Document No. I-03-08
PROPOSAL TO THE ACADEMIC SENATE
TITLE: General Education Policy – Parts I and II
SUBMITTED
BY: Academic Policies Committee
DATE:
ACTION: Legislative
REFERENCE:
UNVERSITY OF
GENERAL EDUCATION POLICY
I. Purpose
of the Policy
The General Education
component of the undergraduate curriculum is an investment in the personal
development of students. Its purpose is
to make students aware of the diversity of intellectual thought and theory
represented by the sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences within the
Catholic and Marianist traditions of education.
In addition, the General Education component offers students an
opportunity to integrate and evaluate information from various disciplines and
thus enhance the study of a specific profession, field, or major.
The value of General Education depends on what is
taught, how it is taught, and with what spirit.
With this emphasis, General Education is also an investment in faculty
development. It stimulates the faculty
to develop integrated areas of study and to expand their knowledge beyond the
scope of a particular discipline.
In order to complement
all areas of study, the General Education component of the undergraduate curriculum
must be a flexible yet integrated sequence of study within specified course
areas. Oversight of the policy on
General Education is the responsibility of the Academic Policies Committee of
the Academic Senate. The Committee on General Education and Competencies
oversees implementation and assessment of the program and is supported by a
committee in each of the schools and the College. The objectives of such committees are to: (a)
identify, solicit, and approve courses and clusters that will meet the General
Education requirements; (b) monitor and evaluate all aspects of general
education; (c) consider proposals for exceptions or alterations to the General
Education policies; and (d) strive to inform, involve, and gain the support of
the faculty.
II. Rationale and Goals
The importance of a flexible yet integrated General
Education program at the
In keeping with its
Catholic and Marianist traditions, the University has identified its major
educational purpose as the full intellectual, cultural, social, moral, and
spiritual development of undergraduates.
A central component of General Education is the examination and
understanding of the self in relation to others. Knowledge, aesthetic development, and
critical reflection enrich this understanding.
The University's goal is
to prepare students for a life of leadership, service, and life-long
learning. The University pursues this
goal by helping students acquire the knowledge, skills, intellectual curiosity,
cultural awareness, and professional competence to become morally responsible
decision makers who are aware of the needs of the global community and prepared
to play an active role in meeting them. Originating in the Marianist ideal of
family, the concept of community is important in defining education at the
University. It characterizes education
as an interpersonal process, a dialogue, in which persons search for truth and
for meaning in genuine, open, and imaginative ways within a cooperative
environment.
General
Education reflects the need for students to become informed, responsible,
literate and humane decision makers within a learning community and within
society at large. As such, General
Education courses provide students opportunities to appreciate the
contributions of classmates; to understand the importance of experiencing
success and failure in a supportive environment; to collaborate with peers in
the pursuit of knowledge and a more just world. General Education seeks to
encourage active learning in its many forms and pursues new models for learning
that move beyond the traditional conceptualizations of teacher-centered and
classroom-focused education. It seeks
to create a community of learners for integrating knowledge and understanding
of the human condition from the perspectives of many domains of knowledge; for
the critical analysis of complementary and competing answers to questions about
the human condition; for exploring and comparing the human experience within
and across cultures and political boundaries; and as the first step in a
life-long quest to interpret the past, understand the present, and imagine the
future. General Education stands at the center of undergraduate education
precisely because it raises fundamental questions that challenge students to
reflect on the question, "What does it mean to be human?"
General Education also
incorporates and advances the central purpose of the competency program, which
aims to develop distinctive graduates who possess the critical reading,
writing, oral communication, quantitative reasoning, and information literacy
skills that students need to function in their academic, community, and
professional lives.
General Education is
designed so that students should:
1.
Realize that they are members of a community of learners
participating in inquiry about the most fundamental questions of humankind. Students
should reflect in serious ways on
such fundamental questions as: What
does it mean to be human? What is
the relationship between autonomy and responsibility? What is the relation between the individual and the community? How do faith and reason interact? What forms of human expression promote
dialogue especially within context of pluralism and diversity? What social and political structures
facilitate human growth? What is the
relation of humans to the natural environment? General Education should prepare
students for a life of leadership and service, helping them to grow not only in
knowledge, skills, and professional competence, but also as moral decision
makers who are aware of the needs of the global community.
2.
Develop their ability to think critically and creatively. Students should be
able to collect facts and information, use criteria to judge their truth or
importance, and exercise creativity in reflecting upon the relations among ideas, knowledge, and action.
