CHHS >> Dept of Kinesiology
Welcome to the Department of Kinesiology!
- Join Kinesiology Alumni and Friends Celebration on May 18th, 2012!
- Kinesiology Department Exit Survey
- Kinesiology Scholarships Applications Due by May 11, 2012
Welcome to the Department of Kinesiology where we study the various factors that influence and define human movement. Students experience the cross-disciplinary foundations of the field of Kinesiology while gaining both theoretical and practical knowledge related to the biological, physical, socio-cultural, philosophical, and psychological factors underlying all forms of physical activity. The various forms of physical activity are studied in the context of daily living, rehabilitation, fitness and health pursuits, competitive and artistic domains.
Mission Statement
The Department of Kinesiology at San Francisco State University has as its mission to enhance theory and practice, scholarship and service, about, in, and through human movement. The study of volitional human movement provides one window for understanding ourselves as human: the tasks we accept or devise for ourselves; our creative approaches to their solutions; the interactions among mover, task, physical environment, and culture. Movement forms are basic to communication and expression, to play games, sport and art, to accomplish the tasks of daily life, and to establish one's sense of self and of community. Movement activities are vital to healthful development and physiological functioning across the life span and across the entire range of human circumstances.
Students and faculty in the Department of Kinesiology are engaged in discovering and understanding those factors which interact to influence development, acquisition and performance of motor skills: the functioning of the neuromuscular system as its supports effective movement; physiological adaptations to exercise; rehabilitation or reacquisition of skill and physiological sufficiency subsequent to trauma; socio-cultural, psychological, biomechanical, and physiological factors which serve to constrain or define motor behavior. We take as a given that moving is a critical avenue to understanding movement, that reflective examination of one’s experiences as a mover is a necessary and valid means to creation of knowledge about movement.
The Kinesiology Faculty believes that scholarship is enriched through the multiple ways of knowing and by multiple approaches to solving problems. Interaction with colleagues in related areas is crucial for cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary examination of factors influencing movement and skill. Similarly, students must understand the connectedness of various subdisciplines, which form the study of human movement, within and beyond their own discipline. Faculty are committed to working closely with students to foster critical thinking skills, develop scholarly independence, and nurture multi-faceted and cooperative approaches to problem solving through curricular, co-curricular, and community experiences. Faculty guide students as they identify problems of practical significance and apply multiple perspectives to their solutions.
The Department seeks to sustain excellent interactions with the diverse communities in which it resides and which it can serve, and to foster service and scholarship partnerships, which are mutually beneficial. One fundamental means to this end is preparation of scholar – practitioners in human movement: professionals who can assist others to move with greater freedom and greater success, and who can help others learn about, through and in human movement.
