Academic Catalog 2024-25

School of Health and Natural Sciences

Mission

The School of Health and Natural Sciences prepares students for careers in diverse fields, for personal growth, and for life in an ever changing, technologically advanced world. The School is committed to the cultivation of intellectual curiosity, individual integrity, mutual respect, and civic responsibility.

The School fulfills its mission by:

  1. Offering high quality programs that prepare students for entrance into or enhancement of careers in the health and natural sciences
  2. Maintaining standards for teaching and learning that support personal and intellectual growth
  3. Engaging students in a culture of critical thinking and scholarly inquiry
  4. Emphasizing the connections between scientific knowledge and professional practice and knowledge of the liberal arts
  5. Providing experiences that enhance multicultural understanding, global awareness, and environmental responsibility

Core Values

The core values intrinsic to the mission of the School of Health and Natural Sciences are:

  1. Intellectual Curiosity: A passion for learning
  2. Individual Integrity: Adherence to a personal and professional code of ethics
  3. Mutual Respect: Consideration for the rights and ideas of others
  4. Civic Responsibility: A sense of community membership and a desire for the well-being of the global society

Vision

Students in the School of Health and Natural Sciences are engaged in distinctive and innovative programs of study that integrate both traditional and emerging fields of knowledge within a global context. Guided by expert faculty mentors, graduates excel at scholarship, professional practice, and community participation. All academic programs are recognized as meeting or exceeding national standards; enrollment is selective, and graduation rates are high. The School is well supported by tuition revenue, a growing endowment, and external funding.