3.
Reflect on the mystery of a reality that can be approached
through both faith and reason. In
keeping with Catholic and Marianist identity of the University,
students should reflect upon the meaning of the
transcendent and appreciate the multifaceted manifestations of the human spirit. They
should be able to reflect upon the relation
of faith and reason.
4.
Understand the ethical implications of human inquiry and
discourse. In keeping with the University’s emphasis on
Catholic social teachings and its commitment to social justice as integral to a
Catholic and Marianist education, students should reflect upon the ethical and
moral dilemmas posed by significant issues such as race, gender, violence,
poverty, technology, and globalization.
They should be able to apply ways of knowing and decision making to understand
and make critical judgments on issues related to social justice in the United
States and globally. Students should be able
to clarify moral issues, identify
consequences of decisions, articulate moral principles, and develop coherent moral arguments.
5.
Be familiar with the principal domains of, or approaches to,
knowledge as they contribute to an understanding of the person and the world. Students should be able to understand the
humanities and arts as expressions of what it means to be human. They
should be able to understand history as an examination of how tradition and past events have shaped
cultures, institutions, and human identity. They should be able to understand the social sciences as
explorations of the habits of humanity and the ways in which people live
together, and the natural sciences as inquiries into the fundamental workings
of the world. Within the context of
these domains, they should be able to understand technology and the impact it
has had upon history, society, and the environment. They should be able to understand the implications
of globalization for cultures and societies, economics and the environment, and
politics and international relations.
6.
Develop an integrated view of knowledge. Students should be able
to engage in connected learning and work across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
They should learn to value interdisciplinary endeavors and work at the
intersections of disciplinary knowledge. They should recognize the central
importance of collaboration among teachers and students. These skills should
connect learners within and beyond the campus and lead to deeper learning and
greater levels of vocational preparation.
7.
Develop an understanding of western civilization and its
relation to other cultures. To understand
themselves and their world, students must examine the complex and diverse
nature of their shared heritage. They should understand western
civilization and its place in global society. They should value diversity and
understand the intrinsic worth of
non-western cultures and the dynamics of interaction among different cultural
traditions.
III. Structure
To achieve these goals, the University has identified and
reaffirmed the requirement of eleven courses which present the content and
methodology of five domains of knowledge:
1.
An
educated person in our society should have a knowledge of history. With such a knowledge, we can relate ideas
and events to one another within a context understood by the community of
educated men and women. Therefore, every
student at the University must take two history courses.
2.
The
physical and life sciences and technology have affected the quality of life in
every age, but never more than in the present.
The potential of science and technology for both good and evil will
undoubtedly increase in the future. It
is essential, therefore, that students understand the methods of science and
its applications through technology. For
these reasons students should take two courses in the physical and life
sciences and technological applications.
3.
As
educated members of society we should understand the dynamics through which
people relate to each other as individuals, in groups, and as producers and
consumers of goods and services.
Effective relationships sustain us as members of families, professions,
nations, and the global community.
Students, therefore, must take one course in the social sciences.
4.
The
experience of generations confirms that life is enriched immeasurably by
experiencing the world through the arts.
Every student should develop some understanding of the importance of
this experience and must take one course in the arts and/or language as a means
of aesthetic and /or cultural expression.
Performing or production courses will not fulfill this requirement.
5.
As
a church-related institution of learning which seeks “to foster principles and
values consonant with Catholicism,” the University regards religious studies
and philosophy as serving a special function.
Students should have an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the
religious and philosophical traditions that shape their shared heritage. Study of these areas, especially when
conducted through interdisciplinary courses, can also help students integrate
their knowledge of the themes and institutions of societies through the
ages. The review by the Academic
Policies Committee reaffirms this statement.
Since every student should be encouraged to go beyond the introductory
level in either or both of these areas, every student must take four courses in
religious studies/philosophy.
Evaluations of General Education have consistently
emphasized integration of the content and methodology of various domains. Therefore, in addition to the five domains
listed above, every student for whom English composition is a requirement will
take one compositions course in which assignments will be designed to
complement material covered in other introductory General Education courses (i.
e., the Humanities Base).
In order to achieve the goals of raising fundamental
questions about human existence, encountering questions in a meaningful
context, and encouraging significant integration, students will be required to
take:
1.
Four
of the eleven courses as part of a Base
2.
