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PROPOSALS FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON GENERAL EDUCATION
Submitted to the College of Charleston Faculty Senate, September 18, 2007

Click on the + or - to expand or collapse Ad Hoc Committee's proposals.

Proposed New General Education Curriculum, Arranged In Parts for Senate Discussion

  • GOAL I.3 FOREIGN LANGUAGE
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should be able to
        1. 1) Read passages written in a foreign language, understand the meaning of simple sentences on familiar topics and, with the aid of a dictionary, discern the meaning of an unfamiliar passage written for adults.

        2. 2) Translate into grammatically correct English, with the aid of a dictionary, an unfamiliar passage written in an ancient or modern language.

        3. 3) Communicate orally on straightforward topics, construct intelligible sentences, and ask and answer simple questions (required only in the modern languages).

        4. 4) Communicate in writing, construct simple sentences, and apply the rules of the basic grammar of the target language (required only in the modern languages).


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. 1) All students must demonstrate intermediate-level competency as defined by the department. This will be done either by completing a 202-level foreign language class at the College or by demonstrating this competency through a placement exam approved by the foreign language department.

        2. 2) All students must complete one approved foreign language course at the College.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. 1) Approval criteria for foreign language courses numbered 101-202:
          Courses form a sequence leading to an intermediate level of competency, so that students can do the following:

                 a) Understand, as readers of an ancient or modern language, the meaning of simple sentences on familiar topics and, with the aid of a dictionary, discern the meaning of an unfamiliar passage written for adults (required in both modern and ancient languages)

                 b) Translate into grammatically correct English, with the aid of a dictionary, an unfamiliar passage written in an ancient or modern language (required in both modern and ancient languages)

                 c) Communicate orally on straightforward topics, construct intelligible sentences, and ask and answer simple questions in the target modern language (required only in the modern languages)

                 d) Communicate in writing, construct simple sentences, and apply the rules of the basic grammar of the target language (required only in the modern languages)

                 e) Faculty developing or evaluating course proposals will also be guided by the definition of competency that each language program has developed in accordance with guidelines established by the American Council on the Teach of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) whenever applicable. A more rudimentary level of competency may be required for languages whose alphabet, root words, or other linguistic features have very little in common with the English language.

        2. 2) Approval criteria for foreign language courses above 202:
          Students are required to read, write, and/or communicate orally in the target language above the intermediate level.


  • GOAL II.1 MATHEMATICAL REASONING AND ANALYSIS
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should be able to
        1. 1) Master some of the theoretical underpinnings of an area of mathematics relevant to society at large, and demonstrate an understanding of abstract mathematical objects separate from any particular application.

        2. 2) Engage in college-level mathematical modeling of varied phenomena (i.e., applying the abstractions described above to concrete problems in a variety of disciplines), along with the quantitative, symbolic, and computational methods necessary to answer questions, understand the significance of the results, and judge their reasonableness.

        3. 3) Read and comprehend mathematical arguments, formulas, and graphical representations, and use these to clearly present and effectively justify mathematical conclusions and results.


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. 1) All students must complete two approved courses in mathematical reasoning and analysis.

        2. 2) Students must select two approved courses that, either separately or in combination, satisfy all three approval criteria. Courses will be tagged to indicate which criteria they satisfy.


    • Approval Criteria

      • Each course requires students to do at least two of the following:
        1. 1) Master some of the theoretical underpinnings of an area of mathematics relevant to society at large, and demonstrate an understanding of abstract mathematical objects separate from any particular application.

        2. 2) Engage in college-level mathematical modeling of varied phenomena (i.e., applying the abstractions described above to concrete problems in a variety of disciplines), along with the quantitative, symbolic, and computational methods necessary to answer questions, understand the significance of the results, and judge their reasonableness.

        3. 3) Read and comprehend mathematical arguments, formulas, and graphical representations, and use these to clearly present and effectively justify mathematical conclusions and results.


  • GOAL II.1 SCIENTIFIC REASONING AND ANALYSIS and III.1 KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURAL WORLD
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Scientific reasoning and analysis
              Students should
        1. Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the scientific method of inquiry.

        2. 2) Acquire knowledge of the evidence, ideas, and models that scientists use to make judgments about the natural world.

      • Knowledge of the natural world
              Students should acquire the following areas of knowledge of the natural world:
        1. 1) The origin and evolution of the Universe and of Earth

        2. 2) The nature of the physical world

        3. 3) The nature of the biosphere and how it evolves over time

        4. 4) The processes of inquiry in science

        5. 5) The integrative and synergistic nature of scientific knowledge


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. 1) All students must complete three approved courses and two approved labs.

        2. 2) Coursework must be done in two different departments.

        3. 3) The first course taken in the sequence must be taken with an approved lab.

        4. 4) Students must select three approved courses and two approved labs that, either separately or in combination, cover all five areas of knowledge designated under “knowledge of the natural world.” Courses will be tagged to indicate the topics the cover.


    • Approval Criteria

      • Courses must require students to do all of the following:
        1. 1) Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the scientific method of inquiry

        2. 2) Acquire knowledge of the evidence, ideas, and models that scientists use to make judgments about the natural world.

      • Courses must require students to demonstrate an understanding of at least one of the following:
        1. 1) Origin and evolution of the Universe and of Earth

        2. 2) Nature of the physical world

        3. 3) Nature of the biosphere and how it evolves over time

        4. 4) Processes of inquiry in science

        5. 5) The integrative and synergistic nature of scientific knowledge


  • GOAL II.2 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ANALYSIS
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should be able to
        1. 1) Use appropriate methodology to formulate questions and evaluate evidence relevant to topics concerning human society and culture.

        2. 2) Make clearly reasoned interpretive judgments about human societies, cultures, and artistic and intellectual achievements.


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. Students will not be required to complete additional coursework to fulfill this goal, which will be accomplished through coursework required to satisfy goals III.1, III.2, and III.3.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. None required.


  • GOAL II.3 INTERDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS AND CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should be able to
        1. 1) Use multiple approaches to interpret complex phenomena.

        2. 2) Understand the interconnectedness of knowledge that comes from separate disciplines.

        3. 3) Develop new insight and/or innovations by viewing phenomena from multiple perspectives.


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. All students must complete one approved course.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. 1) Course should be designed to explore a topic from the perspective of more than one academic discipline.

        2. 2) Course should include instruction that provides disciplinary grounding in these selected disciplines: students develop knowledge of perspectives, methods, insights, and theories of these disciplines that are relevant to the topic being studied.

        3. 3) Course should require students to demonstrate advancement through integration: students should demonstrate that their understanding of a topic has been enriched by the integration of different disciplinary insights.

        4. 4) Course should develop students’ critical awareness: students should demonstrate reflectiveness about the choices, opportunities, compromises, and limitations involved in using an interdisciplinary approach to the topic being studied.

          5. (Approval criteria are drawn from “Targeted assessment of students' interdisciplinary work: an empirically grounded framework proposed.” Veronica Boix Mansilla and Elizabeth Dawes Duraising. Journal of Higher Education 78.2 [March-April 2007)]: 215[23].)


  • GOAL III.1 KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN HISTORY
    • Defining Characteristics
      •  
        •
        1. 1) Develop knowledge of the history of human civilizations, societies, and cultures and an awareness of historical experience through the study of the political, social, cultural, and intellectual aspects of ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern eras.

        2. 2) Acquire knowledge of leading theories of historical change advanced by historians to evaluate developments in past civilizations, societies, and cultures.

        3. 3) Learn how to situate primary historical records in their contexts and use these sources to construct historical arguments.

