Founded in 1841 as the first Catholic institution of higher learning in the northeast, Fordham is an independent university in the Jesuit tradition. It grants baccalaureate degrees in the liberal arts and sciences and business administration to both traditional and non-traditional students. Fordham’s undergraduate student body both reflects the diversity of the metropolitan area in which the University is located and includes students from other regions who are attracted to New York’s cosmopolitan culture. Whether educated at the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center or Tarrytown campus, Fordham students benefit from close contact with a distinguished faculty who teach at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. The Jesuit tradition informs every aspect of a Fordham education. This tradition is characterized by excellence in teaching and by the care and development of each individual student. Fordham’s undergraduate core curriculum is designed to develop the capacity for clear and critical thinking and correct and forceful expression. It seeks to impart a knowledge of scientific principles and skills, an awareness of historical perspective, an understanding of the contemporary world with its cultural diversity, and an intelligent appreciation of religious, philosophical and moral values. Thus, instruction goes beyond the transmission and acquisition of basic knowledge to the exploration of questions of values and ethics. Fordham insists that its students anchor their knowledge and appreciation of the culture, language, history, philosophy and literature of the Western tradition as well as of other peoples by constantly considering the impact of their behavior and decisions on society as a whole.