Forms, information for prospective student-athletes.
RATIONALE
Higher education should offer students both breadth and depth: that is, introductory exposure to a wide variety of approaches to knowledge, and the opportunity to explore a single field in some detail. A General Education program provides the former; a major provides the latter. Thus, the purpose of General Education at SUNY Oswego is to introduce students to a range of disciplines, to help them learn to think critically and solve problems, clarify their values, and increase their knowledge of the world and of themselves, and to help them grow and mature as learners. In other words, General Education helps students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will allow them to succeed in college, pursue a major, and form the foundation for life-long learning, by helping them acquire:
effective written and oral communication skills; proficiency in a language other than English;
information and computer literacy; analytical and critical inquiry skills by which to understand complex issues; an understanding of the fundamental principles of natural science and the character of the natural world; historical, literary, and artistic understandings of the world; knowledge of the social forces that shape individuals, groups, and societies over time; knowledge of American history, Western civilization, and other world civilizations; and the enhanced ability to work intelligently and cooperatively with others in a diverse world.
The proposed General Education program described below has seven components: Basic Skills, Foreign Language, Knowledge Foundations, America and the Western Heritage, Human Diversity, Intellectual Issues and Advanced Expository Writing. To the fullest extent possible, the Board of General Education intends that most of these components fit together in a coherent structure: e.g., the Knowledge Foundations courses should build on the Basic Skills; the Intellectual Issues courses should build on the Knowledge Foundations; and Advanced Expository Writing courses should build on Basic Skills and be organized themselves in a developmental sequence. In other words, it is reasonable to expect that students who take a Knowledge Foundations course display competence in those Basic Skills areas that faculty deem appropriate for that Foundations course, and that students who take an Intellectual Issues course have passed courses in those Knowledge Foundations areas that faculty deem appropriate for that Issues course.
The Board has also fashioned a program that purposely integrates course work in General Education with that in each student’s major. This is most evident in Advanced Expository Writing, which infuses training in discipline-specific writing skills into lower- and upper-division courses in every major program on campus. Furthermore, students may use courses taken for the major to satisfy other General Education requirements. Finally, the writing requirement and the Intellectual Issues component signal our intention of making General Education a four-year experience, not merely a foundation laid in the first two years.
PROPOSED GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM
A. Basic Skills
Basic Skills are fundamental college-level skills that students need to succeed in a variety of other college courses. Students may have already acquired these skills before entering SUNY Oswego, from Advanced Placement work, from courses at other colleges, or in similar ways. Students who do demonstrate their competence in any Basic Skills area may place out of it.
1. Writing: Courses in this area will develop students’ ability to present their ideas and information in a clear, effective manner, and to use the organizational processes of writing as a heuristic for discovery and invention. Students will develop expository writing skills to be used within the context of their special areas of interest and expertise.
2. Computer and Information Literacy: Courses in this area will develop students’ ability to use computer hardware and software, such as a word processor, a spreadsheet, a database, communications, multi-media, and text/graphics management. Students will also understand the capabilities of computer technology, as well as current and evolving developments within their own areas of interest.
3. Critical Thinking: The General Education Board understands critical thinking to mean the ability to evaluate the assumptions, evidence, and inferences of what one reads and the ability to present one’s ideas in a sound, logical, and thorough argument. The "Critical Thinking" requirement is met via infusion in the student's major.
Basic Skills Requirements 0-9 credits
Students are required to display competence in EACH of the following areas:
- Writing 0-3 credits
- Computer Literacy 0-3 credits
- Critical Thinking 0-3 credits
Students may be exempt from one or more of the above requirements through competency testing or with appropriate Advance Placement credits.
B. Foreign Language
The purpose of the Foreign Language requirement is to ensure that students acquire basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language and knowledge of the distinctive features of a culture or cultures associated with the language they study.
Foreign Language Requirement 0-6 credits
The requirement can be met satisfied by a) successful high school study of a foreign language through Regents level 4; b) successful high school study of two foreign languages (at least two years of each through Regents level 2); or c) completion of a 102-level foreign language course (or its equivalent: e.g., CLEP) in college. The language requirement may also be satisfied by an equivalent proficiency in a native American language, as demonstrated by comparable high school study (i.e., four years) or by an interview with a faculty member competent in the language in question. Non-native-English-speaking foreign students who have passed an English as a Second Language exam upon acceptance to the college are exempted from this requirement.
C. Knowledge Foundations
The purpose of Knowledge Foundations courses is to expose students to a breadth of knowledge through the exploration of a range of disciplines at the introductory level. Knowledge Foundations courses are intended to introduce students to the basic content, methodology, and modes of analysis/inquiry of the disciplines. Students majoring, minoring, or concentrating in any of the five areas are assumed to have met that area’s requirement (with appropriate introductory-level courses taken for the major, minor, or concentrate) and are waived out of the requirement in that area. Business majors are exempt from the Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement; Education majors are exempt from the area of their concentrate. Specifically, students should have such knowledge in the following areas of the curriculum:
1. Fine and Performing Arts: Courses in this area will cultivate both the cognitive and affective aspects of the human mind. Students will study significant works of the intellect and imagination, and may actively participate in individual aesthetic and creative experiences.