        4. 4) Critically appreciate earlier eras of the human past so as to gain a greater understanding of the contemporary world.


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. 1) Students must complete two approved courses.

        2. 2) Students must select two courses that, together, cover all four eras of human history (ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern). Courses will be tagged to indicate which eras they cover.


    • Approval Criteria

      • Each course must do all of the following:

        1. 1) Develop students’ knowledge of the history of human civilizations, societies, and cultures and an awareness of historical experience through the study of the political, social, cultural, and intellectual aspects of selected eras of human history

        2. 2) Give students knowledge of leading theories of historical change advanced by historians to evaluate developments in past civilizations, societies, and cultures

        3. 3) Teach students how to situate primary historical records in their contexts and use these sources to construct historical arguments

        4. 4) Enable students to critically appreciate earlier eras of the human past so as to gain a greater understanding of the contemporary world

        5. 5) Course must focus on one or more of the following eras of human history: ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern.


  • GOAL III.2 ARTISTIC, CULTURAL, AND INTELLECTUAL ACHIEVEMENTS
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should
        1. 1) Study examples of artistic, cultural, and/or intellectual achievements

        2. 2) Use multiple areas of knowledge to interpret and evaluate these achievements:

                 a) Aesthetic criteria that may be used to interpret works of art

                 b) Understanding of the achievement and/or the creative process, gained through analysis and/or creation of art

                 c) Cultural, historical and/or philosophical dimensions that influence and are influenced by these achievements

                 d) Social and historical impact and/or ethical dimensions of these achievements and the way they are interpreted and valued


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. 1) Students must complete four approved courses.

        2. 2) Students must complete these courses in at least three different departments or programs.

        3. 3) Students must complete at least one course that is devoted to the study of achievements in visual or performing arts, or that combines the study of any form of artistic achievement with the creation of that art form. Such courses will be tagged so that students may identify them.

        4. 4) Coursework satisfying this requirement may not be double-counted with the course used to satisfy the second Communication requirement (a writing-intensive literature course, Goal I.2).

        5. 5) Coursework satisfying this requirement may not be double-counted with the courses used to satisfy the human history requirement (Goal III.1a) unless it is above the 100 level.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. 1) All courses should examine examples of artistic, cultural, and/or intellectual achievements.

        2. 2) Each course should use at least two of the following areas of knowledge to interpret and evaluate these achievements:

                 a) Aesthetic criteria that may be used to interpret works of art

                 b) Understanding of the achievement and/or the creative process, gained through analysis and/or creation of art

                 c) Cultural, historical, and/or philosophical dimensions that influence and are influenced by these achievements

                 d) Social and historical impact and/or ethical dimensions of these achievements and the way they are interpreted and valued


  • GOAL III.3 HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should
        1. 1) Acquire knowledge of at least one of the following:

                 a) Characteristics of social organizations and institutions.

                 b) The role of factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural background, economic status, and religion in influencing human behavior and social interaction.

                 c) Biological and environmental influences on mental processes and behaviors, based on human studies and/or animal models.

                 d) Ethical dimensions of human behavior and the formation of social, cultural, and/or religious values.

                 e) Sources and consequences of the transformation of human societies over time.

        2. 2) Understand and be able to develop generalizable explanations for human behavior and social interaction by using appropriate empirical evidence, systematic analysis, and models and ideas associated with the scientific method of inquiry.


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. Students must complete two approved courses in two different departments or programs.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. 1) Courses must require students to understand and be able to develop generalizable explanations for human behavior and social interaction by using appropriate empirical evidence, systematic analysis, and models and ideas associated with the scientific method of inquiry.

        2. 2) Courses must require students to demonstrate knowledge of at least one of the following:

                 a) Characteristics of social organizations and institutions

                 b) The role of factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural background, economic status, and religion in influencing human behavior and social interaction

                 c) Biological and environmental influences on mental processes and behaviors, based on human studies and/or animal models

                 d) Ethical dimensions of human behavior and the formation of social, cultural, and/or religious values

                 e) Sources and consequences of the transformation of human societies over time


  • GOAL III.4 PERSPECTIVES AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should
        1. 1) Employ the methods of inquiry appropriate to multiple academic disciplines and be familiar with the ways these disciplines organize and create knowledge.

        2. 2) Develop in-depth knowledge in at least one academic discipline.


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. Students will not be required to complete additional coursework to fulfill this goal, which will be accomplished through coursework required to satisfy the new General Education curriculum and the requirements of a major.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. None required.


  • GOAL IV.1 KNOWLEDGE OF INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL CONTEXTS
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should deepen their understanding of one or more countries outside the United States by doing one or both of the following:
        1. 1) Develop knowledge of one or more countries outside the United States through analysis of examples of that country’s literature, culture and/or intellectual achievements

        2. 2) Develop understanding of interconnections between countries


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. 1) Students must complete one approved course.

        2. 2) Courses satisfying this requirement may be used to satisfy the foreign language requirement if they are above the 202 level.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. 1) Course must deepen students’ understanding of one or more countries outside the United States

        2. 2) Course must focus on at least one of the following:

                 a) Developing students’ knowledge of one or more countries outside the United States through analysis of examples of that country’s literature, culture and/or intellectual achievements. Course presents these works as reflections of the country or region where they were created.

                 b) Developing students’ understanding of interconnections between countries.


  • GOAL IV.2 EXPERIENCING, UNDERSTANDING, AND USING MULTIPLE CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES
    • Defining Characteristics

      • Students should
        1. 1) Demonstrate understanding of perspectives and conditions that distinguish cultures and social identities from one another.

        2. 2) Demonstrate awareness of beliefs and values of more than one culture or social identity.

        3. 3) Use the framework of more than one culture as a means of interpreting phenomena or experiences.


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. 1) Students must complete one approved course.

        2. 2) Courses satisfying this requirement may be used to satisfy the foreign language requirement if they are above the 202 level.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. 1) Course must require students to demonstrate understanding of perspectives and conditions that distinguish cultures and social identities from one another.

        2. 2) Course must require students to demonstrate awareness of beliefs and values of more than one culture or social identity

        3. 3) Course must focus on at least one of the following:

                 a) Cultural, social, or intellectual dimensions of a country or region other than the United States

                 b) Cultural, social, or intellectual dimensions of a group within the United States whose identity and perspective are distinct from the dominant culture

                 c) Comparisons of the cultural productions or human interaction of several different cultural groups

        4. 4) Course must give students a culturally-derived frame of reference for interpreting the material being studied.


  • GOAL V.1 PERSONAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES
    • Defining Characteristics
      •  
        • 1) Self-understanding, curiosity and creativity
                   The College should encourage and recognize

          1. a) Experiences that promote awareness of personal temperament, approaches to learning that enable the student to succeed, and healthy ways to interact with others.

          2. b) Experiences that increase one’s desire to learn more about a subject or problem.

          3. c) Experiences that generate creative expression or innovative approaches to problems.

        • 2) Personal, academic, and professional integrity
                   Students should demonstrate

          1. a) Personal honesty and accountability.

          2. b) Understanding of all dimensions of the Honor Code, including the responsible use of knowledge in academic settings.

          3. c) Understanding of integrity in the professional setting or academic discipline relevant to their major.


        • 3) Moral and ethical responsibility; community and global citizenship
                   The College should encourage and recognize

          1. a) Experiences that invite students to reflect on their own values and commitments and to understand why they hold them.

          2. b) Experiences in which students use their talents and/or education to serve others and learn to behave as responsible citizens.


    • Requirement
      •  
        1. 1) Students will not be required to complete coursework to fulfill this goal.

