1. To augment and maintain within EDCI a close, vibrant, intellectual community of scholar-teachers (our faculty members and our students) who are deeply committed to a number of interrelated themes and core beliefs related to culture, literacy, language, and schooling.

2. To emphasize excellence in research and the potentials of expanded research collaboration among CLLC faculty members.

3. To provide a fully supportive atmosphere in which the CLLC faculty members can grow and develop. 

4. To develop an outstanding, interdisciplinary doctoral program focused on the thematic areas noted above.

5. To provide the very finest possible interdisciplinarv instruction in CLLC graduate courses.

6. To highlight and share the outstanding research of CLLC faculty members and students and to connect our investigators with other excellent researchers throughout the U.S. and internationally.

7. To write collaborative grant proposals (for program development, assessment, and/or research) in areas involving any of the key themes of CLLC.