Mission Statement and Tenets

Mission Statement 

The School of Graduate Studies is a community of scholars devoted to increasing human awareness and understanding through scholarly inquiry, research, and study in specialized disciplines.  The aim of graduate education is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to make contributions to their discipline and to the rapidly changing world.  Through an atmosphere of intellectual and personal integrity, an attitude of excellence, and a spirit of creative independence, our graduates develop mastery in their field and become lifelong learners within their respective professions.

 Tenets

Community of Scholars – To facilitate active and ongoing participation, communication, and interaction of faculty and students around a shared commitment to the advancement of knowledge through innovation and research.

Scholarly Inquiry – To foster a spirit of intellectual curiosity, reflective thinking and the application of rigor in the evolving formulation of knowledge.

Intellectual and Personal Integrity – To live according to personal and professional values and standards and to cognizant of the consequences that decisions and actions have on others and the environment.

Excellence – To strive for ongoing quality improvement through careful planning, innovation, and program evaluation.

Leadership – To take initiative for shaping the direction of one’s discipline by modeling high standards of professional behavior and inspiring and motivating others to do the same.