        2. 2) Students may use the Online Record of Academic and Professional Development to record experiences that promoted these goals while they were studying at the College of Charleston.


    • Approval Criteria
      •  
        1. None.


    • Expression of Intent Regarding Goal V

      • The General Education Committee will offer its support for the implementation of the following policy, in coordination with the Office of Student Affairs and other relevant persons.

        1. 1) Students who wish to list experiences contributing to Goal V on their online record must have their participation in these experiences authenticated by the College. The General Education Committee expects to work with appropriate administrators, staff, and faculty to develop a process of authentication.

        2. 2) This process will enable the College to recognize students’ participation in the following kinds of experiences:

                 a) College-sponsored club, committee, or student organization

                 b) College-sponsored performance, publication, art exhibition

                 c) College-sponsored competition or symposium

                 d) College-sponsored service projects

                 e) Off-campus internships or volunteer work for which appropriate documentation can be provided

        3. 3) This institutional recognition is not an evaluation of the quality of the student’s participation.


  • GOAL VI.1 ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN MAJOR AREA OF STUDY

      1) Skills and knowledge of the discipline
      2) Sequence of coursework that fosters intellectual growth
      3) Coursework that extends and builds upon knowledge and skills gained from the core curriculum
      4) The ability to transfer the skills and knowledge of the major into another setting

    • Defining Characteristics

      •  
        •
        1. No defining characteristics shall be added.


    • Requirements

      •  
        •
        1. All students must complete the requirements of a major that extends and builds upon the knowledge and skills that students gain from the core curriculum.


    • Approval Criteria

      •  
        •
        1. None.


    • Expression of Intent Regarding Goal VI

      • The General Education Committee will offer its support for the following policies regarding majors at the College of Charleston. The Committee encourages departments to adopt these policies, and recommends that these policies be supported by chairs, deans, and the Provost.

        1. 1) The department is invited to provide a brief definition of the primary skills that must be developed for successful work in this discipline, and of the parameters of knowledge that should be attained by a student who completes the major. This statement may be displayed on a student’s online record (under IV.1) once the student has declared this major.

        2. 2) The department is invited to identify those skills and knowledge that students need to acquire at the beginning of the major, and to identify the introductory coursework students should complete on the online record under IV.2.

        3. 3) The department is encouraged to identify intermediate and advanced major coursework that helps students to build upon the introductory course(s) and develop more extensive skills and knowledge. (These may be identified on the online record under IV.2.)

        4. 4) The department is encouraged to identify knowledge and skills from other academic disciplines that contribute to their own discipline, and encourages its majors to develop their skills in these areas through coursework or other experiences. (These may be identified on the online record under IV.3.)

        5. 5) The department is encouraged to require “capstone” or other culminating experiences in which students demonstrate a higher level of knowledge and the ability to communicate this knowledge in a manner that is appropriate to the discipline. (This may be identified on the online record if appropriate.)

        6. 6) The department is encouraged to provide opportunities for every student to transfer the skills and knowledge of the major into another setting through undergraduate research, internships, creative projects, community service, and other preparation for post-baccalaureate work or study. (These may be identified on the online record under IV.4.)

        7. 7) Each department’s fulfillment of these goals within their major(s) shall not be assessed by the General Education committee, but should be assessed by the department chair and the dean.


Standing Committee on General Education

  • PROPOSAL FOR STANDING COMMITTEE ON GENERAL EDUCATION
    • Amendment to Faculty By-Laws, Art. IV, Sect. 3.

      • Insert a new Standing College Committee, the Committee on General Education.

        1. 1) Composition:

                    Seven regular faculty shall be elected to serve on the Committee. Preferably, each academic school should be represented on the Committee. The Committee shall have one voting student member selected by the Student Government Association. Committee members shall serve a term of one year and may, if re-elected, serve as many as three consecutive terms. The Associate Vice President for the Academic Experience (or other administrator designated by the Provost) and the Director of Assessment (or other administrator designated by the Provost) are ex officio, non-voting members.

        2. 2) Duties:

                 a) To review all proposals from departments and programs requesting that individual courses and/or course sequences be counted for General Education Program credit, and to forward these recommendations to the Faculty Senate;

                 b) To initiate actions, devise procedures, and make recommendations to the Provost and to the Faculty Senate on any and all aspects of General Education Program administration and program features;

                 c) To initiate and/or review all General Education Program revision proposals and/or changes prior to their consideration by the Faculty Senate;

                 d) To consult with the faculty Committee for Assessment of Institutional Effectiveness, and with the Office of Accountability, Accreditation, Planning, and Assessment, when they conduct periodic assessment of the General Education Program;

                 e) To recommend that courses already fulfilling General Education Program requirements be modified or that certain courses or course sequences previously fulfilling General Education Program requirements no longer be permitted to do so;

                 f) To promote and explain the goals of the General Education Program to the relevant audiences.

        3. 3) Course approval procedures:

                 a) The Committee shall use a public process of review when considering proposals for courses to count for General Education credit.

                 b) The Committee shall be responsible for publishing the approval criteria for each requirement, as well as proposal forms and instructions that may be used by any department or program. The department or program proposing the course responsible for supplying evidence that the course fulfills the criteria that the Senate has approved for a particular requirement.

                 c) If a department or program submits a proposal for a general education course that is intended to accomplish learning goals that fall outside the traditional disciplinary purview of that department or program, this proposal should be accompanied by proposal assessment documents from departments and/or programs with disciplinary expertise in that learning goal. If the proposal is not accompanied by the necessary assessment document(s), the Committee on General Education shall solicit proposal assessment documents from all relevant departments and programs, and must include these departments’ and programs’ assessments of the proposal when forwarding the recommendation of the Committee to the Faculty Senate.

                 d) The Committee shall maintain a regular schedule of meetings and shall publish an agenda of course proposals scheduled for consideration. The agenda and copies of scheduled course proposals shall be available to all faculty at least one week in advance of the meeting. Meetings shall be open to all faculty unless the Committee has entered into executive session. Meetings may also include conversations between the Committee and other invited guests with expertise in a discipline, department, or program relevant to a particular course proposal.

                 e) The Committee shall forward all recommendations to the Faculty Senate.

                 f) In consultation with the Faculty Secretariat, the Committee shall maintain an archive of all materials submitted to it.

                 g) Requirements for a public process of course proposal review shall not interfere with the right of the Committee to enter into executive session.

        4. 4) Appeals: No changes in the General Education Program shall be presented to the Faculty Senate without the Committee’s action. Any decision of the Committee on General Education can be appealed to the Faculty Senate.

        5. 5) Effective August 15, 2009, no change to the General Education Program shall be approved without action of this committee.


Implementation of New Curriculum

  • STATEMENT OF INTENT REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

      •  
        •
        1. 1) If the proposed By-Laws changes are approved, the first General Education Committee will be elected during Spring 2008. This inaugural Committee will be charged with vetting course proposals for all courses that will satisfy requirements of the new General Education curriculum.

        2. 2) Departments or programs will designate a Liaison to be available to the Committee during this implementation period. When a department’s or program’s proposal is scheduled for discussion, the Liaison will be available to assist the General Education Committee in interpreting the course proposal.

        3. 3) The inaugural Committee will prepare and publish a schedule with deadlines for proposals satisfying each sub-goal, so that all departments have adequate time to prepare their proposals. During the 2008-2009 year, the Committee will meet weekly to review these proposals. To enable all Committee members to prepare for and attend weekly public meetings, in addition to Senate meetings, Academic Affairs will provide a course release and/or summer stipends to Committee members during this period. This review process should be completed in Spring 2009.

