The Department of Educational Foundations offers courses designed to prepare public and private school educators, administrators, community educators and policymakers to meet the educational demands of diverse social, political, linguistic and cultural contexts. Along with the charge to serve professional and pre-professional educators, the department seeks to develop in students from all disciplines a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between education and culture, as well as tools of inquiry and democratic interaction applicable throughout their educational experiences and in other contexts. The faculty considers mastery of critical, creative and independent thinking, and a deep understanding of the role of educational institutions in society crucial to the success of a democratic society.