At
least three courses from a minimum of three domains as part of a thematic
cluster (If a cluster includes both a philosophy and a religious studies
course, it needs to have only one additional course from only one other
domain.)
3.
Any
remaining courses ( i. e., a maximum of four) from the list of approved General
Education courses within the appropriate domains.
THE HUMANITIES BASE
General Education raises a set of questions that
challenges students to develop and formulate their own conception of what it
means to be human. These questions may
be considered in any discipline, but they are central to the humanities. It is in humanities courses that one
encounters the historical circumstances in which these questions were initially
raised or perceived to be meaningful, the basic premises out of which such
discussions developed, the rules of discourse for examining issues, and the
terminology used in conducting such discourse.
It is this context that is essential if students are to engage in
meaningful dialogue about their own answers to such questions. Furthermore, if students are to be encouraged
to begin the sometime lifelong pursuit of an integrated personal vision of what
it means to be human, they must understand that the humanities disciplines
ultimately constitute an integrated pursuit of the same goals. Consequently, the University has established
in integrated Humanities Base for its General Education program which requires
students to take one Philosophy course, one Religious Studies course, one Western
Civilization course, and one English composition/Literature course.
To make this experience a true integrating base, the
faculties of the departments offering these courses should select some
fundamental questions or issues to be considered in these courses, common
readings, and common assignments. They
are encouraged to consider and develop ways of integrating these courses,
especially any that illuminate the relation between faith and reason.
THEMATIC CLUSTERS
To facilitate an integrated view of knowledge, to enhance
the students’ familiarity with the domains of knowledge, and to achieve the
other General Education goals, faculty should identify and/or develop thematic
clusters of courses that build on the Humanities Base. Thematic clusters are courses that when
grouped together provide a focus on fundamental human questions which is richer
and broader that that provided by individual courses. Each cluster will consist of at least three
courses selected from a minimum of three of the following domains:
1.
Two
courses in the physical and life sciences.
2.
One
social science course.
3.
One
course which explores the use of the arts and/or language as a means of
aesthetic and/or cultural expression.
4.
One
history course
5.
Two
philosophy/religious studies courses.
A cluster may contain as few as three or as many as five
of the domains listed above. In many
cases, because its subject matter and structure entail pluralistic approaches
to multifaceted issues, a single course may be approved for several different
thematic clusters. Conversely, a number
of courses within a given domain may be equally acceptable for meeting one of
the requirements within a cluster.
COMPLETING GENERAL
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Theoretically, a four-course base and a seven-course
cluster could fulfill all the requirements listed in this document under
“Structure.” Usually, however, a student
will have to complete some domain requirements not covered in a specific
cluster. A student fulfilling a General
Education requirement that is not part of the Base or part of his or her
particular cluster, may, with the advisor’s approval, elect any approved
General Education course within the appropriate domain.
Although all courses approved for General Education must
conform to the general goals listed in this document, those approved for
clusters benefit from being encountered in the context of related courses. It is particularly important therefore, that
courses that are not part of a cluster be reviewed carefully before
approval. These courses must provide
students with a basic understanding of the methodology and content of the
domains of human inquiry. Because a
student will seldom take more than two courses in a given domain of inquiry,
approval should be limited to those courses that conform to our best
professional judgments of what a broadly educated college graduate should know
about the domains of inquiry.
IV. Implementation
To implement the Humanities Base and clusters will
require resources, time, and commitment, especially because it will demand
cooperation across departments. A
necessary condition for the creation of an integrated Base and clusters is the
development of a faculty who are conversant with the concept of integrated
education. Therefore, in the academic
year following the approval of this policy by the Academic Senate, selected
faculty from the departments of English, History, Philosophy, and Religious
Studies should work together to learn about and develop the integrated
Humanities Base. They should develop
sample syllabi, select common readings, topics, assignments, and other devices
that will facilitate integration.
Selected faculty from the various departments in the College and the
schools should develop thematic clusters so that several clusters are available
to our students within two years following the adoption of this policy. In this way the program can be implemented
gradually during the three to four years following the approval of this policy.
THEMATIC CLUSTERS
Initial proposals for thematic clusters may come from the
schools or the three major divisions of the College, from interdisciplinary teams
of faculty, or from individual departments.
Themes already identified as possibly appropriate for a General
Education cluster include: leadership,
pluralism, and human values; technology and human purposes; Catholic
intellectual life; global visions; and discovery and creativity. Whichever themes are developed, they must
enable students to achieve the General Education goals.