        4. 4) The 2009-2010 General Education Committee will be charged with completing the review of any course proposals that have not yet been considered by the end of Spring 2009, with assisting the Registrar in identifying the courses that will meet the new graduation requirements, and with developing procedures for evaluating transfer credit that meets the new graduation requirements. Such procedures will be developed in consultation with the Provost, deans, and department chairs, and will be subject to Senate oversight. The Committee will also work with the Provost, the deans, department chairs, and others who are developing the online record, the First-Year Experience, Communication Across the Curriculum, and other conditions necessary to implement the new curriculum. Academic Affairs will provide a course release and/or summer stipends to Committee members during this period.

        5. 5) In Fall 2010 the new General Education Curriculum will take effect.


Overview of August 2007 Proposal

  • AD HOC COMMITTEE'S COMMENTS
    •  

      Ad Hoc Committee on General Education
      David Cohen, Julia Eichelberger, Tom Gilson, Susan Kattwinkel, Bob Mignone, Bill Olejniczak, George Pothering, Lauren Rushing (SGA), Kay Smith, Heather Tierney, Deborah Vaughn, Fran Welch, & Noelle Zeiner. Provost Elise Jorgens serves in an ex officio, advisory capacity. Others who have served on the committee since January 2005 include Jacqui Barry (SGA), Deborah Boyle, Angela Cozart, Frank Hefner, Mary Beth Heston, Gordon Jones (emeritus faculty & Dean of SSM), Alex Kasman, Pam Niesslein, Liz Martinez, John Peters, & Allan Strand. Since its formation in 2004, this Committee has also benefited from extensive input from dedicated colleagues throughout the College.

      Dimensions of a Sound Undergraduate Curriculum
      The proposed program is intended to replace all aspects of the current General Education requirements, which the College of Charleston has left essentially unchanged for the past 40 years or so. While we wish to preserve all that is valuable about the old curriculum, we also see room for improvement. We believe that a healthy and dynamic curriculum should consist of the following dimensions:

      1. 1) A shared understanding of the holistic goals of undergraduate education at a public liberal arts and sciences institution

      2. 2) A shared understanding of what each of these goals means—what students should know and be able to do, if they have met these goals

      3. 3) A campus-wide consensus on what kinds of coursework we should require to insure that all students meet these goals

      4. 4) An array of courses that are designed to give students learning experiences that will allow them to meet these goals

      5. 5) A standing committee of faculty to help the Senate identify appropriate courses to meet each requirement and to help the College maintain the ongoing integrity and quality of its common curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences

      Elements of Proposed General Education Program
      Our proposal acknowledges that the first dimension, above, has been accomplished through the Senate’s affirmation of the Statement of Purpose. To accomplish #2, we propose that the Senate endorse an expanded Statement of Purpose that includes a brief definition of each sub-goal. In answer to #3, we have proposed course requirements that correspond to a goal or sub-goal in the Statement of Purpose. To facilitate #4, we have proposed approval criteria that spell out the elements needed for a course to be approved for a particular requirement. Finally, we intend for these criteria to be used by a standing committee that would review course proposals and assist with ongoing assessment of the curriculum. Our proposals also include “Expressions of Intent” regarding the implementation of various aspects of the new General Education Program.

      Number of Hours and New Requirements

      1. 1) The proposed new program includes many requirements that are, in effect, ratifications of existing requirements, with one important difference: each requirement is defined by its learning goals and not by the department or school that teaches the course. Our proposed curriculum also includes several requirements—in science, international and intercultural awareness, interdisciplinary learning, and oral communication—that faculty in the 1960s did not consider essential parts of every student’s education.

      2. 2) Most students will be able to complete the proposed curriculum in a minimum of 45 hours; there are 5 more requirements that can be double-counted and do not necessarily add hours. Indeed, when the Committee imagines all the existing courses we think are likely to satisfy one of these 5 “new” requirements, we conclude almost all of them would also satisfy another Gen Ed requirement. Two of these—a first-year experience and the speaking-intensive course—have already been approved by the 2006-07 Senate. Other “double-countable” requirements include an interdisciplinary course and a course or courses in international and/or intercultural perspectives. The only requirement that represents a true addition in hours is in the natural sciences. Other changes will have minimal impact on the hours required for most students to complete this curriculum. The proposed requirement for all students to take one foreign language course (any level) at the College, will not, in practice, change what most students take, since very few students are able to place out of 202 when they come to the College, and most of that number elect to take more foreign language courses. Similarly, the new requirement that all students take at least one “arts” course, from among the 4 courses they take for Goal II.2, will not be a change for most students, over 90% of whom already take such a course.

      3. 3) The Committee analyzed the transcripts of 2007 graduates from 43 different majors and has included this information in Appendix C of this proposal. Each of these randomly selected students graduated with enough elective hours to leave plenty of room for any additional hours that the new curriculum would have added to their Gen Ed requirements.

      How This Proposal Was Developed

      1. 1) The Ad Hoc Committee on General Education was formed in 2004 after Provost Elise Jorgens requested that the faculty reexamine the College’s general education curriculum. In Fall 2004 the Senate elected faculty to serve on this committee; the Provost invited interested administrators and other faculty to serve as well. During 2005, the Committee met regularly during the spring and summer to examine general education programs at other institutions—not only their requirements, but also the learning goals these institutions wish all their undergraduates to accomplish. {Minutes are posted here at the Committee’s website.}

      2. 2) In Fall 2005 the Committee began surveying the faculty to discover our collective priorities for our undergraduates’ learning. Written statements received from departments were posted on the Committee’s website prior to a campus-wide Workshop on General Education, where over 100 faculty worked with the Committee to identify the most important skills, areas of knowledge, and dispositions that we believe the College should instill in its students. The Committee used this input to develop a document entitled “Statement of Purpose for The Common Requirements of the Curriculum in Liberal Arts and Sciences At the College of Charleston.” This document, which contained six broad goals that should be met by all College of Charleston graduates, was approved by the Faculty Senate in January 2006 and reaffirmed, with slight modifications, the following September.

      3. 3) The Provost appointed a faculty chair for the Ad Hoc Committee in April 2006 and withdrew from regular participation in meetings, although she remained informed as the committee’s work progressed. By this time the committee was actively engaged in developing more detailed definitions for each of the sub-goals in the Statement of Purpose. In light of these drafted definitions (presented in the April 2006 report), the committee examined the current Gen Ed requirements to see how completely our shared goals are already being met.

      4. 4) In October 2006, the committee published a draft of a package of proposals for a new Gen Ed curriculum, and during that semester, met with many departments and held another campus-wide forum to solicit further input on the proposals they had drafted.

      5. 5) The Committee formally submitted its proposals to the Faculty Senate in January of 2007. These were offered as separate proposals for individual General Education requirements and for the standing committee. Many proposals were not finalized versions of the requirement, but broad outlines accompanied by a charge to a future committee to develop further details and bring these to the Faculty Senate for another vote.

      6. 6) In the discussion that ensued, it became clear that not all Senators were comfortable with the incremental approval process the Ad Hoc Committee was offering, and that some were unwilling to vote on each requirement separately without taking a vote on the sum total of the new curriculum. Even so, the 06-07 Senate did manage to amend several proposals to the point that a very strong consensus emerged: each of the amended proposals (collected in Appendix A) was endorsed by an overwhelming majority.

