A look at how Baker's statement of mission and goals might relate to Newman's idea of a university
Newman observes:
• To keep the mind in good health, you must exercise it.
• Acquiring knowledge is exercising the mind because
o knowledge is
 intellectual, not mechanical.
 understanding general principles.
 the process of
 digesting (understanding) information.
 systematizing & ordering information.
 seeing connections among things & ideas.
 comparing ideas.
 freedom. Ignorance is slavery.
• Liberal education is the process of acquiring knowledge.
• Liberal education is good.
o Activities that exercise the mind are good.
o Liberal education exercises the mind.
o Hence, liberal education is good.
• Liberal education exercises the mind by teaching it to
o think & reason.
o discriminate.
o compare.
o analyze.
o judge.
o see clearly.
• Liberal education is useful because with the mental qualities above, one can more easily enter any profession in which one has an interest or for which one has a talent.
In his rich personality Newman presents himself to us not only as a religious leader of remarkable spiritual depth, but also as a humanist capable of proposing an educational ideal. His vision has even now a high degree of relevance in our cultural setting. Newman included The Idea of a University, published in 1852, among his systematic works of ample scope. He defends the just claims of theology to be counted among the academic subjects of a university. He understands education not primarily as an accumulation of information, but rather as an assimilation of knowledge and, ultimately, of wisdom. Education looks at the human person rather than at the individual, understood as an anonymous member of a group governed by pragmatic laws. Newman's current relevance is also due to his attempt to relate the religious and secular spheres in education, so that they may neither be confused nor mutually ignore each other.