of college facilities, and special institutes or programs to organizations and individuals within the community.

  8. Providing on-going research, development, and evaluation to improve curriculum and teaching methods.

  9. Providing the above without regard to age, sex, race, national origin, religion, marital status, or handicap, while stressing the importance of students becoming effective members of society and active participants in the democratic way of life.

V. Definitions

N/A

VI. Responsible Party for Administration and Enforcement

President of the College

VII. Related Documents

Equal Educational and Employment Opportunities and Non-Discrimination
https://policies.hfcc.edu/policy/equal

VIII. Policy History
a. Adopted by Board: February 20, 1995
b. Previous Policy Section: Program Previous Policy No.: 5000

Reviewed/Updated:
September 20, 2021 – placed in new policy format

This policy supersedes and replaces any and all policies related to this subject

Adopted Date: 
Monday, February 20, 1995
Status: 
Board Approved