Mission Statement
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (FNSM)
Our central mission is to offer rigorous and engaging programs of study in the natural sciences and mathematics within the context of the mission of St. Olaf College.
Our goal is to:
- Provide a welcoming environment for examining the workings of the natural world in all of its beauty, simplicity, complexity, diversity, wonder, and mystery.
- Offer to students campus-wide an innovative and integrated science and mathematics curriculum, led by committed, enthusiastic, and professionally active faculty.
- Offer on- and off-campus classroom and laboratory experiences that inspire excellence, teach rigorous mathematical and scientific technique, stimulate critical thinking, and prepare our students to make meaningful contributions as citizens within and beyond the scientific community.
- Encourage a mix of individual effort and interactive learning through texts, experience, and investigation.
- Respect our students as partners in this intellectual journey, mindful of the broader role of science and mathematics in the liberal arts and in the development of the whole person - mind, body, and spirit.
By undertaking rigorous, in-depth study of the disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields offered within the FNSM, our students learn how to pose a fruitful question, and understand both the power and the limits of observation, measurement, analysis, abstraction, and theoretical interpretation. It is an exciting endeavor!
