Mission Statement & Strategic Plan

CHSS Vision 

As an integral part of the liberal arts and sciences mission at Western Washington University, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences promotes collaborative learning, critical inquiry into diverse human experiences, and excellence in scholarly and creative activity. 

 

CHSS Mission 

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences contributes to the mission of the university by producing knowledge and by engaging students in distinctive, diverse programs that develop their capacities as citizens and as creators and collaborators in the workplace and their communities. Emerging from a vibrant liberal arts and sciences core, CHSS is a key pillar supporting the cultural and intellectual life of the university via collaborative learning environments that foster individual, social, cultural, creative, and scientific exploration. Students, faculty, and staff participate in research, creative activity, service, and community engagement to promote learning that contributes to equitable, just, and sustainable communities. Members of the CHSS community critically examine their world and themselves, embrace diverse perspectives, and devise innovative solutions to critical societal concerns. We consider the ethical implications of our actions and communicate effectively and responsibly in our professional and public lives.   

G-1) Promote intellectual exploration and enable students to pursue a transformative education by offering a wide array of learning experiences in the humanities and social sciences. 

  • Foster the development of multi-disciplinary curricular and co-curricular opportunities both within the college and across the university. 

  • Secure stable funding to increase access to courses that are designed to engage non-majors in upper division work in the humanities and social sciences.  

  • Secure stable funding to maintain and increase access to courses and programs to better respond to students’ educational aspirations. 

  • Expand opportunities for students to enroll in courses that meet their intellectual, personal, and professional goals. 

G-2) Bolster the intellectual life and integrity of the college by assembling, supporting, and retaining a diverse and engaged community of faculty, staff, and students.  

  • Increase the number of tenure-line faculty positions and also expand opportunities to hire highly qualified associate and full professors, with an emphasis on recruiting faculty from historically underrepresented groups. 

  • Secure stable funding to enhance opportunities for NTT faculty to participate in the academic life of the college.  

  • Secure stable funding for the recruitment and retention of highly-accomplished staff and faculty.  

  • Expand opportunities in the humanities and social sciences for high-achieving students.  

  • Expand faculty-led academic support initiatives for students from historically underrepresented communities.  

  • Increase resources and support for faculty and staff who mentor students, particularly those who represent historically underserved communities.  

  • Expand professional development resources and opportunities for faculty and staff.  

  • Foster collaboration among students, staff, and faculty. 

G-3) Expand the capacity of students, faculty, and staff to produce knowledge, think critically, and communicate effectively. 

  • Provide additional support for academic departments to develop and implement the scaffolded teaching of writing.  

  • Provide resources to support student and student-faculty research and creative activities, and develop physical spaces on campus for this work. 

  • Sustain and increase funding to support staff development and faculty scholarship and creative activity.  

  • Promote opportunities for faculty to enhance their ability to engage students in active learning and other forms of teaching effectiveness.  

G-4) Advance a deeper knowledge and understanding of local, state, national, and global communities and foster better communication and cooperation among different communities and cultures. 

  • Expand opportunities for students, staff and faculty to engage in research and service tied to the needs, challenges and opportunities of state and local communities. 

  • Expand opportunities for students to engage in community-based learning in local-to-global contexts. 

  • Develop curricula that foster understanding of the historical and contemporary forces that bridge and/or divide local, state, national, and global communities. 

  • Develop and support initiatives devoted to researching and disseminating information about global and local communities. 

  • Increase funding to facilitate the availability and affordability of faculty-led global learning opportunities for students.  

  • Promote and develop a better understanding in faculty evaluation processes of the value of faculty engagement with local, national, and global communities. 

G-5) Promote contextual awareness, individual responsibility, ethical conduct, and social justice by fostering introspective, respectful environments that support diverse thought, experiences, and cultures.  

  • Recruit, retain, and promote faculty and staff from historically underrepresented groups. 

  • Expand the number of visiting speakers in order to address topics of broad concern from multiple perspectives.  

  • Expand access to courses that actively engage first- and second-year students in exploring and discussing topics from multiple perspectives. 

  • Promote respectful communication that fosters meaningful dialogue in all college settings.