The Center for Appalachian Studies at Eastern Kentucky University was created in 2000 to coordinate and promote a multi-disciplinary approach toward teaching, research and service on issues pertaining to Appalachia. The Center brings together a diverse group of teachers/scholars primarily from the social sciences and humanities, but also from art, biology, environmental studies, social work and health sciences. Utilizing their wide-ranging talent, the Center endeavors to link the human and technical resources of EKU with the teaching, service and research needs of the students and communities we serve. The Center for Appalachian Studies has the following responsibilities:

	a center for coordinating curricular offerings in regional studies
	a center that explores images of the region and its inhabitants, nurturing an awareness of the rich diversity of life in the area: its history, culture and its people
	a center that uses reason and good science to better understand the natural and environmental conditions of the region, and how the physical context affects political, economic and social relationships.
	a center that facilitates research and interdisciplinary discussion
	a center that generates discourse between the university and community groups on issues relevant to the lives of citizens in the Appalachian region in general and our service area in particular.

A Center for coordinating curricular offerings in regional studies
The minor in Appalachian Studies is built upon recognition of the interdisciplinary and movement-based character of the field. Less compartmentalized than most disciplines, the teaching and research activities of many in Appalachian Studies have not come primarily from the intellectual agenda of any one academic discipline but rather from a regional conversation between activists and scholars in many fields. Education and social action have a long and meaningful connection in Appalachian Studies. We remember this connection/tension and encourage others to use it constructively in liberal arts education, multi-cultural training, and interventionist skills development.

A liberal arts education should challenge students to (a) develop the quality of mind necessary to grasp the nature and complexity of the social problems we confront; (b) develop the ability to address these problems in a reasonable, constructive and compassionate fashion; and (c) develop an appreciation for significant human accomplishments in the sciences, humanities and the arts. The Appalachian Studies curriculum should prepare students to critically evaluate the nature of social and economic policies, and to exercise independent judgment as they participate actively in the civic discussions that affect their lives and the lives of others in the region.

Through multi-cultural education, Appalachian Studies provides students with an opportunity for greater understanding and appreciation of societal differences. It allows them to gain a more realistic view of the relationship between individuals and culture. It is dangerous to assume that either (a) an individual's personality traits are solely the result of group membership, or (b) that one's cultural past can be dismissed as an influence on one's values beliefs, and social interactions. Disentangling unsubstantiated stereotypes from the cultural history of the region helps Appalachian students address feelings of inferiority and superiority that can become real obstacles to their success and confidence. It also heightens awareness of the richness and diversity of life in the region and improves the interventionist skills of students looking for employment or service in the Appalachian region. Fields ranging from police studies, nursing, social work, and paralegal studies to education, pre-law, planning and environmental studies increasingly incorporate multi-cultural studies to sensitize practitioners to cultural differences and thus improve their performance in the field.

A Center that explores images of the region and its inhabitants
The Appalachian region's varied and contested history has produced traditions with rich cultural meaning in such diverse areas as politics, religion, literature, art and music. The Center endeavors to engender an interdisciplinary education that dispels unwarranted myths and stereotypes about Appalachia while exploring themes that nurture an awareness of the region: its history, culture and people. Through cultural events, enhanced institutional resources (e.g., library/archives), classroom discussions, service learning, guest speakers and good academic work, the Center provides a way to cultivate an appreciation of our region and the challenges we confront.

A Center that uses reason and good science to better understand the natural and environmental conditions of the region
Scholars and students in a variety of fields can take advantage of the region to perform place-based case studies--from detailed studies of unique mountain micro-habitats to longitudinal studies of regional economic transitions--that expand the knowledge base of their disciplines. This research, in turn, provides important information for understanding the region's past and for guiding its future. The Center is committed to the growth and preservation of healthy and sustainable communities throughout the region. Using sound scholarship, the Center can provide a forum where regional issues can be carefully examined within their larger educational, social, political, and ecological contexts.

A Facilitator of Research and Interdisciplinary Discussion
The Center for Appalachian Studies at Eastern Kentucky University also acts as a facilitator of regional research and interdisciplinary discussion. Appalachian Studies has gained respectability as a multidisciplinary intellectual field, which has helped legitimize a growing number of academic programs throughout the region. These college centers disseminate new knowledge about the region's culture and current problems, as well as its traditions of dissent. It makes sense for EKU to be an active part of this movement:

	encouraging student-faculty interdisciplinary research that promotes a holistic and multi-disciplined view of the region.
	providing a vehicle to "listen" to the research needs of regional communities and to respond to those needs.
	fostering "participatory action research," which leads to a new understanding of how knowledge is increased
	providing a legitimate and useful set of research opportunities for faculty at regional universities like EKU.

A Center for Discourse between the University and Community Groups
The Center for Appalachian Studies provides a place where students, faculty and community members can talk with each other about issues of mutual concern. The Center should build bridges to include as many voices as possible. The Center is a place where students, faculty, community members can meet for various purposes, including conferences, brown-bag lunch discussions, musical workshops, lectures and informal gatherings.

The Center for Appalachian Studies provides a vehicle to link the human and technical resources of Eastern Kentucky >University with the research, service and instructional needs of our students and communities. It offers an important community resource focusing on research and service that addresses public policy needs in a wide range of areas, such as water quality, forest management, health care, economic security, educational reform, tourism and family life. Knowledge and service that address these sorts of needs lead to a sense of self-understanding that is an important contribution to community efforts to create livable and sustainable futures.