Brilliant People

Our values are reflected in the University's rich Catholic intellectual tradition. USD's community of scholars are committed to educating the whole person—intellectually, physically, spiritually, emotionally, socially and culturally. The university provides a character-building education that fosters independent thought, innovation, integrity, analytical thinking, and an open-minded and collaborative world view.

As Changemakers, our students, faculty, and staff are creating positive social impact locally and abroad through novel multidisciplinary approaches that develop empathy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

USD seeks to set the standard as a school that produces liberally educated leaders with a global mindset, who embrace difference at home and abroad and act with integrity and compassion as changemakers engaged in a complex and ever-changing world.

Our diverse, supportive community helps students become ethical and compassionate leaders who are inspired to create lasting social change in our global society.

The University embraces the Catholic moral and social tradition by its commitment to serve with compassion, to foster peace and to work for justice. The university regards peace as inseparable from justice and advances education, scholarship and service to fashion a more humane world.

The university pursues academic excellence in its teaching, learning and research to serve the local, national and international communities. The University possesses that institutional autonomy and integrity necessary to uphold the highest standards of intellectual inquiry and academic freedom.