ABSTRACT
This chapter intent is to take a more careful look at the notion of graduateness. Graduateness refers to the key abilities students are expected to attain over the course of their university experience. It describes a philosophical investigation into the nature of graduateness' based on two distinct positions on the educational purposes of universities. One draws on European existentialism emphasising how human being is affected and deals with the various challenges of being in the world; the other is grounded in the North American tradition emphasising community engagement and moral commitments. The chapter presents a synthesis of the above two ideas on graduateness and show how they are associated with different philosophical accounts of authenticity. Most graduate attribute statements emphasise inquiry in one way or another. Alverno refers to analysis and problem-solving, Mount Royal mentions inquiry and analyses under the cluster of theoretical and practical skills, and Edinburgh highlights enquiry and lifelong learning.
