We believe it is the responsibility of institutions of higher education to ensure that learners are prepared for career advancement and a fulfilling life. To do this, we must provide a supportive environment for a diverse population of learners who need to be agile thinkers, effective problem-solvers, and lifelong learners in a fast-paced and increasingly interdependent world. Learners should be exposed to educational experiences that are practical, broad, and help them expand their skills and their intellect, while cultivating personal and social responsibility and the capacity to make well-reasoned decisions. Our Vision, Mission and Purposes are predicated upon this Philosophy.
Northwest Technical College integrates the value of work with the educational experience to develop resourceful lifelong learners with knowledge, skills, and attitudes to secure rewarding careers and satisfying lives in an increasingly technologically focused, globally interdependent, multicultural society.
Northwest Technical College is a technological learning organization that is also open and inviting, comprised of professionals that value life-long learning and the worth and dignity of all people. Guided by a commitment to excellence through education with a global focus, Northwest Technical College looks to become the premiere technical college in Minnesota. The academic and co-curricular culture at Northwest Technical College encourages an appreciation of differences and a rich knowledge of self and others that is the foundation of democratic citizenship in a technological world. Such an education is a life-enhancing opportunity that will enable individuals to reach their fullest potential and contribute to the richness of the natural, human, and economic resources of this region.
To fulfill its mission and responsibilities as a public college, Northwest Technical College strives to achieve the following purposes:
1. Develop intentional learners who are empowered, informed, and responsible.*
2. Provide learning experiences that integrate emerging technology and innovation.
3. Enhance educational access and opportunity.
4. Provide services and enrichment experiences supportive to our academic environment.
5. Promote continuous learning and the effective use of resources.
6. Promote civic and professional engagement, critical thinking, problem-solving and global perspectives.
7. Promote an environment that values service, diversity, and respect for self and others.
8. Contribute to opportunity, prosperity and enhanced quality of life by collaborating with local, regional, and global partners in preparing and retraining a highly qualified workforce.
* Empowered learners have had opportunities to:
Effectively communicate orally, visually, and in writing
Understand and employ quantitative and qualitative analysis to solve problems
Interpret and evaluate information from a variety of sources
Understand and work with complex systems and with diverse groups
Demonstrate intellectual agility and the ability to accommodate change
Transform information into knowledge and knowledge into responsible behavior
Informed learners have had opportunities to learn about:
The human imagination, expression, and the contributions of many cultures
The interrelations within all walks of life
Means of modeling the natural, social, and technical worlds
Responsible learners have had opportunities to foster:
Intellectual honesty
A sense of responsibility for society’s moral health and for social justice
Fully participate in our democracy
Discernment of the ethical consequences of decisions and actions
Deep understanding of one’s self and respect for the complex identities of others, their histories, and their cultures
Greater Expectations: A New Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College. (2002. Association of American
Colleges and Universities.)
