The Environmental Institute for Sustainable Water, Air, and Land Resources is available to work with environmental organizations, public  interest groups, government, and industry to foster an understanding  of environmental problems. The  charter of the Institute establishes the purposes of the organization as follows:

Establish an institute composed of academicians and professionals who are highly regarded experts in their fields to study and inform the public, government, and industry of major technical, social and economic issues related to safe management of the environment.

The primary goal of the EI is to enable faculty to form broader coalitions when needed, to bring additional faculty together when warranted for large inter-disciplinary projects, to foster better communication, especially concerning research opportunities, and to enhance the reputation of the University concerning environmental research and education.