Mission
THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO BROUGHT BENNINGTON COLLEGE INTO BEING SOUGHT TO CREATE A COLLEGE THAT WOULD EMPHASIZE "THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT AND HER DEVELOPING INTERESTS," LEARNING "BY ACTIVITY AND LIVING", A COMMUNITY LIFE DESIGNED TO "BREAK DOWN ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS BETWEEN TEACHER AND STUDENT AND BETWEEN CURRICULUM AND EXTRA CURRICULUM, AND "A CONSCIOUS ELASTICITY IN EDUCATIONAL PLANS."THE PRINCIPLE OF LEARNING BY PRACTICE AND THE EMPHASIS ON THE INDIVIDUAL UNDERLIE EVERY MAJOR FEATURE OF A BENNINGTON EDUCATION: THE CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENT AND TEACHER, THE INSISTENCE ON SELF-DETERMINATION, THE COMMITMENT TO LEARNING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES, AND THE FIELD WORK TERM, WHICH GIVES STUDENTS WORK EXPERIENCE AND CONNECTS THEM TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY. THE PLAN PROCESS, THROUGH WHICH STUDENTS DESIGN THEIR ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES AND NAVIGATE THEIR BENNINGTON EDUCATION, EMBODIES THE COLLEGE'S MISSION.