Our education vision articulates a set of principles that inform the collegiate University’s approach to education.
It should be read alongside the University’s mission and core values. It is an outcome of a Review of Teaching, with a primary focus on full-time undergraduate education. Many of these principles apply to all forms of education offered at Cambridge. The ways in which these are realised will vary between the courses we offer, their level, format and discipline.
We strive for academic excellence
What it means
- Upholding the highest standards.
- Sharing responsibility for an exceptional educational environment.
- Developing breadth and depth of learning.
- Fostering the inter-relationship between teaching, scholarship and research.
What we do
- Deliver well-designed teaching and research degrees that are recognised as exceptional worldwide.
- Challenge and stretch students to develop to their fullest potential.
- Inspire students to be actively engaged in, and committed to, their learning.
- Foster collaboration across the collegiate University.
- Offer interdisciplinary exchange and networking experiences within and across subjects.
- Champion, and value, the ways in which teaching and research support and enhance one another.
- Respect our devolved structure, recognising a variety of approaches to academic excellence.
We foster student agency, growth and development
What it means
- Supporting students to become confident, independent thinkers.
- Encouraging students to be ethical leaders, engaged in their communities.
- Cultivating a culture of diversity and respect for others.
What we do
- Develop students as critical thinkers who challenge assumptions, fostering curiosity and intellectual autonomy, as well as the capacity for knowledge production and independent research.
- Promote academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law.
- Empower students to make informed choices about their academic journeys.
- Promote the transformative potential of education for societal benefit.
- Foster confidence and capability to engage with societal issues and complex global challenges.
- Promote academic and personal integrity.
- Foster innovation and collaboration, and share successful practice across the institution.
We provide a supportive, personalised, and equitable learning environment
What it means
- Supporting students to share and realise their own definitions of success.
- Ensuring that students develop the skills to succeed.
- Creating a supportive environment where every student can thrive.
What we do
- Help students to define and achieve their individual educational goals.
- Support students to progress and thrive along their chosen educational pathway.
- Develop academic skills and lifelong learning, in partnership with students and the collegiate community.
- Encourage students to take responsibility for their learning and development.
- Provide access to a range of quality academic support.
- Welcome students from a range of circumstances, supporting them to develop the required competencies with empathy and understanding.
- Promote a culture of belonging, where students feel welcomed, valued, and able to participate fully in the residential academic community.
- Offer students opportunities for enrichment beyond the formal curriculum.