http://www.cwu.edu/biology/
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.
1) Offer an undergraduate program that provides the knowledge, skills, and appreciation of the biological sciences for biology majors, general education students, and students in other majors whose programs require biology.
2) Provide a rigorous program of graduate training at the Master's level.
3) Maintain a group of faculty capable of providing instruction in the three broad areas of biology: (1) Cell and Molecular Biology, (2) Organismal Biology, and (3) Ecology. Within the faculty there should be knowledge of all major groups of organisms and all levels of biological organization.
4) Enhance opportunities for faculty scholarship, research, and development. The ability of the Department to provide an enriched, diverse learning environment in the biological sciences for majors and general education students is directly related to the vitality, expertise, and diversity of its personnel. Existing faculty must be provided with the opportunity to continue to develop their teaching and research skills.
5) Develop, implement and maintain a continual process of program review in which all faculty members review and revise the mission, goals, and objectives of the department, develop strategies on how to best accomplish our goals and objectives, develop tools to assess our success, and establish departmental procedures and policies to create more informed and efficient decision-making.
6) Obtain the necessary resources to carry out our mission and goals.
7) Provide services to other areas within the University, community, and region.