2. Humanities: Courses in this area will define the modes of inquiry specific to the disciplines of philosophy, literary study, history of the arts, and rhetoric. The courses may focus on primary texts and sources or significant examples of philosophical, literary, artistic, and rhetorical interpretation and analysis.
3. Mathematics: Courses in this area will develop the students’ ability to read critically the technical and statistical information that pervades contemporary society. Students will develop a strong conceptual understanding and appreciation of the power of mathematics. The major goal is to make the student competent to use numerical and graphical data in personal and professional judgments and in thinking critically about public issues. NOTE: Students must demonstrate basic proficiency in mathematics prior to registering for any math course numbered 102 or above. Proficiency may be demonstrated by any one of the following: (1) a score of 80 or higher on the NYS Sequential II Regents Exam or an equivalent grade in a second high school mathematics course at this level, (2) a transfer grade of C or higher in a course equivalent to MAT 104, or higher level at another institution, (3) pass a mathematics competency exam approved by the Mathematics Department, or (4) successful completion of MAX 100.
4. Natural Sciences: Courses in this area will focus on basic concepts, emphasizing the nature of the biological sciences, chemistry, the earth sciences, or physics. The desired result is a framework of skills and attitudes that permits one to understand the fundamental principles of natural science. Students will be able to make informed judgments on issues that affect the community, the nation, and the world; to think critically about what the media state about science and technology issues; and to make informed decisions that require gathering data, reading appropriate material, asking questions, and being able to distinguish scientific fact from opinion.
5. Social and Behavioral Sciences: Courses in this area will be designed to develop the capacity to engage in logical thinking and to read critically in the social and behavioral sciences. Students will develop a knowledge of the key concepts, perspectives, and analyses offered by social and behavioral scientists.
Knowledge Foundations Requirements 21 credits (not counting exemptions)
Students are required to take 3-6 credits (as indicated) in EACH of the following areas:
1. Fine and Performing Arts 3 credits
2. Humanities 3 credits
3. Mathematics 3 credits
4. Natural Sciences 6 credits
5. Social and Behavioral Sciences 6 credits
Students are exempt from the requirement in the area of their major, minor, or concentrate. In the interest of breadth, where 6 hours is indicated in a Knowledge Foundations area, students must take courses from two different disciplines. (Different disciplines have different course prefixes in the College Catalog and in the Course Newspaper.) In the Natural Sciences, students must take courses in two of the following areas: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Physics.
D. America and the Western Heritage
The purpose of courses in American History is to enable students to develop knowledge of a basic narrative of the history of the United States (political, economic, social, and cultural, including knowledge of unity and diversity in American society); knowledge of common institutions in American society and how they have affected different groups; and understanding of America’s evolving relationship with the rest of the world. (Please note that an American History course taken to satisfy this requirement may not at the same time be used to satisfy the first Human Diversity requirement--see below.) The purpose of courses in Western Civilization (or the Western Heritage) is to enable students to develop knowledge of the distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, etc. of Western civilization; and to relate the development of Western civilization to that of other regions of the world.
America and the Western Heritage Requirements 6 credits
Students are required to take an approved 3-credit course (or its equivalent) in EACH area:
American History 3 credits
Western Civilization 3 credits
E. Human Diversity
Students will be required to complete, as part of their degree program, General Education-approved courses or their approved equivalent (e. g., certain overseas study programs, designated internships, and student teaching placements) from the two areas below, specifically one course on Tolerance and Intolerance in the United States and one course on Non-Western Civilizations.
1. Tolerance and Intolerance in the United States: These courses directly address such issues as tolerance and intolerance, equality and discrimination, freedom and restraint, and justice and injustice; and they encourage student awareness and understanding of the many dimensions of diversity in American life. (Please note that no course in American history can be used to satisfy both the requirement in American History and the first Human Diversity requirement.)
2. Non-Western Civilizations: The purpose of courses on Non-Western Civilizations is to enable students to develop knowledge of either a broad outline of world history or the distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, etc. of one non-Western civilization.
