CLA Gen Ed Proposal Chart 5/7/04

The CLA Committee has continued to work on clarifying the language regarding the various courses and categories in the proposed model. ÝBelow is updated and clarified language re: these courses presented in a compact, chart form. ÝPlease view the descriptions below as the ones for discussion at the May 12 meeting. ÝReturn to the narrative report posted earlier.

CLA GEN ED

As with all such proposals, the category definitions in this General Education proposal may be refined as needed. Suggestions should be offered to CLA in a timely manner.

GENERAL EDUCATION (10 Courses)

As we are allowing double counting in the "Readings in" category, we effectively require only 9 courses of most students.

100

LEVEL

One Course

College Seminar

Incorporating the intercultural mission of the institution, each section of this course will have a distinctly different course description that includes an exposure to various cultural groups and traditions on campus and in the surrounding community. Presentations may be made by various on-campus bodies, for instance, the Latin American, Asian and African Studies minors. This course is also designed to provide students with an introduction to their intended majors. Students will also participate in presentations and discussions on important personal development issues to ease the transition from high school to college. This course is for incoming freshmen.

100

LEVEL

One Course

College English

This course will focus on the writing process, on revisions and peer critiquing. Individual faculty-student conferences are included. A portion of the course will be devoted to research techniques and to conventional MLA formatting and the development of a research paper.

100

LEVEL

One Course

Social Issues

The purpose of this course is to provide a forum for the historical, academic and personal exploration of race, class, ethnicity and gender and the ways in which these become forms of oppression that affect college students and American Society. It will cultivate in-depth conceptual approaches to these key areas.

OR

Perspectives in Business

The purpose of this course is to explore modern American business. The course will examine the evolution of our economic system from historical, political, sociological, economic, and cultural perspectives, and will discuss current issues that involve industry within a changing social framework.

100

LEVEL

One Course

Science with Experiential Component

This category should contain 100 level Science or Environmental Studies courses that provide a significant experiential component, which could be a lab or fieldwork. Students in these courses should create and analyze data.

Courses such as Astronomy, Introduction to Chemistry, Introduction to Biology, or Environmental Studies could be included in this category.

100

LEVEL

One Course

History

This category develops an appreciation of the sweep of history over a century or more. Students gain an understanding not just of content but of historical process and method, both of which are important to the intercultural and international aspects of our mission.

Applicable courses:

AHST 101 Western Studies I

AHST 102 Western Studies II

AHST 107 Introduction to US History I

AHST 108 Introduction to US History II

AHST 110 World Civilization I

AHST 111 World Civilization I

100-200

LEVEL

One Course

Quantitative Reasoning

Courses in this category should advance studentsí understanding of the creation, use, and interpretation of empirical information. This may include assessing data, presenting numerical information, and performing statistical tests, and it should always include a healthy skepticism of the use of numbers in advancing a particular point of view.

100-Level Math courses or 200 Level statistics courses would fulfill this requirement.

200-300

LEVEL

Three Courses

"Readings inÖ."

Courses in the new "Readings in" category could double count as requirements in the majors. The effect of this on our students is that for each student, one General Education requirement could double count for each major.

These courses will

Ö address its subject matter in Historical context, focusing on texts written over a broad spectrum of historical development, demonstrating changes in thought over time. The current Readings in Humanities course could serve as a template for this category.

Ö address the international mission of the college.

Ö not be limited to "Readings" alone. Although the course should feature readings, other "texts," including film and visual arts, would be appropriate.

Ö incorporate six information literacy goals:Ý framing the research question, accessing sources, evaluating sources, evaluating content, using information, and understanding ethical and legal issues affecting the use of information.Ý (as per middle states report) be writing intensive if resources allow.

The new Categories we recommend would be called:

Readings in Arts and Humanities

These courses focus on artistic, literary, and philosophical works through analysis, interpretation and performance viewed in an historical perspective.

Possible courses in this category include but are not limited to: Readings in the Humanities, Survey of American Lit, Theater in Society, Music in our Time, History of Jazz, Latin American Literature, Existentialism, Critical Thinking.

Readings in Social Sciences

These courses should provide students with an understanding of the social forces that shape human experience and society in a historical perspective. Courses in this category should include an intercultural perspective.

Possible courses in this category include but are not limited to: Psychology courses, Gender Work and Family, Environmental History, and Social Movements.

Readings in Science

Courses in this category provide students with a historical perspective on scientific thought. They focus on Science in a cultural context and provide an ethical perspective on issues in science such as sustainability, biological warfare, cloning, AIDS, hormones and behavior within a social, geographic and political context through time.

Possible courses in this category include but are not limited to: Appropriate Technologies, Nutrition and Computers and Society.

Further discussion is needed to settle exactly which courses would satisfy these categories.

300

LEVEL

One Course

World Cultures

Courses in this category should provide students with specific insight or experience in a culture, history or politics of regions outside of the United States, enhancing the collegeís international mission. These courses should broaden studentsí cultural and political perspectives. Courses should encourage students to gain specific insight into a region or culture outside of the US.

Courses in this category could be - 300 Level Language Courses, Study Abroad offerings, and such courses as Politics of Developing Nations, World Religions, Japan History, Politics and Culture, Music in Africa and the Americas, Colonial Latin America, International Political Economy, International Politics.

Ý

SCHOOL CORES

School Cores combined with Majors should not exceed 23 Units.

Schools should define their individual School goals, and while examining and redefining their core programs, include the following all college mission related values. In lieu of School Cores, these requirements could be embedded in the Majors.

300

LEVEL

One Course

One Values/Ethics course

The Values/Ethics course must grow out of the particular concerns of the school which offers it. Students should be asked to engage in critical thinking and analytical course work and challenged to apply ethical or aesthetic values to the work in the given discipline. Interdisciplinary study should be offered in this course.

Ý
400

LEVEL

One Course

One Senior Seminar

The overall consensus college wide concerning Senior Seminar is that it should be offered in the School Cores, or as a capstone experience in the majors. If in the future the faculty is invigorated to reintroduce Senior Seminar as an all-college, truly interdisciplinary requirement, they should be encouraged to devise it. The problems with offering the Senior Seminar have only worsened over time and though CLA recognizes the value of the ideal intended, at this point in time we recommend moving the offering to the Units, hoping they will retain a healthy level of interdisciplinary study, as originally intended.