Washington University in St. Louis, a medium-sized, independent university, is dedicated to challenging its faculty and students alike to seek new knowledge and greater understanding of an ever-changing, multicultural world. The university has played an integral role in the history and continuing growth of St. Louis and benefits in turn from the wide array of social, cultural and recreational opportunities offered by the metropolitan area to its more than 2.8 million residents.The mission of Washington University in St. Louis is the promotion of learning — learning by students and by faculty. Teaching, the transmission of knowledge, is central to our mission, as is research, the creation of new knowledge.