As a department within a liberal arts university we believe that the in-depth study of a major discipline is an integral part of liberal education. In addition to preparing our graduates for careers in the life sciences, our primary goals are:

• To promote a greater appreciation and understanding of the Earth’s life forms.
• To cultivate a sense of intellectual curiosity about life processes.
• To improve student understanding of how science works by providing curricular experiences that illustrate how knowledge is acquired.
• To provide opportunities for students to improve their communication skills through oral presentations and written reports.
• To encourage higher-order thinking by challenging students with assignments and experiences that promote creativity, integration of information, and synthesis.
• To promote independence, self-discipline, and critical thinking through opportunities for independent research under the oversight of an individual faculty mentor.
• To maximize our students’ career choices by providing opportunities to develop the analytical skills and technical expertise valued by today’s employers and professional/graduate programs.