The primary mission of the department of History and Social Studies is to teach a curriculum of history, culture, and heritage that will enable students to know themselves more fully as developing individuals in a changing historical context and as active participants in their local, national, and world communities. The program examines global human experience in light of such unifying themes as the process of change over time and the interrelationships among societies. Issues of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and class are also incorporated into the curriculum along with current events, geography, and an introduction to the social sciences: anthropology, sociology, psychology, economics, and international relations.