Goals and Structure of the General Education Program
Goals of the Program:
- to study and apply mathematical principles;
- to study and apply principles of written and oral communication;
- to study and apply basic library research skills including basic assessment of various kinds of sources;
- to study the natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, humanities and fine arts in order to understand how scholars in those fields work;
- to study human diversity on a global basis and its implications for society.
Structure of the Program:
The first tier of the program addresses three goals articulated in an across-the-(general education)-curriculum structure for writing, oral communication, mathematics and library research.
Students are introduced to these skill areas in four Basic Skills courses – two in English composition and one each in public speaking and mathematics.
They are intended not only to provide practice in library research, writing, speaking and the manipulation of abstractions but also to provide students with experience in thinking clearly so that they can argue clearly – in evaluating oral and written and mathematically-based arguments.
Students are required to complete this part of their general education program in their first 48 credit hours.
The second tier of the program is an introduction to the major arenas of intellectual life: the humanities and fine arts, the social sciences, and mathematics and the natural sciences.
Students are required to take at least one Introductory Course in the fine arts, and two each in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics/natural sciences.
Students may take Introductory Courses concurrently with the Basic Skills courses, subject to course prerequisites.
The third tier of the program allows students to follow interests developed in the introductory courses.
Students are required to take one Further Studies course (outside their major) in each of the three divisions.
Both the Introductory Courses and the Further Studies courses are designed to enhance students’ skills in oral and written communication, library research and mathematical manipulation of data.
That is, within the General Education Program, we have an across-the-curriculum structure for library research, mathematical reasoning, writing and oral communication.
Departments are encouraged to continue this emphasis in courses beyond the general education program.
Within this final tier, students are required to take at least one and at most two Issues and Perspectives courses outside their major.
These courses substitute for one or two of the Further Studies courses in the general education requirements.
They are a means of exposing students to certain valuable but non-canonical subjects and methodologies.
The requirement ensures that students are exposed to either a problem that has emerged from contemporary conditions or an interdisciplinary discussion of an enduring topic.