QUESTION: MissionA1

The Department of Accounting supports the mission of the College of Business: 
The College of Business creates value and opportunity for our students by providing a high quality education at the Ellensburg campus and university centers in the Puget Sound and central regions of Washington state. 

Meaning of Our Mission

Value
• We create value by graduating students who possess foundation knowledge in accounting, economics, information systems, finance, marketing, and management.
• We create value by graduating students who possess appropriate skills in the following areas: written communication, oral communication, teamwork, and critical thinking.
• We create value by graduating students who are satisfied with their educational experience.  

Opportunity
• We create opportunity by providing accessibility to students in Washington state through programs and courses delivered at the Ellensburg campus and at well-established University Centers co-located on dynamic community college campuses.
• We create opportunity for a diverse student population.
• We create opportunity by providing an affordable business education.

Quality in Education
• We provide quality in undergraduate education through quality teaching.
• We provide quality in undergraduate education by delivering courses with an appropriate mix of academically/professionally-qualified and participating/supporting faculty.
• We provide quality in undergraduate education through our faculty who research primarily in the area of contributions to practice and learning and pedagogical research and secondarily in discipline-based research.
• We provide quality in undergraduate education through excellent physical facilities, distance education facilities, and library data-base resources.
• We provide quality in undergraduate education through our linkages with the College of Business Advisory Board, alumni, and employers, as well as through professional service.

The above proposed change to the Meaning of the Mission was discussed at the June 2, 2008 College of Business faculty meeting.  It will likely be changed to the statement above during the the College of Business faculty meeting in the fall of 2008. 

MISSION:  We educate people about cultural and biological diversity of humans in all places and at all times.  We do this as a department by:

     ·  developing an holistic understanding of human issues through the theories and methods of cultural, linguistic, archaeological and biological anthropology
     ·  fostering student learning in small-scale and individualized settings with respect for different points of view  
     ·  providing opportunities for student-faculty interaction in research, field work, and teaching assistant experience
     ·  building interdisciplinary relationships that express the multidisciplinary scope of anthropology
     ·  engaging in research and scholarly activities and sharing results with peers, students and the public
     ·  offering public services that link research and teaching with the needs and interests of local, state and regional communities

The mission of the Department of Art is the practice and the teaching of art. The Department of Art’s mission embraces the College of Arts and Humanities’ emphasis on the enrichment of our students’ educational experiences. The Department strives to develop and sustain our students’ professional aspirations in Graphic Design, Art Education and the Studio Arts. Through our programs we seek to identify the rich creative and intellectual potential of students as they awaken to the lifelong value placed on critical and analytical skills. It is the Department’s belief that an art education builds the expertise necessary for students seeking to assume their respective roles as practitioners, educators, and informed patrons of the visual arts.

The Department of Aviation’s draft mission is to provide comprehensive quality aviation education programs that prepare competent professionals for entry-level and leadership positions in the aviation industry. As a viable entity within the greater CWU institution, the department’s mission, goals, and strategic plans are aligned with those of the university and with the College of Education and Professional Studies.

The Department of Biological Sciences provides the biological component of the liberal arts education at Central Washington University. We promote student understanding of biological concepts relevant to the individual and to society, and foster an appreciation of scientific inquiry. Evolution is the unifying theme of our curriculum. Our students obtain a broad education covering a wide variety of biological disciplines. Our teaching philosophy and facilities support a rich education experience with small class sizes, hands-on experience, regular interaction with expert faculty, and opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate research. We offer a full complement of competitive pre-professional programs, strong programs in regional field biology, and a high-quality program for secondary biology educators.

Departmental Mission Statement:

The mission of the Department of Chemistry at Central Washington University (CWU) is to send into society thoughtful, creative, and informed people grounded in the principles and applications of chemistry.

This mission has not changed over the last three years.

As part of our 5 year Program Review (2008-2009) we have revised our mission statement to:I
The Department of Communication of Central Washington University prepares students to become active participants in a global society. The department emphasizes student-centered instruction in gathering and disseminating written, spoken and visual information, as well as coursework in the processes, effects and theories of human communication. The department is committed to providing a liberal education in written, oral and visual communication that engages students in an understanding of diverse cultures, and in the interaction between culture and communication.  Media convergence, as well as skills in broadcast, film and video and print, is emphasized as part of the department’s commitment to hands-on learning experiences. The curriculum is intended to prepare students for careers in a range of professional fields including journalism, online media, public relations, advertising, film and video production and advanced professional studies.

