Department Mission and Goals

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Historians continue the tradition of the public’s story tellers. They chronicle events, people and developments of the human past. Students have the opportunity to read these (hi)stories and to write their own. The curriculum of the department provides students with opportunities both to learn about the past in diverse places and times and to write original histories based on primary sources. The history major is structured to model the discipline of history as inquiry, as a way to reach understanding about our past and the world we live in. This entails a breadth of knowledge, an in-depth look at a topic area, mastery of many of the tools employed by the historian and a use of those tools in research and writing about a subject in which the student has an interest.

Mission

The History Department of Susquehanna University is dedicated to stimulating engagement with the past, promoting independent and creative thinking, and fostering a systematic and rigorous approach to historical knowledge and understanding.  The Department’s primary mission is to inspire students to contemplate history in all of its richness, complexity, and diversity.  In the process, students are encouraged to contemplate their own place and responsibilities as citizens in a dynamic and interdependent world.  In pursuit of this objective, the Department seeks to cultivate constructive and lively interaction between students and a faculty committed to both teaching and research.

Goals

Students will:

I. Research, write, and present a senior research project following professional guidelines. Assessment rubric

II. Publicly present and defend a historical argument. Assessment rubric

III. Prepare a career planning portfolio. Assessment rubric

IV. Participate in at least one off-campus co-curricular activity in which they demonstrate their learning. Assessment rubric

 

What do majors and minors think about the study of History?
"History is the true story of the human past based on facts that are commonly accepted to be true. Personally, I think history is like pornography: you know when you see it. Why do I study history? First of all, history is very interesting. By studying it we can learn where we came from, where we are, and where we are going. People may say "what are you going to do with history . . . teach?" But in history it is not what you learn but how you learn it. The skills we learn as history majors at Susquehanna not only prepare us for higher education, but also for any field: critical thinking, critical writing, and critical reading. These are just some of the skills that are taught. Also as a history major at Susquehanna University I am exposed to a variety of experiences that stem from our diverse faculty. This is a clear advantage we have as history majors at Susquehanna University."--- John Amoroso

"History is life and all that has been part of it, we are history."---Chris Hutchins

"This is what history is to me... History is the study of events which occurred in the past, as well as how they relate to the present and the future."---Jen Black

"History is an event that occurs at a point in time*. History is the sum total of human experiences. Historians are those who are concerned with how and why events occur and why they are significant to a person, people, or culture. *(generally, we characterize it as having occurred in the past, however, it can also be in the present or future time period)."---Christy Lesher

"History is where we came from and who we are. It is the study of why the world is the way it is today, and without history we would be lost."---Melissa Casperson

"Studying history is awesome because we look back on the past and can be able to see the context that our ancestors in this great human family lived within. History is a huge story filled with billions of characters that are just as human as you and I. We are characters in this story. If you want to be remembered and believe in the golden rule then inquire about the past for our ancestors wanted to be remembered too."---Benjamin Apfelbaum

"The study of history helps shape the future."---Carrie King

"History is important because it provides a story of the past, an explanation of the present and insight for the future."---Christy Newfield

"The study of history is important to me because it is exciting to analyze the past and how the past might show up again in the future."---Matt Geeza

"History gives us all a chance to understand why the world is the way it is today by learning of about the changes in thought and actions that occurred in the past. The continual preservation of history will eventually help our thoughts and actions to be remember in future generations."---Elina Simpson

"Studying history is important because it is the key to understanding the past. You cannot understand the present without knowing where you have come from."---Thora Westock

"To me history is not just places and dates it's about people. Their experiences, their emotions and their lives are what really matter."---Eric Zeigler