The preliminary proposal for a thematic cluster must
contain the following: (1) title of the
theme, (2) an explanation of, or rationale for, the theme, (3) a listing of the
courses or types of courses, which could achieve the goals of the theme within
the structure of the General Education program, (5) a list of the schools,
departments, and programs endorsing the cluster, (6) a list of names and
departments of faculty who developed the proposal, (7) an indication of the
resources necessary for offering the cluster.
The themes will provide the direction for the selection
and/or development of the courses.
Courses will be selected and/or developed from three or more of the
domains (with the exception noted above):
History, Philosophy/Religious Studies, Social Sciences, Science, and
Language or Arts as Aesthetic and/or Cultural Expression. The departments that constitute each domain
will have the primary responsibility for selecting and/or developing the
General Education courses within their domains.
These departments should negotiate with the schools, divisions, teams,
departments, and appropriate committees to identify the courses that are
compatible with the themes. The process
needs to be open so that faculty members, department chairs, and deans who have
an interest are directly involved.
After the thematic clusters and the General Education
courses have been approved by the University Committee on General Education,
the College, schools, and/or departments will have the responsibility of
identifying which of the approved thematic clusters and General Education
courses are appropriate for, and available to, their students. They will have the responsibility of advising
their students about the General Education program.
V. Administration
The
General Education Committees of each school and College, the University
Committee on General Education and Competencies, the Office of the Provost
represented by an Associate Provost, and the
The
College and the Schools should each establish committees on General Education
or specify a committee to assume general education responsibilities. The size, composition, and selection
procedure of each of these committees will be determined by, and based on, the
needs of each of these academic divisions.
The responsibilities of these Committees shall be the following:
1. Propose and/or review
preliminary proposals for thematic clusters.
If the Committee judges that a proposal meets the purposes of General
Education and that it would be an appropriate thematic cluster for students in
that division, the Committee will submit the preliminary proposal to the
University Committee on General Education and Competencies. If it does not reach this judgment, the
Committee will return the proposal to the appropriate faculty group with an
explanation of its decision.
2. Periodically review
approved thematic clusters relative to their appropriateness for students in
that academic division.
3. Recommend policies and
procedures relative to general education.
4. Through communication
with faculty and students in that academic division, facilitate an
understanding of, and appreciation for, the General Education Program.
UNIVERSITY
COMMITTEE ON GENERAL EDUCATION AND COMPETENCIES
The
Committee on General Education and Competencies will be a standing subcommittee
of the Academic Policies Committee of the Academic Senate. The Executive Committee of the Academic
Senate will appoint the members of the Committee on General Education and
Competencies. Membership on the
Committee must be a representative cross-section of the various components of
the University: The College of Arts and
Sciences and the professional Schools as well as faculty, students, and
administrators.
The Committee will be
composed of a minimum of eight (8) members plus three ex officio
members: an Associate Provost; an
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; and the Registrar or
designate. Membership shall be
designated as follows:
1. Three faculty
members: one each from the three
professional schools of Business Administration, Education and Allied
Professions, and Engineering.
2. Three faculty members
from the
3. Two student members from
the Academic Policies Committee, or from the General Education Committees of
the Schools or College, or from the Academic Senate.
4. At least three of the
eight members must come from the Academic Senate, preferably from the Academic
Policies Committee. At least one member
must come from the Academic Policies Committee.
5. Each undergraduate dean
has the option to serve or to appoint a designate as an ex officio
member.
6. The Chairperson of the
Competency Implementation Subcommittee is also a voting member of the
University Committee on General Education and Competencies until at least
All the members with the exception of the students shall have
a three-year term of office. Student
members shall have a one-year term of office, but may be reappointed by the
Executive Committee of the Academic Senate.
The responsibilities of
the University Committee on General Education and Competencies shall be as
follows:
1. Approve courses that
form the Humanities Base
2. Review preliminary
proposals for thematic clusters submitted by the Schools or the College General
Education Committees. If the Committee
judges that a proposal meets the purposes of General Education and that the
proposal appears feasible in terms of staffing and other resources, it shall
refer the proposal to the Associate Dean and to the appropriate departments
which will have primary responsibility for offering the courses in the cluster. If it does not reach this judgment, the
Committee shall return the preliminary proposal to the appropriate School or
College General Education Committee with an explanation of its decision.
3. Facilitate communication
and collaboration among faculty proposing thematic clusters and the departments
offering courses that will be part of those clusters.