January, 2008
The Computer Science Department's mission is to prepare students for living in and helping build a society increasingly affected by information technology.  From basic technological literacy to the development of problem-solving skills, the General Education program will prepare students to understand the ethical and social impact of computing on society and the use of computing technology as they contribute to the modern world.  Through experience, knowledge, and skills ranging from basic theory through experimental techniques to engineering methodology, the Computer Science degree programs will prepare students to be productive citizens who contribute in many ways to the information society that forms the backbone of much of the industry and business in the state of Washington.  Computer Science faculty and students working in partnership with each other and with interdisciplinary colleagues will help address significant local, regional, and national problems through the use of this flexible, robust discipline.

There have been no changes in the mission over the last three years.

Consistent with the vision of the COB, the DOE aspires to be a distinctive scholarly community from which students reach their full potential. The mission of the Department of Economics (DOE) is to create value and opportunity for our studerts by providing a high quality education at the Ellensburg campus and university centers in the Puget Sound and central regions of Washington State. The meaning of the DOE’s mission is further explained in the paragraphs below. 

Faculty and staff are committed to ensuring graduates are prepared to be outstanding educational leaders and facilitators of learning who demonstrate the knowledge and skill necessary to educate and work within a diverse school population.

This mission statement came as the result of mission statements of the two departments that merged into the Department of Education during the spring quarter of 2006.

In accordance with the university’s motto Docendo Discimus, through teaching we learn, the department is committed to improving our students’ and our own writing, reading, reasoning, and communication skills in an inclusive, enriching environment of teaching and learning.  As teachers and students working together, we develop reasoning skills and literary awareness within the larger goal of fostering human, social, and cultural understanding.  

From its very beginnings over a century ago, the mission of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) has been to enhance the quality of life for Americans and their families.  The discipline is dedicated to study those factors in the immediate human environment which affect the quality of life of family units.  The mission of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Central Washington University is to:

  1. Discover and create new knowledge of those factors which enhance the quality of life for American families.

  2. Preserve and transmit this knowledge to students majoring in family and consumer sciences, or its areas of specialization, which will allow them to be leaders in their fields, professions, and society.

  3. Apply this knowledge to life experiences through public service.

The Dept of Finance & Operations Supply Chain (FIN&OSC) was formed in June 2007 when the Dept of Business Administration was split in two.  
The Department's Mission is to: prepare a diverse population of students for productive careers in business administration by giving them a high quality education based on knowledge, ethics, and skills.

The mission of the Department of Foreign Languages at Central Washington University is to teach language and to instill in our students an appreciation of how language serves a variety of practical social, economic and political needs.  We provide our students with major and minor programs in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.  Graduates acquire necessary professional skills and foreign language and culture experiences for productive employment in foreign language related areas. We seek to develop individuals who are critical thinkers and possess awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural diversity in the increasingly global community of the twenty-first century.  Our faculty members are dedicated to mentoring students to ensure their success in our programs and in their lives after they leave the university.  We strive to be interdisciplinary in scope, maintaining close and productive collaboration with other programs of study that share a similar mission to ours for example,  the Asia Pacific Studies, and the Latino and Latin American Studies programs.  We promote a variety of study abroad programs that offer students authentic language immersion and cultural experience crucial for their pursuit of a career in a foreign-language related areas. Our faculty members are also advisors for various student language clubs that offer a relaxed atmosphere for language practice and further  university-wide interest in that specific foreign language and culture.

More importantly, we expose students to the epistemological foundations of human thought, knowledge, and experience. A fundamental understanding of language, the most human of behaviors, is imperative to the preparation of students for the challenges of responsible, enlightened citizenship and stewardship of the earth.

An understanding of geography is integral to an educated persons ability to live and act effectively in todays changing world.  A broad range of factors (human and physical, natural and technological) is at work shaping the future of our planet, and it is the mission of the Department of Geography and Land Studies at Central Washington University to prepare its students to be active participants in that rapidly-developing future.  To fulfill its mission, the department emphasizes human diversity and student-centered instruction in research, analysis and presentation of both human and physical data.  We offer a range of coursework featuring techniques and tools for understanding the processes and results of the Earth-human relationship, and for empowering students to deal with the rapid changes they will face.

