Converse University came into being as a result of Dexter Edgar Converse’s conviction that mature women who are well-educated are essential to the well-being of the nation. He envisioned a liberal arts university which aspired to high personal and academic standards and ideals. This vision has been sustained because the Trustees, Administration, Faculty, Alumni, and Students have shared in this conviction from Converse's inception in 1889 as a women's college to where it is today as a co-educational institution that opens doors of opportunity for all who are academically qualified.
Those ideals—truth, concern for others, awareness of, and commitment to duty and responsibility—are enduring ones. They are necessary ingredients for an ordered and meaningful community life. These ideals continue to be valued by all who make up Converse University. To discover and incorporate them into every facet of life is what Converse University is all about.
Reflected in the regulations, policies, and customs found in these pages are some of the ideas basic to a satisfying happy life on the Converse campus. These ideas, derived from the Founder’s Ideal, provide a framework for student rights and responsibilities at Converse University. These rights and responsibilities are given explicit expression in the policies outlined in the pages of this Undergraduate Student Handbook. Converse believes that indicative of the maturing university student is their willingness
- To satisfy responsibly the demands of the academic program;
- To be guided in their personal, academic, and social life by a sense of responsibility and consideration for the members of the university community; and
- To recognize that the Founder’s ideals are worth commitment, both for their Converse experiences and for the rest of their life.
Student rights and responsibilities at Converse reflect the Founder’s hope that each Converse student would be able “to see clearly, to decide wisely, to act justly . . . and be faithful to truth and duty . . . .” The rights and responsibilities at Converse outlined in the sections that follow include policies relating to academic integrity, respect for all individuals in the community, principles of the Honor Tradition, and matters governed by state and federal law.
This handbook is to be used as a means for achieving a better understanding of the students, ideals, and regulations of the University. For each student, Converse University wishes a stimulating, challenging, and fulfilling life.