Spalding University is a liberal arts institution. Liberally educated students gain a broad acquaintance with the principal areas of human knowledge: the humanities (literature, languages, history, and philosophy), mathematics, logic, the fine arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. They have mastered the basic intellectual skills: how to reason logically, how to think critically, how to communicate effectively, and how to perceive the wide implications of what they have learned. 

At the core of the Spalding University community are individuals from diverse backgrounds whose lives are intertwined in support of uplifting the human condition through comprehensive studies. As with all communities, there is a moral code of ethical behavior that binds participants together, and a body of official rules and regulations that defines personal freedoms and responsibilities. The former is codified in the Spalding University Honor Code and Code of Conduct. It applies to all members of the University community and is intended to promote an atmosphere of trust and fairness in the classroom and in the conduct of daily campus life. The codes and the judicial process for reporting and hearing violations are addressed in greater detail later in this publication. The latter refers to official Spalding University academic/administrative rules and regulations which define processes for accomplishing routine requests and transactions, as well as penalties for failure to acknowledge them. These regulations are outlined in the Spalding University Catalog. 

The purpose of this Handbook is to assist you in understanding your rights, freedoms, and responsibilities as a student. This Handbook is an official publication of the University. As such, it is a legal and contractual document between the University and its student body. As a student, you will be held accountable for its contents. This means that while officially enrolled at the University you are responsible for abiding by its rules which are intended to facilitate and sustain, in an orderly fashion, the on-going business of the University. For its part, the University has committed itself to your holistic development and to the support of those regulations designed to enhance and protect your individual rights.