Human Diversity Requirements 6 credits
Students are required to take at least one approved course in EACH of the following areas:
1. Tolerance and Intolerance in the United States 3 credits
2. Non-Western Civilizations 3 credits
F. Intellectual Issues
Intellectual Issues courses will investigate the multi-disciplinary and interpretative nature of intellectual inquiry, building upon students’ skills, abilities, and knowledge foundations. These courses are also intended to produce additional writing experiences and depth of knowledge, by engaging students as active learners and by challenging them to think analytically and creatively. The Intellectual Issues topics listed below are subject to change over time, as the faculty deem appropriate. Intellectual Issues courses are theme-based, 3-credit, upper-division courses centered on one of the areas defined below and bringing multiple perspectives to bear on those issues. Students are required to take two approved courses from the categories listed below:
1. Explorations in the Natural Sciences: The goal is to provide students with an upper-division, multidisciplinary experience in the natural sciences that will increase students’ understanding of natural science principles, scientific research methods, applications of natural science research and technology, and interactions between science, technology, and society.
2. Cultures and Civilizations: The goal is to understand and appreciate the expression of human ideas. Upon completion, the student should be able to recognize the significant achievements of the human intellect and imagination; the relationship between the expression of ideas and culture; and the historical context of ideas and human achievement. Courses will focus on topics that explore an expression of human ideas over time.
3. Self and Society: The goal is to understand and appreciate the relationship of individuals to each other in social and cultural groups and the influence of social, political, and economic institutions on individuals and society. Upon completion the student should be able to recognize roles of people and the physical environment in shaping culture and society; conflicts of interest and values involved in translating knowledge into social action; and mechanisms people employ to change and modify their own behavior, values, and attitudes as well as those of other people. Courses will focus on topics dealing with the individual in relation to a larger group.
Intellectual Issues Requirements 6 credits
Any combination of two approved courses from Explorations in the Natural Sciences, Cultures and Civilizations, and/or Self and Society
G. Advanced Expository Writing
Recognizing that a single required course cannot, in and of itself, produce graduates who communicate confidently and effectively in writing and speaking, the required basic competence in writing (A.1) will be followed by a program of writing/communication throughout the curriculum. The curriculum should ensure that students write frequently and develop the research skills appropriate to their major disciplines. The faculty of each major will submit to the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Steering Committee a plan, specifying at least five courses, which will demonstrate how the students in their major will meet the goal of enhancing their writing, research, and oral communication skills. Such courses should help students attain proficiency in advanced college-level writing and oral communication, including the reading and writing of articles, essays, proposals, and reports dealing with issues and concepts both broadly conceived and narrowly focused. At least one course in every departmental writing plan must enable students to develop proficiency in oral discourse and the ability to evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.
Advanced Expository Writing Requirements
Each student is required to take at least five courses designated as writing courses in his or her department’s writing plan and to adhere to the other guidelines the plan prescribes. This requirement will typically be met with courses that meet other General Education or major requirements. The faculty of each major will determine which courses satisfy this requirement. The student who transfers to SUNY-Oswego with 60 or more credits is exempt from any lower-division writing courses required for the major, but must still take the required upper-division writing courses for that major.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
The Board of General Education is committed to assisting faculty in regular assessment of the courses that satisfy the above requirements. Methods of assessment will vary according to discipline and instructor, but all should yield useful information about teaching and learning proficiency. Examples of assessment methods include, but are not limited to: examinations, portfolios, research papers, pre- and post-tests, taped student presentations or performances, demonstration of specified skills, collaborative projects, and instructor- and/or student-generated questionnaires.
In the spring of 2000, the General Education Board will establish a process and a timetable for the evaluation of all General Education courses, to determine whether or not they satisfy all applicable General Education criteria, as described in Sections A through G above. The Board will also develop a plan for assessment of each program requirement and the program as a whole. Data for these endeavors will include, but not be limited to, the results of the assessment of individual courses.
Whether the object of assessment is a single course or the entire General Education program, the Board is also committed to using assessment results as a means of improving instruction, curricular planning, and student learning on this campus.
IMPLEMENTATION
We expect to implement the General Education program described above, incorporating all of the requirements in the Board of Trustees’ December 1998 resolution, in the fall 2001 semester for incoming freshmen. A request to delay implementation until that date is enclosed along with this program proposal. If that request is denied, the new program will be implemented in the fall 2000 semester for incoming freshmen.
The Board of General Education will soon develop guidelines for each of the Trustee requirements added to our existing program (American History; Western Civilization; Non-Western Civilizations; Foreign Language). Courses submitted by departments for these requirements will be reviewed by the Board. As requested in the September 1999 memorandum from Provost Salins, "catalog descriptions and summaries of topics and readings to be covered"—for all of the "required knowledge and competency areas"—will also be sent to the Office of the Provost for review by the Provost’s Advisory Council.
In addition, new guidelines will be issued by the Board for those components of our existing program that have been modified in response to the Trustees’ resolution. These include two components of the Basic Skills category—Computer Literacy and Critical Thinking—as well as the departmental writing plans devised for the Advanced Expository Writing requirement (which now satisfies portions of the Trustee requirements in Basic Communication and Information Management ).