      7. 7) The 06-07 Senate’s final action was to adjourn sine die, which caused all the remaining proposals to lapse. The Ad Hoc Committee then decided that, rather than simply resubmitting all the remaining January 2007 proposals to the 2007-2008 Senate, it should reexamine them in light of the Senate discussions of the past semester. The package we are now submitting contains few substantive changes from the original proposals (except for those amendments already voted in by the 06-07 Senate), but the new Gen Ed requirements are now presented as a single package rather than discrete motions, and our proposed curriculum is now more completely defined. Senators may offer amendments to any dimension of this curriculum that they wish to change. Eventually, after all amendments have been considered, the Senate will take a vote on the entire curriculum, and a vote on the committee proposal, as amended. We hope that the 07-08 Senate will be able to use this process to arrive at the same strong consensus that was reached by the 06-07 Senate on the proposals that it voted on.

      Discussing Amendments to the Proposed New Curriculum and the Committee Proposal

      1. 1) The documents in our curricular proposal refer to the same set of graduation requirements listed in the “Summary of Requirements.” The expanded version of the “Statement of Purpose” explains the goals of the curriculum to students, faculty, and advisors, while the “Approval Criteria” are intended for faculty who submit and evaluate proposals for specific courses to satisfy particular Gen Ed requirements. Senators should offer amendments to any of the details in these documents. We suggest that the most orderly approach would be to discuss all amendments related to a particular requirement at the same time. To expedite this discussion, we have arranged our proposal by requirement, with each requirement on a single page, and placed these pages at the beginning of this packet.

      2. 2) The proposal for a new Committee on General Education is also subject to amendment by the Senate before being voted on. These amendments will be discussed after the Senate has concluded its discussion of amendments to the curricular proposal.

      3. 3) The Speaker and the Faculty Secretary invite Senators to offer amendments to specific parts of the curricular proposal or the committee proposal on the particular day that the Speaker has designated for discussion of that topic. We encourage Senators to submit amendments in writing in advance of that scheduled meeting.

Summary of Requirements in Proposed New Curriculum

  • SUMMARY TABLES
    •  
      Goal I.1 Effective Writing & Critical Reading; Oral & Visual Communication
      Requirement 1 approved First-Year Experience (Only required for students arriving with 30 or fewer credit hours)
      Goal I.2 Effective Writing & Critical Reading; Oral & Visual Communication
      Requirement 3 approved courses: 1 academic writing course in first year, 1 writing-intensive literature course, 1 speaking-intensive course. Writing-intensive courses may not be double-counted for Goal III.2.
      Goal I.3 Foreign Language
      Requirement Demonstrate intermediate competency (202 level) and complete 1 approved foreign language course at the College. May not be double-counted unless above 100 level.
      Goal II.1 Mathematical Reasoning and Analysis
      Requirement 2 approved courses
      Goal II.1 Scientific Reasoning and Analysis and Goal III.1 Knowledge of the Natural World
      Requirement 3 approved courses and 2 approved labs, which together must cover 5 topics
      Goal II.3 Interdisciplinary Analysis and Creative Problem-Solving
      Requirement 1 approved course
      Goal III.1 Knowledge of Human History
      Requirement 2 approved courses, which together must cover 4 eras. May not be double-counted unless above 100 level.
      Goal III.2 Artistic, Cultural, and Intellectual Achievements
      Requirement 4 approved courses from 3 different departments; must include 1 course that studies visual or performing art, or that combines study of any art form with creation of the art form
      Goal III.3 Human Behavior and Social Interaction
      Requirement 2 approved courses from 2 different departments
      Goal IV.1 Knowledge of International and Global Contexts
      Requirement 1 approved course
      Goal IV.2 Experiencing, Understanding, & Using Multiple Cultural Perspectives
      Requirement 1 approved course



      Courses are eligible to satisfy more than one requirement (double-count) unless otherwise indicated.

      Proposed Requirement Hours Current Requirement
      First-Year Experience 3 hours; may be double-counted None
      Communication-intensive courses 9 hours; 3 may be double-counted 6 hours ENGL
      Foreign language courses 3 hours; above 202 may be double-counted (rare cases) 0-3 hours (202 or placement)
      Mathematical reasoning 6 hours 6 hours math/logic
      Scientific reasoning/ knowledge of natural world 11 hours 8 hours lab science
      Interdisciplinary/creative thinking 3 hours; may be double-counted No requirement
      Human history 6 hours; may double-count if 200-level (rare cases) 6 hours HIST
      Artistic, cultural, intellectual achievements; 3 hrs arts 12 hours 12 hours humanities
      Human behavior & social interaction 6 hours 6 hours social sciences
      International & intercultural perspectives 6 hours that may be double-counted None
      44 hours, plus 5 additional requirements, which are likely to double-count 44-47 hours

Statement of Purpose for College of Charleston General Education Requirements

  • A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS, ADVISORS, AND FACULTY
    • Graduates of the College of Charleston complete a challenging course of study that will prepare them to function intelligently, responsibly, creatively, and compassionately in a multifaceted, interconnected world. While their work in the major of their choice will give students specialized knowledge and skills in that discipline or profession, the College’s core curriculum will equip each student, regardless of major, with crucial intellectual skills in analysis, research, and communication. Their coursework in the liberal arts and sciences will offer students a broad perspective on the natural world and the human condition, and will encourage them to examine their own lives and make useful contributions to their own time and place. Over the course of their undergraduate careers, all College of Charleston students will develop the following intellectual skills, areas of knowledge, and dispositions:

      • I. Research and Communication in Multiple Media and Languages, including proficiency in
        • 1. Gathering and using information

        Students should be able to

        • a) Determine the nature and extent of information needed.
        • b) Access the needed information effectively and efficiently.
        • c) Evaluate information and its sources critically.
        • d) Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally.
        • e) Acknowledge the use of information sources using an appropriate documentation style.

        Requirement: 1 approved First-Year Experience

        • 2. Effective writing and critical reading; oral and visual communication

        Students should be able to

        • a) Understand, analyze, and interpret intellectually challenging written texts and oral and visual presentations.
        • b) Use writing and speaking to increase their own understanding of a topic and to communicate their point of view persuasively.
        • c) Strengthen written and spoken work through the process of drafting, revising, and editing.
        • d) Create formal papers and public presentations that are appropriate for the situation and audience.
        • e) Produce well-organized papers and public presentations that convey substantive information and that conform to the conventions of edited American English.
        • f) Interpret visual images and employ images to communicate ideas and concepts.

        Students should complete rigorous writing and speaking assignments and receive significant feedback on their work in first-year courses and in other courses throughout their college career.

        Requirement: 3 approved courses, 2 writing-intensive & 1 speaking-intensive

        • 3. Foreign language

        Students should be able to

        • a) Read passages in a foreign language, understand the meaning of simple sentences on familiar topics and, with the aid of a dictionary, discern the meaning of an unfamiliar passage written for adults.
        • b) Translate into grammatically correct English, with the aid of a dictionary, an unfamiliar passage written in an ancient or modern language.
        • c) Communicate orally on straightforward topics, construct intelligible sentences, and ask and answer simple questions in the target modern language. (required only in the modern languages)
        • d) Communicate in writing, construct simple sentences, and apply the rules of the basic grammar of the target language. (required only in the modern languages)

        Requirement: Demonstrate intermediate competency (202 level) and complete 1 approved foreign language course at the College.

       

      • II. Analytical and Critical Reasoning , including
        • 1. Mathematical and scientific reasoning and analysis

        Students should

        • a) Master some of the theoretical underpinnings of an area of mathematics relevant to society at large, and demonstrate an understanding of abstract mathematical objects separate from any particular application.
        • b) Engage in college-level mathematical modeling of varied phenomena (i.e., applying the abstractions described above to concrete problems in a variety of disciplines), along with the quantitative, symbolic, and computational methods necessary to answer questions, understand the significance of the results, and judge their reasonableness.
        • c) Read and comprehend mathematical arguments, formulas and graphical representations, and use these to clearly present and effectively justify mathematical conclusions and results.
        • d) Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the scientific method of inquiry.
        • e) Acquire knowledge of the evidence, ideas, and models that scientists use to make judgments about the natural world.

