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Guilford's longstanding mission is clear and distinctive: to provide a transformative, practical, and excellent liberal arts education that produces critical thinkers in an inclusive, diverse environment, guided by Quaker testimonies of community, equality, integrity, peace, and simplicity and emphasizing the creative problem-solving skills, experience, enthusiasm and international perspectives necessary to promote positive change in the world. The campus community identified these values through a participative and inclusive process in 2003. The pursuit of these core values is integral to the educational experience we offer, abundantly visible in academic and co-curricular campus life. We are committed to the cultivation of positive relationships between, and shared experiences among, students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to creating an academic institution where a variety of persons and perspectives are welcome. We are committed to providing an environment where students from all cultures and backgrounds may succeed. We are committed to setting high academic rigor standards in courses and creating high expectations for achievement by everyone. We seek the personal and intellectual transformation of our students through the liberal arts. We are committed to the peaceful resolution of conflict, sharing of economic and natural resources, and parity in educational opportunity. The Higher Education in Prison Program (HEIPP) brings Guilford College instructors to incarcerated women and men who provide business, English, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, and conflict resolution courses. We are committed to creating a community that acts with honesty and forthrightness, holding ourselves to high academic and ethical standards, and dealing with everyone with respect. We are committed to making decisions that will ensure the long-term survival of this institution. We must maximize the value of our human, financial and physical resources in ways consistent with our Quaker heritage. Academic advising at Guilford is far more than those two words suggest. We take to heart our responsibility to guide you through your academic choices and your life choices. Advisers help you choose courses and independent studies, obtain internships, plan for study abroad, and prepare for life after graduation. As a first-year student, a great place to start is your academic adviser. During your first year at Guilford, your adviser is your First-Year Seminar instructor. The First-Year Experience is designed to get students off to a strong start at Guilford, and it covers everything from how to pay bills, where to work out, and potential majors. The Hege Library Academic Commons symbolizes Guilford's academic excellence and institutional distinctiveness in furthering innovation through collaboration. As a dynamic learning environment, it fosters a culture of scholarly exploration and experimentation, promotes creativity and innovation, and provides information and technology resources to advance Guilford's unique liberal arts experience. Guilford graduates are prepared from day one to succeed. You will become an independent thinker and ethical leader committed to bringing the College's seven Core Values to everything you do during your time here. And as you pursue your passion or profession, we will encourage you to promote positive change globally. Seniors must take an Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) Capstone, designed to allow students to integrate what they have learned throughout their career at Guilford. IDS Capstone courses cover a wide range of topics. Recent examples include courses on business ethics, poverty, leadership, creativity, and agricultural revolutions. First-Year Experience is a challenging and rewarding program designed to get you started on the right track. You'll receive academic and personal support while exploring fascinating topics and enhancing your communication, writing, and critical thinking skills. Plus, you'll get the lay of the land at Guilford by learning everything from where to work out to how to pay your bills. Along the way, you'll discover new interests, explore potential majors, share experiences, and make new friendships in our richly diverse community. The First-Year Experience program is specially designed to provide you with the educational, social, and personal assistance that college newcomers need. The main academic component, First-Year Seminar (FYS 101), is a required course for all entering fall semester students. This rigorous, multidisciplinary class will refine your speaking, listening, and hands-on learning skills and provide you with many of the tools to succeed at Guilford and beyond. For FYS, you'll pick a course from one of the available topics that you find most interesting. Recent courses have included forensic biology, documentary filmmaking, leadership classes, gender studies, fashion, zombie apocalypse literature, creative thinking, and much more. In addition to your FYS course, you'll also enroll in FYE 100. This required one-credit class serves as an introduction to Guilford's resources, policies, and practices, and gives you access to the knowledge and advice of upper-class peer mentors. The Hege Library Academic Commons symbolizes Guilford's academic excellence and institutional distinctiveness in furthering innovation through collaboration. As a dynamic learning environment, it fosters a culture of scholarly exploration and experimentation, promotes creativity and innovation, and provides information and technology resources to advance Guilford's unique liberal arts experience. View full university