Department of History : Mission and Goals

The broadest mission of the history department is consistent with the mission of the university: to confront students with the ambiguities of contemporary existence, conscious of themselves as members of a pluralistic society, capable of skilled communication and the ability to analyze and synthesize information, and to serve as responsible stewards of the earth. (CWU Catalogue, 2005-06, pg. 11)

The history department's more specific mission is to convey historical knowledge in the broadest sense to the students of Central Washington University and to the citizens of Washington State through offering introductory history courses in the university's general education program, by offering undergraduate and graduate programs leading to teaching and other careers, by sponsoring the state History Day program, and offering lectures, newspaper articles and publications to public forums on items of current interest. The department emphasizes the history of the major geographical areas of the world and participates in the Asia/Pacific Studies program, in order to prepare students for the internationalism of the twenty-first century. It also participates in other interdisciplinary programs that emphasize diversity and a variety of special interests.