The department is committed to a liberal education as well as to professional training related to planning and resource management.  In meeting those commitments, we offer the geographers way of  “seeing” the interrelationships of human life and our habitat.  Our students learn to see a holistic Earth and its components--physical and human--along with the processes that shape them.  We seek to instill in our students the joy of discovery and the satisfaction gained from the knowledge of how to learn.  The department encourages imagination and creativity, while providing our graduates with the skills necessary to deal with issues--at scales ranging from local to global--relating to the planet, its diverse regions and its peoples. 

We stress the importance of place as a path of research and understanding, and as an arena for positive action--we expect geographers to speak for the land and spirit of places.  As an intrinsic characteristic of our discipline, we encourage interdisciplinary teaching, research and public service among our faculty, and a similar orientation in our students--regardless of their ultimate career choices.  Our students graduate with real-life experience, gained in contact with other cultures, through field work and internships, and by acquiring skills necessary for coping with our highly dynamic world.  Toward these ends, the department maintains a strong commitment to the General Education program as well as the Energy Studies minor, Environmental Studies minor, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) certificate program, and the Resource Management graduate program. 

We prepare our students for life as active participants in the creation of tomorrow.  It is our intention that those who study with us be prepared to evaluate for themselves the consequences of public and private choices which will shape the future of our global society, and the lands and natural resources that sustain us. 

UPDATED JANUARY 29, 2008
The mission of the Department of Geological Sciences is to prepare students at all levels as technologically and scientifically literate citizens and to contribute to the body of knowledge that explains the structure, function, and interaction of earth systems. Geological Science courses in the General Education program emphasize skills and content that enhance students’ abilities to appreciate the complex natural world. Integration of physical, chemical, and biological perspectives is critical to promoting effective stewardship of the Earth and to prepare students to be capable, engaged citizens. In preparing future geoscientists and teachers, emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking, analytical, quantitative, and communication skills in a disciplinary context. The department views student participation in classroom, field, and laboratory research, using state-of-the-art techniques, as a fundamental part of the education of future scientists. The Master’s program challenges students to address problems of local and regional significance, while also preparing them to contribute as intellectual leaders of the 21st century.

The history departments 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 universitys general education program, by offering undergraduate and graduate programs leading to teaching and other careers, and offering lectures, newspaper articles and publications to public fora 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, Latin American Studies and emerging African American/African/Black Diaspora Studies programs, 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.  

The Industrial and Engineering Technology Department mission is to provide a quality education to undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing for professional careers.  The department prepares the students for professional technical employment and insightful citizenship.

Specifically, the ITAM Department prepares students for productive and challenging careers in information technology and administrative management and for a lifetime of creative thinking and adaptive learning as productive citizens.  Within our programs, emphasis is placed on developing leadership, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving competencies.  Our mission is accomplished in three ways:
· Providing students with a supportive and student-centered learning environment
· Promoting outstanding curriculum and programs in the areas of Information Technology, Administrative Management, and Retail Management and Technology.
· Supporting faculty in their academic endeavors.

The Department of Law and Justice offers an important social/behavioral science component of the university's liberal arts and professional preparation curricula. Through its major and minor courses of study the department provides instruction and experiences through which students develop an understanding of the perspectives, content, and methodology in law and justice-related disciplines. We endeavor to ensure that graduates have the analytical ability, theoretical orientation, skill and knowledge to pursue law enforcement, corrections, or paralegal careers; or to continue their educations in law school or graduate school.  In the context of a dynamic society, this mission is achieved by providing students with (a) a broad background in the history, philosophy, and current trends in law and society with a particular emphasis on diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, and sexual orientation issues; (b) instruction and opportunities to collaborate with faculty in research and scholarly activities;  (c) the ability to think critically and ethically about issues and research in criminal justice, (d) and opportunities to obtain practical experience in public or private sector agencies that address law and justice issues.  Considering careers in law and justice primarily as helping professions, our overarching goal is to provide qualified personnel for the betterment of society.  Our faculty is always cognizant of the need to instill in our students the utmost respect for the rights of the individual in pursuing the duties entrusted to them in their professional roles.  

