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Mission

The Department creates, interprets, applies, and disseminates knowledge in order to facilitate students becoming responsible professionals who can meet life’s intellectual and ethical challenges, value diversity, be life-long learners, and establish successful careers as teachers, scholars, leaders, and promoters of physically active, healthy lifestyles in a multicultural society.

Vision

We envision that the graduates of the Department of Kinesiology will be teachers, leaders, and agents of change for kinesiology in the 21st century. They will understand group dynamics, team problem solving, personal responsibility and accountability, and communication. They will be prepared to work with all people regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity. Kinesiology graduates will be leaders who are curious, have a desire to be life-long learners and who are effective in disseminating current information to individuals and groups about healthy, physically active lifestyles.

The Department is committed to serve the people of El Paso and the surrounding region. Through a curriculum that is applicable and appropriate to El Paso’s culture, people, and resources, the Department provides a conduit for positively impacting the health and well being of people in the region.

The Department envisions acting as a change agent through its faculty, graduates, students, and contacts with local organizations to promote active lifestyles through innovative approaches to teaching and practicing physical activity and sport. The program will emphasize educational, recreational, social, and family activities to enhance health and prevent disease and injury. It envisions broadening the scope of students’ experiences to positively affect their perception of existing social inequities to create harmony and mutual understanding in a multicultural and multinational community.

Goals

Curriculum:

1. Provide outstanding undergraduate and graduate education with emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving through applying the principles of active learning and experiential education in all courses, thus preparing students to meet future intellectual and career challenges through the use of life-long learning skills.
2. Prepare students for successful, productive careers in exercise science, teaching physical education, and graduate studies through specifically designed curricula that present current information and understanding in the disciplines.
3. Attain and maintain a pass rate of 90 percent or higher on the Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) and other certification exams.
4. Provide students with additional learning experiences by offering internships, special topics courses, and opportunities to participate in community programs.
5. Create a community of life-long learners and increase their learning time and opportunities outside of the classroom through the integration of electronic media, such as the Internet, in the courses.

Research:

1. Extend our understanding of human movement and function through quality faculty and student research within content-specific disciplines.
2. Extend our understanding of effective teaching and learning through quality faculty and student research.
3. Recruit quality graduate students.
4. Incorporate undergraduate students in ongoing research projects.

Leadership and Community Building Goals:

1. Serve the local community through student-led after school and adult education physical activity programs.
2. Facilitate exchange activities between The University of Texas at El Paso and programs at universities in Mexico and the surrounding region.
3. Provide students with leadership opportunities through KIN Club and through academic experiences focused on leadership development, team building, teaching, and learning.
4. Instill in the students the value of personal responsibility and accountability as an essential component of professional success.