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Academics
In keeping with its original purpose, Hampden-Sydney seeks “to form good men and good citizens in an atmosphere of sound learning.” The College is committed to the development of humane and lettered men and to the belief that a liberal education provides the best foundation not only for a professional career, but for the great intellectual and moral challenges of life. In an age of specialization, Hampden-Sydney responds to the call for well-rounded men who are educated in world cultures and can bring to bear on modern life the wisdom of the past. The College seeks to awaken intellectual potential in a search for truth that extends beyond the undergraduate experience. The College encourages each student to develop clarity and objectivity in thought, a sensitive moral conscience, and a dedication to responsible citizenship.
The liberal education offered at Hampden-Sydney prepares the student for the fulfillment of freedom. It introduces the student to general principles and areas of knowledge which develop minds and characters capable of making enlightened choices between truth and error, between right and wrong. The mere facts about a subject do not speak for themselves. They must be interpreted against a background of ideas derived from an understanding of the nature of logic, language, and ethics. The individual who is educated in these areas and in the basic disciplines is able to confront any event with true freedom to act, outside the constraints of prejudice and impulse. Thus Hampden-Sydney’s curriculum is directed toward the cultivation of a literate, articulate, and critical mind through the study of the sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences. It provides both breadth and depth in learning and encourages independent programs of study. Believing that education should be a liberating experience emancipating men from ignorance, Hampden-Sydney strives to make men truly free.
THE WALTER M. BORTZ III LIBRARY AND FUQUA INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
Opened in the fall of 2007, the Library, named the Walter M. Bortz
III Library in 2009, is an integral resource in the education
offered by Hampden- Sydney, with a collection that supports the
College’s liberal-arts curriculum and a staff ready to assist
students and faculty in its use. The ability to use an academic
library with confidence is one of the distinctive marks of an
educated person. By means of formal and informal instruction in
research methods, students are encouraged to progress from the
heavy reliance on textbooks and assigned readings characteristic of
the freshman to the independent work of the graduate scholar.
The Walter M. Bortz III Library provides an open and inviting atmosphere for study and learning. The wireless configuration of the building makes it easy for students and faculty to use either laptops or desktops provided on every floor. Group study rooms are available for use and convenient carrels and tables provide quiet space for study. Containing more than 250,000 volumes, 280 periodicals, and more than 19,000 ejournals, an extensive media collection, and government documents, the collection is arranged in open stacks on the third floor, with bound periodicals located on the first floor.