In addition to offering educational opportunities to students at the Ellensburg campus, through its programs at university centers in Yakima, Des Moines, Lynnwood, and Steilacoom, the department provides courses to place-bound students in the western and central regions of the state. The department also serves as a center for scholarly inquiry related to law and justice. Finally, the department is committed to providing services that respond to the needs of law and justice agencies and programs, and to the community and the state.

The mission statement of the Law and Justice department has been significantly revised in the past three years to spell out the specific content areas and skills we focus on in the classroom.  We expanded and clarified our goal of preparing “qualified personnel for the betterment of society.”  We highlight the importance of offering educational opportunities to place-bound students at CWU centers.  Finally, we articulate our commitment to criminal justice agencies and programs throughout the state. 

Mission Statement
The Department of Management does not have its own mission statement; neither did the previous Department of Business Administration.  However, the CB has a very well developed strategic mission.  The CB mission statement was developed in 2001.The CB has also articulated shared values, which encapsulate our shared core beliefs and commitments.  These values include assertions of shared beliefs and shared commitments.  

- We believe in student success, lifelong learning, integrity and ethical behavior, and excellence. 
- We commit ourselves to prepare students for the future, impart knowledge on which students can build, treat everyone with respect and fairness, exemplify our values by serving as teachers and role models, and remain current in our academic disciplines and professional fields. 

CB Mission & Vision Statement
CWU's College of Business faculty and staff create value and opportunity for our students by focusing on quality in undergraduate education at the Ellensburg campus and university centers in the Puget Sound and central regions of Washington State. We accomplish this through emphasis on excellence in teaching, which is strengthened by faculty research and supported by professional service.

The long-term vision of the CB is that the CWU's College of Business will be recognized as a premier learning community creating an environment in which students, faculty and staff reach their full potential. The CB has also articulated its ‘values’, ‘opportunities’ and its commitment to a ‘quality education’ for our students.  The following outlines those commitments.
Value
- We are affordable and accessible to an increasingly diverse student population. 
- Through curricula based on theory and on practice, we prepare students with the knowledge, competencies and skills that are necessary for productive careers in a dynamic and changing environment. 
- Undergraduate and niche graduate degree programs are delivered by faculty who are dedicated to using their academic preparation and business experience to enhance student learning and career preparation. 
Opportunity
- We are a university of choice to students and an employer of choice to faculty and staff. 
- We transform lives through a learning environment built on a foundation of teaching excellence, effective curricula and state-of-the-art physical facilities. 
- We serve students in Washington State through programs and courses delivered at well-established University Centers co-located on dynamic community college campuses. 
Quality in Education
- Teaching is our priority. We foster a learning environment characterized by an accessible faculty and a high degree of faculty and student interaction. 
- Curricula reflect current needs and developments in business and promote an understanding of theory and its practical application. 
- Education at a high level of quality derives from concern for students at the individual level, and personalized, innovative instruction supported by appropriate learning technologies. 
- Important linkages are developed with alumni, College of Business Advisory Board, employers and other professionals in business and education. 
- We are committed to outcomes assessment and continuous improvement in order to provide a high quality education. 

In support of liberal education, scientific careers, teacher preparation, and actuarial science, the mathematics department prepares students for quantitative and symbolic reasoning and advanced mathematical skills through general education, service, major and graduate programs.

The Music Department of Central Washington University serves the academic community through offering of courses, cultural activities, and degrees relevant to the needs of its students. Within this comprehensive university, the Department functions as the component of a liberal arts institution that provides education in the musical arts, provides cultural experiences for the community, and serves as a resource for music education in the state. 

Within the mission of the University and the College of Education and Professional Studies, the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation has a unique interdisciplinary focus that enhances the quality of life experiences that are highly valued in today’s diversified global society. The department provides learning experiences for resident and place bound students emphasizing: 1) healthy lifestyle choices; 2) structure, function, and care of the human body; 3) applied human movement; 4) community, natural resource, and tourism based leisure, and 5) care of the sick and injured. 

