St. Ambrose University

Mission and Objectives

 

Mission
The Department of History and Geography asserts that History and Geography are broad, humanistic disciplines, and indeed foundations of the Liberal Arts. The study of History and Geography is a political and social act in line with the University’s mission to educate its students to become moral citizens in a global world.

The Department is a scholarly community of faculty and students collectively practicing the crafts of History and Geography and seeking, for the body and the soul, truth and enlightenment. In the end, the goal of the Department of History and Geography is that all of its members continue to learn how to learn.

Objectives

  1. To give our students the ability to place the classical period, the pre-modern era, and the contemporary world into historical perspective so that they can acquire a better understanding of the world and their place in it.
  2. To introduce our students to the craft of historical research and writing so that they are capable of:
    a. Carefully analyzing primary sources;
    b. Deftly reading secondary source materials;
    c. Writing (and re-writing) forceful arguments;
    d. Defending their positions with well-documented evidence.
  3. To develop effective oral communication skills through seminar discussions, oral reports and conference presentations.
  4. To stimulate student interest in the human condition and to inspire students to lead and to serve their communities.