        Requirement: 2 approved courses in mathematical reasoning, 3 approved courses and 2 labs in natural science.

        • 2. Social and cultural analysis

        Students should be able to

        • a) Use appropriate methodology to formulate questions and evaluate evidence relevant to topics concerning human society and culture.
        • b) Make clearly reasoned interpretive judgments about human societies, cultures, and artistic and intellectual achievements.
        • 3. Interdisciplinary analysis and creative problem-solving

        Students should be able to

        • a) Use multiple approaches to interpret complex phenomena.
        • b) Understand the interconnectedness of knowledge that comes from separate disciplines.
        • c) Develop new insight and/or innovations by viewing phenomena from multiple perspectives.

        Requirement: 1 approved course.

       

      • III. Historical, Cultural, and Intellectual Perspectives, including knowledge of
        • 1. Human history and the natural world

        Students should develop knowledge of human history:

        • a) Develop knowledge of the history of human civilizations, societies, and cultures and an awareness of historical experience through the study of the political, social, cultural, and intellectual aspects of ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern eras.
        • b) Acquire knowledge of leading theories of historical change advanced by historians to evaluate developments in past civilizations, societies, and cultures.
        • c) Learn how to situate primary historical records in their contexts and use these sources to construct historical arguments.
        • d) Critically appreciate earlier eras of the human past so as to gain a greater understanding of the contemporary world.

        Requirement: 2 approved courses in human history.

        Students should acquire the following areas of knowledge of the natural world:

        • a) The origin and evolution of the Universe and of Earth
        • b) The nature of the physical world
        • c) The nature of the biosphere and how it evolves over time
        • d) The processes of inquiry in science
        • e) The integrative and synergistic nature of scientific knowledge

       

        • 2. Artistic, cultural, and intellectual achievements

        Students should

        • a) Study examples of artistic, cultural, and/or intellectual achievements.
        • b) Use multiple areas of knowledge to interpret and evaluate these achievements:
          • i) Aesthetic criteria that may be used to interpret works of art
          • ii) Understanding of the achievement and/or the creative process, gained through analysis and/or creation of art
          • iii) Cultural, historical, and/or philosophical dimensions that influence and are influenced by these achievements
          • iv) Social and historical impact and/or ethical dimensions of these achievements and the way they are interpreted and valued
        Requirement: 4 approved courses from 3 different departments; must include 1 “arts” course.

       

        • 3. Human behavior and social interaction

        Students should

        • a) Acquire knowledge of at least one of the following:
          • i) Characteristics of social organizations and institutions
          • ii) The role of factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural  background, economic status, and religion in influencing human behavior  and social interaction
          • iii) Biological and environmental influences on mental processes and behaviors, based on human studies and/or animal models.
          • iv) Ethical dimensions of human behavior and the formation of social, cultural, and/or religious values
          • v) Sources and consequences of the transformation of human societies over time
        • b) Understand and be able to develop generalizable explanations for human behavior and social interaction by using appropriate empirical evidence, systematic analysis, and models and ideas associated with the scientific method of inquiry.

        Requirement: 2 approved courses from 2 different departments.

       

        • 4. Perspectives and contributions of academic disciplines

        Students should

        • a) Employ the methods of inquiry appropriate to multiple academic disciplines and be familiar with the ways these disciplines organize and create knowledge.
        • b) Develop in-depth knowledge in at least one academic discipline.

       

      • IV. International and Intercultural Perspectives, gained by
        • 1. Knowledge of international and global contexts

        Students should deepen their understanding of one or more countries outside the United States by doing one or both of the following:

        • a) Develop knowledge of one or more countries outside the United States through analysis of examples of that country’s literature, culture and/or intellectual achievements.
        • b) Develop understanding of interconnections between countries.

        Requirement: 1 approved course.

        • 2. Experiencing, understanding, and using multiple cultural perspectives

        Students should

        • a) Demonstrate understanding of perspectives and conditions that distinguish cultures and social identities from one another.
        • b) Demonstrate awareness of beliefs and values of more than one culture or social identity.
        • c) Use the framework of more than one culture as a means of interpreting phenomena or experiences.

        Requirement: 1 approved course.

       

      • V. Personal and Ethical Perspectives, including experiences that promote
        • 1. Self-understanding, curiosity and creativity

        The College should encourage and recognize

        • a) Experiences that promote awareness of personal temperament, approaches to learning that enable the student to succeed, and healthy ways to interact with others.
        • b) Experiences that increase one’s desire to learn more about a subject or problem.
        • c) Experiences that generate creative expression or innovative approaches to problems.
        • 2. Personal, academic, and professional integrity

        Students should demonstrate

        • a) Personal honesty and accountability.
        • b) Understanding of all dimensions of the Honor Code, including the responsible use of knowledge in academic settings.
        • c) Understanding of integrity in the professional setting or academic discipline relevant to their major.
        • 3. Moral and ethical responsibility; community and global citizenship

        The College should encourage and recognize

        • a) Experiences that invite students to reflect on their own values and commitments and to understand why they hold them.
        • b) Experiences in which students use their talents and/or education to serve others and learn to behave as responsible citizens.

       

      • VI. Advanced Knowledge and Skills in Major Area of Study, consisting of
        • 1. Skills and knowledge of the discipline
        • 2. Sequence of coursework that fosters intellectual growth
        • 3. Coursework that extends and builds upon knowledge and skills gained from the core curriculum
        • 4. The ability to transfer the skills and knowledge of the major into another setting

Approval Criteria for Courses Satisfying Requirements of New General Education Curriculum

  • A GUIDE FOR DEPARTMENTS, FACULTY COMMITTEE(S), AND THE FACULTY SENATE
    • Course Approval Process
      • The General Education Committee, or another committee designated by the Faculty Senate, shall review proposals to determine whether a course should satisfy one or more of the following requirements. Departments or programs who wish a course to satisfy a specific requirement will submit materials that demonstrate that the course meets the approval criteria for that requirement. The designated faculty Committee will report its recommendations to the Faculty Senate, who must endorse the recommendation before a course can satisfy a requirement.

    • Meeting Multiple Requirements with One Course
      • Courses are eligible to satisfy more than one requirement unless otherwise indicated. If a department believes a course should satisfy more than one requirement, it should submit a separate proposal for each requirement.