The Department of Philosophy at Central Washington University (CWU) offers two programs that are closely linked. One program is a Major in Philosophy proper; the other program is a Philosophy Major with a Specialization in Religious Studies. The goal of this department is to sustain and promote both programs while also providing strong support for the General Education program and several interdisciplinary programs.  
The department is also actively involved in many of CWU’s Interdisciplinary Programs, such as Asia/Pacific Studies, the Douglas Honors College, Women’s Studies, Film and Video Studies, and American Indian Studies, in order to better prepare our students for the internationalism and growing cultural diversity of the 21st century.

Philosophy plays an essential role in preparing students for real life. Therefore, in today’s high-tech world, the abstract reasoning skills, analytical tools, and communication skills, as well as an awareness of the corresponding religious ideals and cultural influences of an increasingly multi-cultural and global society, obtained through studying Philosophy and Religious Studies, are increasingly valuable. 

The Physics Department emphasizes the fundamental and practical nature of physics in its general education, service and majors courses.  Students at all levels pursue the intellectual excitement associated with understanding physics and the widely applicable experiences of problem solving, quantitative reasoning and scientific inquiry skills.  Throughout our major programs, stress is placed on the careful development of key concepts and skills in a logical sequence, often using either guided or self-paced inquiry.  This emphasis on concept and skill development is intended to produce the habits of independent study and self improvement essential to success after graduation.

“The Department of Political Science believes that its primary purpose is to pursue knowledge and understanding of the political aspects of the human endeavor; to transmit this knowledge to others; to relate this knowledge to the real world in creative, critical, and constructive ways; and to encourage through pedagogical means a real interest in politics.”

Jan. 08

(January 2008)
Central Washington University’s Department of Psychology provides learning opportunities and experiences through which undergraduate and graduate students develop an understanding of the perspectives, content, methodology, and technology of the science of human and nonhuman behavior and mental processes. 

Undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students for life-long learning and advanced study in psychology, as well as providing professional preparation for careers in research, business, industry, education, and social service. The department is a major participant in the general education and undergraduate teacher education sequences of the university and provides selected courses for other majors and programs as appropriate to the discipline. 

Specialized master’s degrees are available in experimental psychology, school psychology, school counseling, and mental health counseling. The graduate professional preparation programs have a particular emphasis on helping students develop the competencies and identity of the mental health counselor, school counselor, or school psychologist.

• Our mission statement is found in our undergraduate handbook and on our department web site. This mission statement was revised after our 2004 program review to be a more concise statement of our mission, to mention each of our graduate programs, and to remove our earlier enumeration of all of our centers programs, since our mission is consistent regardless of delivery site. 

The department of sociology prepares students to understand society and social phenomena.  Through the application of conceptual and analytic tools unique to our discipline, students learn to investigate society as a concrete, social world of diverse populations, groups and institutions, and help to understand the relationship among the cultural and historical foundations of society, its social systems, social and technological change and the individual.  Students are challenged to recognize that social phenomena are not necessarily unalterable facts of life.  They develop the ability to observe and critically analyze social issues and to examine strategies for implementing social change and/or constructing a satisfying social world for their own future.  The sociology program provides the resources to link the broad perspectives of liberal education with an awareness of employment areas where these perspectives may be applied.  It blends career education and the liberal arts.  Our program provides to the entering student a foundation in general education, it enables one to make wise choices when choosing a career path that demands a foundation in society’s social structure and processes and opens the opportunity for juniors and seniors to enroll in particular courses within sociology to broaden their knowledge about contemporary social issues.

The Theatre Arts Department of Central Washington University provides an interagrated program of academic and production experiences specifically preparing Theatre Arts students for advanced training in graduate school, careers in education, professional theatre, and related fields.  In addition, as an integral part of the Fine and Performing Arts, theatre provides strong support for the basis of every student’s liberal arts education at this comprehensive learning institution.  

Mission Statement

The Department of Theatre Arts is an ensemble of artists, scholars, educators, and practitioners located in the heart of the Pacific Northwest who:
 
• prepare students for advanced study and professional careers in theatre; 
• promote creativity and excellence in a diverse educational environment; 
• cultivate, educate, challenge and enrich audiences; and 
• train and prepare students from diverse backgrounds to link art and life through experiential learning; 

in order to nurture skilled, thoughtful, and courageous citizens who will promote a peaceful and tolerant global community . 

The mission statement was completely redone 2005-6 and the program was revised to met current goals 2006-7