Mission and Values

Mission

The Department of Environmental Studies educates visionary, pragmatic leaders in a collaborative interdisciplinary setting that is founded on academic excellence and the principles of environmental justice and sustainability.

Values

The Department of Environmental Studies values innovative and experiential approaches to graduate education and the explicit integration of natural and social sciences and the humanities.

We value an integrated focus on conservation, education, resource management, and social justice, which promotes environmental scholarship and stewardship in our graduates.

We value inquiry-based learning, research, reflection, and service learning as essential tools for engaging the environmental challenges of local, regional, and international communities.

The well being of natural and human communities provides the academic and moral compass for our department and is reflected in our responsive curriculum.

Vision

We train effective local, national, and international environmental leaders working to create a sustainable society that embodies respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, social and economic justice, democracy, nonviolence, and peace. This vision inspires us to achieve excellence in our doctoral and master's programs and collaborative community service.