Our Vision: Through the Emory Purpose Project, the university will distinguish itself as the preeminent model for purpose education by making purpose and meaning the foundation of the educational experience and campus life of Emory. Initially launched as part of the Student Flourishing initiative, the Purpose Project seeks to empower every member of the Emory University community—students, faculty, and staff—to explore, discover, and act on what gives their life and work meaning.
Preparing for a Meaningful Life
“As a parent and an educator, I have been thinking long and hard about what can we do as a university, as a community, to ensure that our students live lives that are fulfilled, happy and purposeful. While it is important to be successful professionally, it is not sufficient alone to thrive in the world. To thrive, I feel we need to have some muscle for reflection on the nature of success. Through the Purpose Project, our students will engage in this reflective practice, to understand the real purpose and opportunity of college — to define their own path and lay the foundation for a meaningful life.”
- Ravi V. Bellamkonda, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Goals of the Emory Purpose Project
Goal 1
Students “build a muscle” for reflection and have a clear sense of the values they want to carry into their personal and professional lives
Goal 2
Students think critically, act ethically and work ambitiously
Goal 3
Emory has a distinctive, purposeful approach to our student experience that resonates with our students, parents, alumni and partners
Our Strategy
Emory already has many significant programs, units and leaders nurturing and promoting reflective practice — including the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics, the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, the Center for Ethics, the Center for the Study of Human Health, the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life, Emory Campus Life, and Candler School of Theology, among others. By partnering with and supporting these programs and initiatives—and implementing new programming—the Purpose Project provides spaces and experiences that encourage reflection on questions of ethics, purpose, and meaning and contribute to students' personal growth.
The Emory Purpose Project intentionally works with others on campus to create opportunities for students to develop the skills necessary for developing a sense of—and the successful pursuit of—purpose in student courses, in various extra-curricular activities, and in orienting campus culture to reinforce the priority of searching for purpose and meaning.
Student Development Areas
Intellectual
- Beliefs
- Values
- Goals
- Identity
Emotional
- Self-agency
- Resilience
- Psychological flexibility
- Self-regulation
Interpersonal
- Listening to others
- Building rapport
- Collaboration
- Persuasive articulation
Purpose + Student Flourishing
Purpose is an essential element of, and necessarily intertwines with, Student Flourishing, the Emory initiative dedicated to intentionally preparing students for professional and personal success by providing resources and creating space that allow students to find their purpose through critical thinking and self-reflection.
Reflection and pursuit of purpose entails:
- Comprehension - Understanding how experiences serve an individual’s ultimate priorities.
- Significance or mattering - Perceiving that life has value and is worthwhile.
- Beliefs and values - Defining the core principles that shape an individual’s identity and prioritize their most significant values.
- The relationship between goals and purpose - Setting goals that are valuable and instrumental to achieving fulfillment.