    • Requirements for Which Proposals May Be Submitted>
      • Goal I.1 Gathering and Using Information Requirement: 1 approved First-Year Experience
      • Goal I.2 E ffective Writing & Critical Reading; Oral & Visual Communication Requirement: 3 courses
      • Goal I.3 Foreign Language Requirement: 1 course at the College
      • Goal II.1 Mathematical Reasoning and Analysis Requirement: 2 courses
      • Goal II.1 Scientific Reasoning and Analysis Requirement: 3 courses and 2 labs
      • Goal II.3 Interdisciplinary Analysis and Creative Problem-solving Requirement: 1 course
      • Goal III.1 Knowledge of Human History Requirement: 2 courses

      • Goal III.2 Artistic, Cultural, and Intellectual Achievements Requirement: 4 courses
      • Goal III.3 Human Behavior and Social Interaction Requirement: 2 courses
      • Goal IV.1 Knowledge of International and Global Contexts Requirement: 1 course
      • Goal IV.2 Experiencing, Understanding, & Using Multiple Cultural Perspectives Requirement: 1 course

    • Approval Criteria
      • Goal I.1 Gathering and Using Information Requirement: 1 First-Year Experience
        • Approval criteria:
               Proposals for courses satisfying the First-Year Experience requirement should be submitted to the First-Year Experience Committee which is responsible for publishing criteria for all First-Year Experience courses, evaluating proposals, and forwarding its recommendations to the Faculty Senate.
      • Goal I.2 Effective Writing & Critical Reading; Oral & Visual Communication Requirement: 3 courses
        • Approval criteria:
               1) Courses must require students to generate a significant quantity of written communication or oral/visual communication appropriate to the discipline.
               2) A significant portion of the course grade must be based on the quality of the student’s work in either writing or speaking.
               3) Some written or spoken work may be presented informally, but at least half of the assignments must be presented according to the conventions of an academic discipline, and/or in a format suitable for an academic or professional audience.
               4) Writing and/or speaking assignments require students to demonstrate understanding of course content and/or academic research.
               5) Course must include several opportunities for individualized feedback by the instructor and revision by the student.
               6) A writing-intensive literature course must explore a significant quantity of literary works (at least five full-length prose works or three volumes of verse).
               7) Course size must be no more than 20 students.

        • Other conditions required to satisfy the requirement:
               Students must take one of each of the following three kinds of courses: a first-year composition course, a writing-intensive literature course, and a speaking-intensive course. Approved courses must be tagged to identify the aspect of the requirement they satisfy.
      • Goal I.3 Foreign Language Requirement: 1 course at the College
        • Approval criteria for foreign language courses numbered 101-202:
               1) Foreign language courses numbered 101-202 form a sequence leading to an intermediate level of competency, so that students can do the following:
                    a) Understand, as readers of an ancient or modern language, the meaning of simple sentences on familiar topics and, with the aid of a dictionary, discern the meaning of an unfamiliar passage written for adults (required in both modern and ancient languages)
                    b) Translate into grammatically correct English, with the aid of a dictionary, an unfamiliar passage written in an ancient or modern language (required in both modern and ancient languages)
                    c) Communicate orally on straightforward topics, construct intelligible sentences, and ask and answer simple questions in the target modern language (required only in the modern languages)
                    d) Communicate in writing, construct simple sentences, and apply the rules of the basic grammar of the target language (required only in the modern languages)
               2) Faculty developing or evaluating course proposals will also be guided by the definition of competency that each language program has developed in accordance with guidelines established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) whenever applicable. A more rudimentary level of competency may be required for languages whose alphabet, root words, or other linguistic features have very little in common with the English language.

        • Approval criteria for foreign language courses numbered above 202:
               These courses must require students to read, write, and/or communicate orally in the target language above the intermediate level.
        • Other conditions required to satisfy the requirement:
               Students must demonstrate that they have attained an intermediate level of competency as defined by the department. This will be done either by completing 202 or by demonstrating this competency through a placement exam approved by the foreign language department.

      • Goal II.1 Mathematical Reasoning and Analysis Requirement: 2 courses
        • Approval criteria:
          Each course requires students to do at least two of the following:

               1) Master some of the theoretical underpinnings of an area of mathematics relevant to society at large, and demonstrate an understanding of abstract mathematical objects separate from any particular application.
               2) Engage in college-level mathematical modeling of varied phenomena (i.e., applying the abstractions described above to concrete problems in a variety of disciplines), along with the quantitative, symbolic, and computational methods necessary to answer questions, understand the significance of the results, and judge their reasonableness.
               3) Read and comprehend mathematical arguments, formulas, and graphical representations, and use these to clearly present and effectively justify mathematical conclusions and results.

        • Other conditions required to satisfy the requirement:
               May be satisfied by any two approved courses that, either separately or in combination, cover all three of the above requirements. Approved courses must be tagged to indicate which of these requirements they satisfy.
      • Goal II.1 Scientific Reasoning and Analysis Requirement: 3 courses and 2 labs
        • Approval criteria:

               1) Courses must require students to do all of the following:
                    a) Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the scientific method of inquiry.
                    b) Acquire knowledge of the evidence, ideas, and models that scientists use to make judgments about the natural world.
               2) Courses must require students to demonstrate an understanding of at least one of the following:
                    a) Origin and evolution of the Universe and of Earth
                    b) Nature of the physical world
                    c) Nature of the biosphere and how it evolves over time
                    d) Processes of inquiry in science
                    e) The integrative and synergistic nature of scientific knowledge

        • Other conditions required to satisfy the requirement:
               May be satisfied by any sequence of three approved courses and two approved labs that, either separately or in combination, cover all five areas of knowledge designated under “knowledge of the natural world” (numbered 2 a-e above). Approved courses must be tagged to indicate which topics they cover. The first course in the sequence must be taken with an approved lab.

General Education Proposals Approved by the 2006-2007 Faculty Senate

  • SENATE APPROVAL
    • Approved by Faculty Senate on September 10, 2006
      • Statement of Purpose for the Common Requirements of the College of Charleston’s Undergraduate Curriculum

        Graduates of the College of Charleston complete a challenging course of study that will prepare them to function intelligently, responsibly, creatively, and compassionately in a multifaceted, interconnected world. While their work in the major of their choice will give students specialized knowledge and skills in that discipline or profession, the College’s core curriculum will equip each student, regardless of major, with crucial intellectual skills in analysis, research, and communication. Their coursework in the liberal arts and sciences will offer students a broad perspective on the natural world and the human condition, and will encourage them to examine their own lives and make useful contributions to their own time and place.

        Over the course of their undergraduate careers, all College of Charleston students will develop the following intellectual skills, areas of knowledge, and dispositions:

        a) Research and Communication in Multiple Media and Languages, including proficiency in
             i) Gathering and using information
             ii) Effective writing and critical reading; oral and visual communication
             iii) Foreign language

        b) Analytical and Critical Reasoning, including
             i) Mathematical and scientific reasoning and analysis
             ii) Social and cultural analysis
             iii) Interdisciplinary analysis and creative problem-solving

        c) Historical, Cultural, and Intellectual Perspectives, including knowledge of
             i) Human history and the natural world
             ii) Artistic, cultural, and intellectual achievements
             iii) Human behavior and social interaction
             iv) Perspectives and contributions of academic disciplines

        d) International and Intercultural Perspectives, gained by
             i) Knowledge of international and global contexts
             ii) Experiencing, understanding, and using multiple cultural perspectives

        e) Personal and Ethical Perspectives, including experiences that promote
             i) Self-understanding, curiosity and creativity
             ii) Personal, academic, and professional integrity
             iii) Moral and ethical responsibility; community and global citizenship

        f) Advanced Knowledge and Skills in Major Area of Study, consisting of
             i) Skills and knowledge of the discipline
             ii) Sequence of coursework that fosters intellectual growth
             iii) Coursework that extends and builds upon knowledge and skills gained from the core curriculum
             iv) The ability to transfer the skills and knowledge of the major into another setting

    • Approved by Faculty Senate on March 13, 2007
      • Motion for Online Record of Students’ Academic and Professional Development

        a) The College will work with the General Education Committee to create a web-based system that records students’ completion of their graduation requirements, with the following features:
             i. The online record will display each general education requirement next to the goal or sub-goal that it satisfies.
             ii. This interface will be linked to lists of existing Gen Ed courses that have been approved to meet each requirement. Each sub-goal will be a portal to a list of courses that have been approved for satisfying it.
             iii. The online record will display individual students’ coursework. The interface will have a mechanism for recognizing any course that has been approved for satisfying a particular requirement. When a student submits a list of courses that he or she has completed, the interface will display an individualized version of the goals and requirements, placing the student’s completed coursework next to the requirement each course has satisfied.
             iv. Students will store the most recent version of their online record on the College server, and may access it just as they are able to access their financial information, transcript, registration status, etc.

        b) The College will integrate this online record with the Registrar’s office so that this interface may serve as a degree audit. Students will be required to run such a degree audit at least 3 times in their College career.

        c) The Registrar will enable students to use the interface as a portal for registration.

        d) The College will enable students to use this interface as an archive of selected work samples.
             i. The College will create space for storing documents that students have uploaded.
             ii. The College will display a link to these stored documents beside the relevant sub-goal.
             iii. The College will create a mechanism for allowing students or faculty to upload the documents.

        e) The College will implement a system enabling students to give others (employers, graduate schools) access to their online record as a summary of their learning in college. The College will implement a system that can export this information into a word-processing document in the form of a resume.

        f) The online record will not replace or supersede the academic transcript, which will maintain its status as the official record of a students’ academic coursework and grades.


