Statement of Philosophy
While institutions of higher education differ in size and function, they share a common core of values; these help shape and guide their academic life. Marshall University is committed to seven basic principles.

• The first and most basic commitment of Marshall University is to undergraduate education
• A second and major commitment of Marshall University is the enhancement of graduate education.
• Third, Marshall University is committed to expanding the body of human knowledge and achievement through research and creative arts activities.
• A fourth characteristic of Marshall University is its commitment to society through public service.
• A fifth commitment of this university is diversity in its student body, its faculty and staff, and its educational programs.
• A sixth commitment of Marshall University is to academic freedom and shared governance.
• Finally, Marshall University is committed to assuring the integrity of the curriculum through the maintenance of rigorous standards and high expectations for student learning and performance

Identification of Areas of Current Emphasis
The following areas of emphasis will command the commitment of institutional resources.

• A commitment to high quality undergraduate liberal arts education, broadly defined.
• A commitment to rural health care, including medicine, nursing, nutrition, health education, health care management, etc.
• A commitment to schools and schooling, including teacher education and the setting of the agenda for education in southern West Virginia.
• Economic development, which would include programs in education, science, business, the Community and Technical College, perhaps engineering, and a broad range of fields.
• A commitment to the fine arts and humanities because Marshall is and should be the cultural center of this community.
• A new commitment to high quality graduate programs (masters, specialists, and doctoral degrees).
• Finally, a university concerned with environmental issues which, unquestionably, will be a dominant factor of life in the 21st Century.

In accord with the first and most basic commitment of Marshall University as outlined in the Statement of Philosophy of the Mission Statement and the above seven areas of emphasis, Marshall University will strive to develop programs that will be recognized nationally for their excellence. Toward this goal strong emphasis will be placed on high quality teaching and interaction with the individual student. Uniform guidelines for monitoring instruction and corrective measures will be developed and implemented by college deans. Programs that have University commitment to independent accrediting will be brought into compliance and maintain accrediting agency guidelines.