Judy E. Walters, Ph.D.
Educational Philosophy Statement
Based on its Latin roots, the concept of education implies an enlightenment or leading out of “the dark.” At the simplest level, knowledge helps us to distinguish the edible from the poisonous, the sharp from the smooth, and the friend from the foe. With respect to higher education, that journey “to the light” is often described as the pursuit of truth. In California, and here at DVC, where our communities of students are from diverse academic, cultural, socioeconomic, ethnic, and physical/learning backgrounds, this search often reveals multiple truths and multiple realities and is a road of balance and integrity. The successful student is one who has come into contact not only with truth, but also has touched on practical, moral and contextual development as well.
In our global society, this educational journey demands a climate of academic freedom, in which all members of an academic community have both the opportunity and the responsibility to investigate controversial topics with open minds, to evaluate the evidence with rigor and integrity, and to report the evidence of their findings without bias or fear of censorship. Academic freedom bears an attendant responsibility, and in higher education it is the obligation of colleges to preserve the integrity of academic honesty. A component of that integrity is a commitment to continual renewal, reinvestigation of the available evidence in new light and dedication to all students succeeding to their personal best. In the same spirit, the college as a whole operates with honesty and integrity in all of its internal and external dealings with its own faculty, students, administration, board of governors, the state system, the local community and with all agencies with which it engages.
In addition to truthful, practical, moral and contextual development, there is also the important issue of the wholeness of education. It is not enough that some learn social structures, others learn ethics and still others learn skills. Breadth in learning is important to each person for the individual and the society to develop fully its potential. The creative processes of the arts challenge our conventional perceptions and teach us to see ourselves through laughter, touch us with joy, inspiration or grief, and expand our capacity to feel, understand and imagine. Perhaps it is these creative skills that best inform our capacity to communicate with each other.
The question of who is served by education is extremely important for both the individual and the society. The concept of reserving the benefits of education to a select group is antithetical to the pursuit of truth and the health of society. A commitment to educational access and success for DVC’s richly diverse population is essential in order to address the complex economic, political, and humanistic problems of our time. The darkness of bigotry, racism, and sexism are as hazardous to human happiness, health and development as are ignorance, disease, and violence. In contrast, our abilities to understand and appreciate each other are the foundation of working together as stronger individuals in a healthier society.
I see education as a social resource replenishing knowledge and skills for creative and technological development in the creation of a global society. It is our mission to provide leadership that supports student access, equity, and success.