4. Review final proposals
for thematic clusters, which shall include the seven components of the
preliminary proposal as well as the syllabi of the courses selected and /or
developed by the appropriate departments offering the General Education
courses. If the Committee judges that
the final proposal meets the purposes of General Education and approves the
courses as part of the cluster, it shall provide the proposal to the Associate
Dean for purposes of implementation. If
the Committee does not reach this judgment, it will return the proposal to the
appropriate committee and departments with an explanation of its decision.
5. Approve courses included
in a thematic cluster that also satisfy General Education requirements in
specified domains of knowledge outside the format of the clusters.
6. Approve as fulfilling
General Education requirements all courses in the appropriate domains of
knowledge that are neither part of the Humanities Base nor in a thematic
cluster, but have been approved by the Schools or the College.
7. Instruct the Associate
Dean to identify and promulgate, at least once a year, courses offered by the
various units of the University that will meet the General Education
requirements.
8. Keep a file of documents
for approved courses in General Education under the auspices of the Associate
Dean.
9. With the assistance of
the Associate Dean, monitor and evaluate course offerings to insure that the
General Education requirements in the Humanities Base, the thematic clusters,
and the domains of knowledge can be satisfied by students in a timely and
systematic fashion.
10. Consider course
proposals that would satisfy more than one General Education goal or would be
less than the normal three credit offering for specific programs as long as the
goals of General Education would be served adequately.
11. With the assistance of
the Associate Provost and the Associate Dean, conduct evaluations of the
General Education Program and make recommendations to the Academic
Policies Committee of the Academic Senate for strengthening the General
Education Program. A thorough and
systematic evaluation of the Program must be conducted every five years to
assess the extent to which students are achieving the specified goals.
12. In cooperation with the
standing Competency Implementation Subcommittee, oversee the general
competencies. Before
The
Committee shall select its chairperson at the first organizational meeting each
year. The Committee shall develop its
own procedures for performing its duties and such procedures shall be submitted
to the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate for its approval.
ASSOCIATE PROVOST
An
Associate Provost will be appointed by the Provost and will be responsible for
assuring that the General Education policy is implemented by the Committee on
General Education and Competencies and the Associate Dean and for facilitating
University-wide conversations concerning the integral role of General Education
to the University’s mission. The
Associate Provost will:
1. Assure that the
Executive Committee of the Academic Senate appoints the University Committee on
General Education and Competencies in a timely manner each year and communicate
those appointments to the Associate Dean.
2. Serve as the Provost’s
representative (ex officio) on the University Committee on General
Education and Competencies.
3. Assure that the Schools
and the College appoint the appropriate committees on General Education.
4. Work with the Associate
Dean to implement procedures for effective assessment, review, and evaluation
of the General Education Program by assuring that assessment and reviews are
conducted in a manner consistent with established University policy.
5. Work with the Associate
Dean to identify and pursue possible outside funding sources for the General
Education Program.
6. In consultation with the
Committee on General Education and Competencies and the Associate Dean,
facilitate an ongoing discussion among administrators, faculty, and students
concerning the role of General Education in the mission and vision of the
University.
An Associate Dean will
be appointed by the Dean of the
1. Convene the first
meeting each year of the University Committee on General Education and
Competencies and assure that the Committee selects its chairperson.
2. Maintain the records of
the University Committee on General Education and Competencies and provide
necessary administrative support services.
3. Communicate the
decisions and recommendations of the University Committee on General Education
and Competencies to the University, especially to those most directly affected.
4. Facilitate the
development, implementation, and assessment of the Humanities Base, the
Thematic Clusters, and other General Education courses.
5. Develop a program for
training all faculty who have responsibility for advising students regarding
General Education requirements.
6. Develop and distribute
in a timely manner current and correct information on the structure, policies,
and procedures of the General Education Program as well as on all approved
courses.
7. Through multiple means
of communication facilitate campus-wide understanding of, and appreciation for,
the General Education Program.
8. Work with the Associate
Provost to implement procedures for effective assessment, review, and
evaluation of the General Education Program. The Associate Dean is responsible
for implementing assessment and for reporting the results of that assessment to
the various constituencies including the Committee on General Education and
Competencies and the University Assessment Committee.
9. Work with the Associate
Provost to identify and pursue possible outside funding sources for the General
Education Program.
Parts I and II: approved by the Academic Senate (October
2003—pending)
Parts III, and IV: approved
by the Academic Senate, April 1991
Part V: approved by the
Academic Senate, April 2002