Mission and Learning Outcomes

Mission Statement

The Department of Earth Science prepares students for a lifetime of scientific learning, informed citizenship, and earth stewardship through critical thinking and engagement in the scientific process. Earth Science is distinct in that we investigate the dynamic and complex earth across a wide range of time and geographic scales.

Department Goals

The Department of Earth Science strives to:

• Prepare students for lives as geoscience professionals, educators, and active citizens.
• Provide students with opportunities to work with faculty in research within the local and greater scientific community.
• Support the continuing professional development of faculty as educators and researchers in our local community as well as in the larger scientific community.
• Provide students and the community with opportunities that increase awareness of the relationship between geologic processes and societal issues.
• Support student learning by providing high quality educational experiences about the processes that change the earth through time and their products.
• Improve geologic awareness campus-wide by offering a wide-range of introductory courses on geologic topics.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Identify and articulate appropriate geological questions from the synthesis of observations and measurement of geological materials and processes.
2. Effectively collect and analyze geologic qualitative and quantitative data in field-based and or lab-based settings.
3. Explain the observed or measured macro- to micro-scale geologic processes, features, and history, in terms of current geological theories.
4. Communicate as a geoscientist in written and oral forms.

Updated  January 2019