Donnelly Tradition and Values
Tradition:
Donnelly College is an independent, co-educational college. Founded in 1949 by the Benedictine Sisters at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison and the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. It is a Catholic college affiliated with the archdiocese. Donnelly College was located and has remained in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas.
As a Catholic liberal arts and professional college, Donnelly s institutional vision derives from a belief in God and in the dignity of each person. As an educational institution, Donnelly believes that education can lead people to recognize their potential and value as human beings, to be aware of their relationship to God, and to function as constructive members of society. As a college serving the heart of the city, Donnelly is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex, age, handicap, natural origin, religious tradition or family status as specified by federal and state laws and regulations. This policy is applicable to all employment practices, admissions procedures, and services to students, faculty, staff, and community.
Sister Jerome Keeler is credited with the vision of creating an independent college in Kansas City, Kansas. The Benedictine Sisters of Atchison, a teaching order, proposed a community college that would serve the urban population of Kansas City, Kansas more than 60 years ago. Bishop Donnelly was an enthusiastic supporter of the vision, and he assured Sister Jerome that the Diocese would provide buildings and equipment if she could provide the faculty. Classes began September 12, 1949, at 1236 Sandusky with 202 students. There were 11 faculty members, nearly all of whom were Benedictine Sisters. Tuition was $40 a semester.
Costs were kept low because the College was planned to serve first generation college students who could live at home and keep a job. As the hours accumulated on their transcripts, they could transfer to a 4-year college or university. The devotion of the teaching Sisters always kept the costs affordable. Today, Donnelly continues that proud tradition by providing access and affordable education within a culture that promotes student success, and by serving as the region's only federally designated Minority Serving Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution. Our community is proud of the rich racial and ethnic diversity of our students, staff and faculty and how that diversity supports our learning environment. Through a strong general education curriculum integrated with career-oriented majors, Donnelly College offers programs leading to bachelor's and associate degrees.
Values:
The three values are the pillars of our mission at Donnelly College.
- Truth
o Donnelly seeks to inspire lifelong discovery and the communication of truth by exploring the connectedness of all things, studying the intersections of faith and reason, and engaging in civil dialogue with all people.
- Community
o Donnelly seeks to motivate actions and relationships that promote a just community, recognizing that every person has inherent dignity and potential, and that we serve God by serving God's people.
- Excellence