PDF version of this chapterGeneral Education Program
General Education Categories
Part One: Foundations
Courses in these categories help students locate themselves culturally and intellectually. The foundations categories are intended to give students a broad conceptual base for their further studies and their role as informed citizens in a scientifically and culturally complex world. Because their goal is to provide context, these courses emphasize a wide sweep of knowledge and require active intellectual engagement with scientific principles and with primary works of culture and civilization.I. Cultures and Civilizations I
Courses in this category introduce students to the norms and patterns of civilizations associated with the Greco-Roman and European traditions and the legacy of those traditions in North America. Courses may focus on particular aspects of those traditions, or on particular historical periods, provided that the perspective is construed broadly enough to establish a foundation on which students may build, grounding themselves and their subsequent studies in some understanding of this legacy. Comparative insights may also be offered between cultural traditions studied in Categories I and II.In this category students learn about an area of academic inquiry traditionally perceived as core to an excellent general education. Courses are distinguished by their sweep, which must be broad enough for students to understand the continuing legacies in contemporary culture of the patterns of civilization these courses present and critique.
II. Cultures and Civilizations II
Courses in this category introduce students to cultural norms and patterns of civilizations associated with Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Native America and elsewhere, alternative to those of the Greco-Roman and European traditions. Each course examines distinctive properties of the cultures and civilizations studied and seeks to engage and explain those properties on their own terms. Comparative insights may also be offered between the cultural traditions studied in Categories I and II.In this category students prepare to participate in an increasingly internationalized economic and political landscape. Courses teach students to understand the historical development of cultures which interact in the contemporary geopolitical scene. In addition, courses in this category help students to understand the role otherness plays in self-definition and self-delineation. Like courses in Category I, courses in this category are distinguished by their breadth of perspective over a substantial period of time.
III. Scientific Principles
Courses in this category study fundamental principles underlying a body of scientific knowledge, examining how those principles were developed through gradual evolution, the elimination of competing ideas, and scientific revolution or paradigm shift. These courses also focus on the nature of scientific inquiry by educating students as to how scientific knowledge is obtained and evaluated; they give a strong appreciation of how we arrived at our present understanding and a sense of how present ideas might evolve. Field experience or a practical component is required.In this category students acquire the vocabulary and modes of thought of a dominant perspective in contemporary culture. This category includes courses designed for students with majors outside the natural sciences.
Part Two: Case Studies
Courses in these categories help students learn to think critically through a focused inquiry into a particular area of knowledge. Analytic techniques and methodologies are demonstrated as they illuminate specific topics in the natural and social sciences, the arts and humanities.IV. Investigations in Science and Technology
An examination of the nature of science and technology, based on a closer, more focused study of a single area of research or a small set of related areas. The perspectives of several scientific disciplines are brought to bear on a theme, illustrating the relevant scientific principles, their technological applications and the societal significance and consequences of the topic. Field experience or a practical component is required.In this category students deepen their understanding of a particular area of scientific research, its applications and social impact.
V. Arts and Letters
In this category students develop their abilities for critical analysis through intense engagement with works of literature, philosophy, visual arts, music and/or film. Subject matter for these courses will be significant works associated with one or more geographical areas, time periods, genres or themes. Designed also to develop knowledge of analytical techniques in the humanities and practice in argumentative methods, courses in this category will demand intensive reading and writing and be capped at 30 students.VI. Social Issues
Courses in this category prepare students for informed citizenship, by teaching them to analyze compelling local, national and/or international issues or problems. Analytical tools are examined systematically, so that students may fruitfully redeploy them in understanding a broad range of social phenomena.In this category students develop the analytical and critical skills that enable them to make sense of complex questions about human beings and societies.