wellesley, wellesley, only to be there!

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic currently, as it was one year ago this week (June 1, 2006!) that I graduated from old WC. I think I have started to annoy my library school friends because I keep bringing up Wellesley, and I don't want to turn into one of those, "Well at MY college..." people. Oh well.

Anyway, I've been thinking about it for that reason and also because of this Management class I'm taking--it's an MLIS core class, don't worry, I haven't decided to get my MBA or anything. We have talked a bit about mission statements and I always want to mention Wellesley's (I don't, because, again, I don't want to be one of those annoying people) which is "Wellesley College provides an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world." That's it! Succinct and to the point. We've also been talking about the symbolic management style, which has a lot to do with the culture of an organization. Again, I was thinking about how the mission statement and the motto (Non ministrari, sed ministrare--not to be served, but to serve) affects the culture so much.

Since I'm being all nostalgic and rose-colored-glasses about it, I think that the culture really centers around creating people who do want to go out and do something good in the world. Numerous recent grads have "I'm not being a good Wellesley woman because I'm not doing anything great in the world" crises. Might not be such a great thing to inspire guilt in your alumnae, but at least it's guilt that pushes you to try to create positive change! Anyway, here are some words from our departing president in her charge to the class--it's very Wellesley:

"I hope that life of learning for you – so that you will be doing your part to transform the world from the inside out, seeing your first and most sacred task as the work of transforming yourselves — not once and for all, but over and over, greeting with an open mind and a courageous heart the hard questions that life will continue asking of you."