Aims and objectives

While the particular focus of the Society may change year on year given the annual change in Committee, our aims and objectives define our fundamental purpose as a Society. All future committees must strive to uphold the below aims and objectives.

The Herdman Society is the University of Liverpool's student Earth Sciences society. 

The Herdman Society is the University of Liverpool's student Earth Sciences society. While membership is open to all members of Liverpool Guild of Students as well as alumni, we exist primarily to benefit current Earth Sciences students at the University.

To do this, the Herdman Society commits itself to run an enriching and engaging series of academic events throughout the year, including the annual Herdman Symposium, regular lectures, workshops and other academic events the Society's committee sees fit. The Society also commits to running a range of social and networking events to promote a sense of community amongst Earth Sciences students.

The Herdman Society is collaborative.

The Herdman Society is collaborative. We commit to working with a range of other bodies, groups and organisations, including student societies, professional bodies, societies, ethical and sustainable industry partners, to benefit students at the University of Liverpool and, where possible, the wider community.

We acknowledge the importance of Earth Sciences to the numerous WCRP Grand Challenges, and the importance of adequately communicating geological knowledge to the wider public in an accessible and inclusive way ('geocommunication'). We are committed to outreach wherever possible, such as by inviting members of the public with tickets to our lecture series and the Herdman Symposium and extending an open invite to A Level Geology, Geography and Environmental Sciences students to attend.

The Herdman Society is decolonial.

As a student Earth Sciences society, we represent the future of our field. For Earth Sciences to progress and address the pressing issues our planet faces, we must acknowledge and address Earth Sciences' colonial past and present. We acknowledge that Earth Sciences, alongside other STEM subjects, often exclude and harm underrepresented and minoritised groups, both historically and at present.

We are committed to facing the future and decolonising Geology to make it inclusive, equitable and accessible to all. This includes people of colour as well as women, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people and other minoritised and underrepresented groups. From the February 2025 committee elections, we will be introducing an EDI Officer position to our committee and we are committed to working with relevant groups to decolonise. We commit to rejecting all fossil fuel sponsorship for our events.