Strategic Plans
Statement on Protection and Civic Engagement
Program in Maritime Studies, Department of History
The Program in Maritime Studies is committed to the teaching, study, and protection of maritime and underwater cultural heritage and engaging the public and communities in this endeavor. As such, we endeavor to promote public education and engagement regarding aquatic environments (oceans, rivers, lakes, and watersheds) within our program, with our students, and with the public and communities through our pedagogical practices, through our public and community programming, and through the active exchange of experience and knowledge with all.
The Program in Maritime Studies prioritizes this commitment by seeking to:
- Follow a pedagogical philosophy of modeling good civic engagement for our students
- Involve our students actively in the development of public and community programming both in the classroom and field setting
- Promote a holistic, trans-disciplinary ocean and water literacy through our teaching, research, and service for understanding the importance of maritime and underwater cultural heritage to humankind
- Recognize the local relevance of aquatic environments for communities and embrace their culture, history, and traditions with the water in public and community programming
- Adopt an inclusive approach for all voices and peoples that have been underrepresented or absent from the discussion of maritime and underwater cultural heritage
- Coordinate to provide active exchange of experience and knowledge in areas of the world that seek capacity building opportunities in the study and protection of maritime and underwater cultural heritage
- Recognize that the study of the past is relevant and connected to the present and future of those public and communities we engage
ECU student participating in snoek fishing near Cape Town, South Africa.