EMU Believes…
EMU’s core values are at the heart of a Christian university like no other. Our undergraduate, graduate, seminary and other programs prepare students to serve and lead globally.
Faith and fellowship
Faith is important at EMU. We’re all journeying together – though we may take different paths – toward deepening our faith, learning how we might live out that faith day to day, and reaching academic and professional goals.
About half of the undergraduate student body is Mennonite. Dozens of denominations and faith traditions, and more than 30 nationalities, are all part of the EMU family.
Chapels throughout the week, Sunday evening celebrations, worship through music, Bible studies in residence halls, prayer partners willing to support you throughout your year… these are some of of the ways undergraduate students connect to Christ on campus. Other students enjoy being part of a network of adult learners who share similar values and goals.
Service to others
Reaching out to others in need is important. At EMU, you’ll participate in community service and maybe even find it life-changing. Thousands of alumni do voluntary service for a year or more after graduation, or even for a lifetime through church ministry and in other service professions.
Sustainability and stewardship
EMU was practicing sustainability long before “green” became trendy. Our energy efficient buildings are some of the best performing college facilities in the country. Our solar array on the Hartzler Library roof was the largest solar installation in the state of Virginia when it was installed in 2010. Our campus garden provides produce for the dining hall; compostable waste from the dining hall feeds the garden. Sustainability is woven into the curriculum on many levels.
Global community
We live in an increasingly connected world. Here, we ask ourselves how our choices affect others across the globe.
When you’ve traveled to Central America, visited the coffee bean fields, and stayed with the struggling farmers, you begin to grasp the big picture. Or when your cross-cultural studies take you to the South African township of Soweto to learn about the history and lingering impact of apartheid first-hand, your sense of empathy is deepened, along with your understanding of our inter-connected world.
Peacebuilding
The Mennonite community from which EMU grew is known worldwide for bringing people together to solve conflicts with words, rather than weapons. It’s not always easy, but it’s core to who we are. Peace is a regular topic of conversation here, in the classroom and out.
EMU alumna Leymah Gbowee, one of three women jointly awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, is known for her work in organizing a peace movement to end the Second Liberian Civil War. She has become famous across the globe for mobilizing women, and in December 2011 she was asked to lead the peace and reconciliation efforts of her nation. Read more …
Learn more
EMU is rooted in the Christian tradition and the Mennonite Anabaptist perspective. About half of undergraduate students come from Mennonite background; a much smaller percentage of graduate students have connections to Mennonite congregations. Learn more about Mennonites and EMU