Mission & Goals | Elmwood Institute

ABOUT ELMWOOD INSTITUTE, A DIVISION OF PATTEN UNIVERSITY

Mission, History, & Goals

Our Mission

The mission of Elmwood Institute is to develop, inspire, and empower leaders to effect global and community transformation by delivering accessible, rigorous, and practical distance education in the areas of leadership, management, entrepreneurship, and technology.

To see how Elmwood measures achievement of its mission, we encourage prospective students to review its Institutional Effectiveness plan, available at Institutional Outcomes.

Our History

Elmwood Institute is a division of Patten University, which was founded in 1976 and is a private, non-profit institution owned by Patten Educational Foundation (“PEF”). Patten University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission. The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency. DEAC is recognized by the Council for Higher Education (CHEA).

Elmwood Institute seeks to expand students’ ability to think critically and independently, acquire leadership skills and management skills, and develop technological competencies. The institution is committed to preparing students to pursue their academic and career goals, while helping them integrate social responsibility, ethical behavior, and leadership into all areas of their lives. The institution strives to serve students from a broad range of ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The institution is dedicated to recruiting and retaining faculty and staff who are committed to mentoring and coaching, who demonstrate integrity through scholarship, institutional improvement, and service to the larger community; and employ innovative technologies and teaching methods that meet the needs of 21st century learners. In its recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff, Elmwood Institute maintains openness to all qualified persons and encourages academic freedom and diversity within the context of its core values of learning and community.

Elmwood Institute is a division of Patten University, which was previously named American Graduate University, and is separate from the other institution named “Patten University” founded by PEF that operated until 2020.

Since 1944, Patten Educational Foundation founded, operated and supported several educational institutions, including Oakland Bible College, Patten Academy (a K-12 school), Prison University Project, Patten University, and Elmwood Institute (a division of Patten University).

Institutional Goals

Meet the increasing demand for ethical leadership through relevant and rigorous education.
Provide educational delivery methods that are flexible, student-centric, and cost-effective.
Provide exemplary service to students, demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion in a global environment.
Foster an environment that encourages faculty and student engagement and uses feedback from its community to continuously improve the quality of its instruction, technology,and services.

Institutional Objectives

The general objectives of Elmwood are to provide the following for each student:

A foundation in ethical leadership and management principles applicable to the operation of any venture, business, or non-profit organization.
The opportunity for students to actively apply ethical leadership principles to their relevant field of study or chosen career.
A deeper comprehension of his or her own worldview in relation to leadership, business or leadership or management.
An increased awareness of the economic, political, technological, and social environment of business and leadership within a global context.
An increased ability to think critically and ethically, demonstrating improved levels of written, oral, quantitative, and technology based communication skills.
An enhanced capacity for research through increased breadth of knowledge, critical analysis and synthesization skills.