Tufts University Department of Geology Mission Statement

The overall mission of a university is to create and transmit knowledge (words of Tufts University President Lawrence Bacow). Within that framework, the mission of the Department of Geology is to enable students to apply scientific methodology and principles to the study of Earth and other planets. The record of Earth’s 4.6 billion year history provides a wealth of information about the materials, processes, and events critical to its past, present, and future.

We seek to accomplish our mission through the following goals in our teaching and research:

• Convey and promote fundamental knowledge in geology, related sciences, and mathematics through a curriculum that provides depth and breadth
• Convey the significance and relevance of past and present Earth processes for current problems and predictions about the future
• Develop students’ abilities to identify problems and address solutions creatively, scientifically, and rigorously
• Impart an appreciation and understanding of the complexity and interconnectedness of planetary systems including the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere
• Instill a sense of responsibility and ethics in science
• Produce scholarly work that reflects the current state of the science and that responds to pressing scientific objectives

Successful fulfillment of these goals produces students who have an intellectual framework built on facts, with the resources to draw on this knowledge in useful and creative ways. As future scientists and voting citizens of the world, our students will have the tools of scientific reasoning to assess ideas and hypotheses, and evaluate proposed solutions to problems.