General Education Objectives

Students, working with advisors, and taking into consideration prior knowledge and experience, purposefully select courses in the General Education curriculum that meld with required courses, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, and courses in the major to achieve these objectives:

Foundations for Life-Long Learning

1. Students will think, speak, and write clearly. This is evidenced by:

• the clear presentation of ideas in formal spoken, written, and media forms.
• the use of effective communication for ongoing dialogue.
• the ability to find appropriate sources of information, evaluate that information, and integrate that information into a final product.
• the use of statistical methods and other techniques of mathematics to analyze and solve problems.

Critical Thinking across the Liberal Arts

2. Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge of the important ideas and methods of different ways of knowing as follows.

• in the humanities students will analyze and interpret existing works of literature and the arts.
• in the sciences students will engage in the scientific method, laboratory study, appropriate technology, and mathematics to investigate, evaluate, and apply scientific concepts and theories.
• in social sciences students will develop the necessary tools of critical thinking, inquiry, and diplomacy to participate effectively in our democracy and the increasingly complex global society.

Connections and Exploration

3. Students will connect important ideas and methods of inquiry from different disciplines as a means of becoming holistic and responsible citizens in a diverse and technologically complex, global community. Students will:

• demonstrate civic and social responsibility.
• grow in their engagement with peoples of diverse histories and communities, both inside and outside the United States.
• build the foundation for a lifelong process of understanding, developing, and monitoring healthy lifestyle behaviors in all dimensions of wellness, including physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and environmental wellness.
• gain personal enrichment by developing new interests that can be enjoyed throughout a lifetime.