Mission and Vision
Mission Statement
The mission of the Psychology Department is to provide an excellent education for the undergraduate and graduate students who take our courses, taught by dynamic faculty who are also active in their fields. We will foster the spirit of creative inquiry by improving our students’ ability to read, write, and think critically (partly based on research methodology knowledge and skills) about enduring and emerging issues of psychology and human relationships.
To meet these general goals, the Department of Psychology commits to:
- Graduating well-qualified students having the professional expertise to contribute to and apply the scientific knowledge base and clinical practices in Psychology, as well as the integration of these components with the ultimate goal of promoting the wellbeing of our society;
- Attracting and retaining diverse students with professional potential;
- Promoting strong expectations for intellectual relationships among faculty and students through improved teaching, scholarship, facilities, and extra-curricular activities;
- Creating an atmosphere of cohesiveness and esprit de corps.
Vision Statement
In accordance with the reclassification of Texas State University as a “Doctoral University: Higher Research Activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in February 2016, the Psychology Department is committed to expanding its research agenda during 2017-2023 while retaining its lasting commitment to delivering high-quality undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Rather than viewing research and teaching as separate or even competing goals, the Psychology department strongly supports the view that research and teaching are complementary activities. In our classrooms and research labs, we focus on evidence-based, cutting-edge scientific knowledge of a rapidly growing field. Thus, the Psychology department’s vision for 2017-2023 is to gain national and international recognition as a research-oriented teaching-intensive department.
Departmental Diversity Mission Statement
The Department of Psychology at Texas State is committed to actively promoting a diversity of people and ideas, equitable opportunities for all individuals, and a spirit of inclusiveness in our academic community. In support of this mission, we pledge to do the following.
- Provide a curriculum that integrates material on how culture and diverse social identities influence human development, cognition, behavior, and mental health, and to maintain cultural humility within our classrooms and labs
- Build a diverse academic community through recruitment and retainment efforts that increase representation of faculty members and graduate students of color and diverse social identities
- Encourage and value the contributions and shared ideas of all individuals, and to actively serve as allies for members of minoritized racial and ethnic groups, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals with (dis)abilities, undocumented students, international students, first-generation students, veterans, and other underrepresented and marginalized people
As a department, we are committed to improving our efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion based on the valuable feedback of both students and faculty, particularly those from marginalized and racially minoritized communities. To help us do so, please provide us with your feedback through this anonymous survey (https://txstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1U3gpeQbeXkPhYi).