Breadcrumb
Purpose & Vision
Humboldt's Purpose
To provide the highest quality and affordable college education built on the contributions of diverse students, staff, and faculty who are committed to a just and sustainable world.
The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council recommended a change of Humboldt’s “Mission” to “Purpose” to acknowledge that Humboldt sits on unceded land initially occupied by the first people of this area. The word “Mission” for many connotes colonial language.
Vision
Cal Poly Humboldt will be a campus for those who seek above all else to improve the global human condition and our relationship with the environment. Toward this:
We will be the premier center for the interdisciplinary study of the environment, climate crisis and resilience to climate change, and the conservation of ecological systems and natural resources. Our focus will continue to be on sustainability through environmental, economic, and socially responsible action.
We will be a center for the interdisciplinary study of just global societies. We will approach our work with an equity mindset and continue to emphasize inclusion across multiple dimensions of our university, modeling what we want to see in the world.
We will serve as a regional center for the arts inclusive of diverse arts traditions and contributions, and will fully engage with community arts partners and employers on behalf of our students.
As a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and as a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), we will be an institution in which Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) students thrive.
We will partner with Indigenous communities to address the legacy of colonialism, and create space nurturing of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), pedagogies, and curricula responsive to their identified needs.
We will be exemplary partners across our region and state by integrating community engagement and contributing to workforce development in our academic enterprise and beyond.
Core Values and Beliefs
The following values and beliefs serve as our guiding “north stars” for accomplishing our collective purpose and goals:
Connection to Place We value place-based teaching, learning, and scholarship, taking our educational enterprise outside and into our communities.
Creativity We believe creativity is central to human and organizational growth and responsible collective action.
Decolonized Knowledge We value diverse systems of knowledge and ways of knowing. We believe in centering stories and knowledge that have been marginalized in oppressive social arrangements.
Human Dignity We believe in the dignity of all and in equitable treatment, opportunities, and outcomes.
Free and Critical Inquiry We value academic freedom, reflexivity, and serving as a repository of accumulated knowledge that is accessible to the broader community.
Shared Governance and Participatory Planning We believe that our collective processes and outcomes will be strongest when they emerge from shared governance and collaboration.
Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement We value contributions in the public interest and environmental, economic, and social responsibility in our work toward viable and sustainable communities.