Vision & Mission
Department of Biological Sciences, Vision and Mission
MISSION
The mission of the Department of Biological Sciences is to provide a quality education across a broad spectrum of bioscience fields, and to carry out competitive research in specific areas that reflect faculty interests and overall institutional concerns. The goals of the undergraduate program are to promote a general understanding of biology, add specialized knowledge in fields where faculty expertise is strong, and provide curricula that prepare our students for post-graduate careers in science and/or education. General and specialized knowledge are addressed by curricula consisting of core and elective courses in microbiology, biomedical sciences, and ecology/evolutionary biology, as well as service courses that promote understanding of biological science for those not seeking science careers. Woven through the curricula is professional preparatory work that develops the written and oral communication skills of students, promotes their ability to apply the scientific method in experimental and comparative contexts, and encourages critical and analytical thinking.
VISION
The Department of Biological Sciences envisions educating students by offering a balance between access and excellence at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, enabling these students to achieve fulfilling careers commensurate with their abilities. The Department therefore sees as its clientele significant numbers of students who will be:
- Prepared by our programs for subsequent graduate school or medical professional schools,
- Eeadied directly for careers as science educators, laboratory/field technicians, or research scientists, or
- Educated to be critically-thinking citizens in the science-influenced society of the twenty-first century.