Mission

The School of Science, Engineering and Technology is fully committed to the broader mission of St. Mary's University which is perceived as a community of faith, committed to an educational venture, dedicated to scholarship and reaching out to meet the needs of society. Within this general framework, the School must operate and be concerned with a number of issues which presently affect humankind and which will impact on future generations.

With the rapid advances in technology in the United States and throughout the world during the past 20 years, many of our questions in the basic sciences, in medicine, in engineering, and biotechnology have been answered. Along with these answers have come new questions that are of a somewhat different nature. These questions are more complex in that they involve not only the scientist but also the philosopher, the sociologist, and the theologian. Through its faculty, the School of SET must endeavor to educate students to view problems as ones that have not only scientific solutions, but have moral and ethical considerations as well. Students must be made aware of the inter-relatedness of all disciplines and the importance of each.

A school of basic sciences or engineering must have as its underlying principle to educate and graduate individuals who are professionally competent in their area of specialization. We believe that this is only one important part of their total education at a Catholic institution such as St. Mary's University. Students must be completely convinced that their training and knowledge should and must be used to benefit all of society and that their special skills and talents are not only wanted but needed to confront, understand, and resolve issues of global importance.

The 21st century holds the promise of exciting discoveries. We and our students, as trained professionals, must be far reaching in our thinking and open to change and new ideas. At the same time, our actions and our thoughts must be governed by the basic laws of God and nature. The knowledge of these laws and their implications must be an integral part of the educational experience of our students.