      • Motion that Every Entering Student be Required to Complete a First-Year Experience (FYE), whether in a First-Year Seminar (FYSR) or a Learning Community (LC)

        The General Education Committee proposes that every entering student be required to complete a First-Year Experience (FYE) in a First-Year Seminar (FYSR) or Learning Community (LC), and that the following qualities should characterize every student’s First- Year Experience:

        1) Academic rigor
        2) High expectations within a course designed for entering students
        3) Assignments that require students to demonstrate understanding of course material through writing, research, and presentations
        4) Small class size for all sections of FYSR
        5) Each FYSR, and at least one course in any LC, will require writing and speaking appropriate to the discipline, and will provide students with feedback and opportunities for revision.
        6) FYE provides research experience that focuses on information literacy.
        7) FYE includes class discussion and collaborative learning.
        8) FYE gives students experience in some type of oral presentation.
        9) FYE is taught by a roster faculty member with specialized training in content area who introduces students to the discipline and to its connections with other disciplines; course objectives are explicitly connected to Gen Ed curriculum as a whole.

      • Conditions for Faculty Teaching FYE Courses

        The Committee proposes the following conditions for faculty teaching FYE courses:

        a) FYSR Courses are to be taught by roster faculty. For Learning Communities, at least one class will be taught by roster faculty.
        b) All faculty teaching FYSR and LC courses will undergo a training session before the first time they participate in the program, for which they will receive a stipend.
        c) Faculty teaching FYE courses will be provided with resources that encourage contact with their students on campus outside of formal classroom settings.

      • Structure for the Administration of FYE Courses (as amended)

        a) Faculty By-Laws, Art. IV, Sect. 3.
        Insert a new Standing College Committee, the Advisory Committee on the First-Year Experience.

             i) Composition: Seven regular faculty members, at least three of whom shall be teaching in the First-Year Experience program (i.e., teaching either a First-Year Seminar or a Learning Communities Course) during the relevant academic year or have taught in the First-Year Experience program during the preceding academic year. Preferably, each academic school should be represented on the committee. The committee shall have one voting student member selected by the Student Government Association. The Associate Vice President for the Academic Experience (or other administrator designated by the Provost), the Assistant Vice President for New Student Programs (or other administrator designated by the Provost), the Dean of Students, and the Director of the First-Year Experience program are ex officio, non-voting members.

             ii) Duties:
                  1) In consultation with the relevant administrators, to support and advise the First-Year Experience program on all matters relevant to the program, including program development, budget requests, and other issues germane to program support;
                  2) In consultation with the Director of the First-Year Experience program, to review and assess the First-Year Experience program and to make non-binding recommendations for revisions to the program;
                  3) To request and review proposals for First-Year Experience courses (sections of FYSM 101 and Learning Communities); and
                  4) To assist the Director of the First-Year Experience program in recruiting students for First-Year Experience courses and to recruit and plan the training for new First-Year Experience faculty and peer facilitators for Learning Communities.

             iii) Implementation: The Advisory Committee on the First-Year Experience shall be constituted only if the Provost and the Speaker of the Faculty certify in a written notice addressed to the members of the Faculty Senate that a coordinated, comprehensive, and unified First-Year Experience program has received the necessary approvals and shall be implemented in a timely fashion. Such written notice shall be supplied no later than August 15, 2009, or the ratification for which Art. VI, Section 1.A. provides shall be null and void and this committee description shall be removed from the Faculty By-Laws.
        b) Students fulfill the FYE requirement through successful completion of either a FYSR or an approved LC. The credit hours for either FYE (3 hours or more) will count towards the 122 hours required for the degree, and in many instances, will also fulfill other General Education requirements pending approval by the Faculty Senate. Individual courses within LCs, like any other College course, may be approved for General Education credit through the normal approval process. If the FYE committee believes that a FYSR course should receive General Education credit, it will forward a proposal for that course to the General Education Committee, who will send its recommendations to the Faculty Senate.
        c) First-Year Seminar courses will be designated FYSR (not the designation of the home department of the faculty member). Additional designation may be required for the Registrar – to determine which General Education requirements may also be met, and to adhere to college rules such as the prohibition of taking more than two Humanities classes based in one department. For the purposes of faculty administration, the course will be counted as if it were designated in the faculty member’s home department. But because of their low enrollment ceilings, the enrollments of FYSR courses will be double-counted with respect to teaching workload target figures, or departments will otherwise be “held harmless” with respect to the potential effect of these courses on workload target figures.

    • Approved by Faculty Senate on March 27, 2007
    • Approved by Faculty Senate on April 10, 2007
      • FYE Proposal V

        A required FYE be designed that will accommodate the needs of transfer students.

      • Proposal I. 1a. The General Education Committee proposes the following as defining characteristics of the first sub-goal.
        Gathering and using information
        Students should be able to
             (a) Determine the nature and extent of information needed.
             (b) Access the needed information effectively and efficiently.
             (c) Evaluate information and its sources critically.
             (d) Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally.
             (e) Acknowledge the use of information sources using an appropriate documentation style.


      • Proposal I. 1b. To fulfill this sub-goal, the Committee proposes that each student should receive research instruction on multiple occasions, as described below.

             a) Instruction in these skills will be required in the First-Year Experience and freshman writing course(s).
             b) Additional instruction will be encouraged in other General Education courses.
             c) Instruction will be provided within the major so that upper-level students will demonstrate a more advanced level of skill in gathering and using information in their discipline.
             d) The Library faculty will coordinate efforts to support faculty in the teaching of research skills, and will supplement the instruction that faculty provide within a regular course.


    • Approved by Faculty Senate on May 3, 2007
      • I. 2a. The General Education Committee proposes the following as the defining characteristics of the second sub-goal.

        Effective writing and critical reading; oral and visual communication.
        1) Students should be able to
             i) Understand, analyze, and interpret intellectually challenging written texts and oral and visual presentations.
             ii) Use writing and speaking to increase their own understanding of a topic and to communicate their point of view persuasively.
             iii) Strengthen written and spoken work through the process of drafting, revising, and editing
             iv) Create formal papers and public presentations that are appropriate for the situation and audience.
             v) Produce well-organized papers and public presentations that convey substantive information and that conform to the conventions of edited American English.
             vi) Interpret visual images and employ images to communicate ideas and concepts.

        2) Students should complete rigorous writing and speaking assignments and receive significant feedback on their work in first-year courses and in other courses throughout their college career.

      • 1.2c The Committee proposes that each student be required to complete three communication-intensive courses, as described below, to meet this sub-goal.

        a) Courses may be approved as WI or SI if their department demonstrates that they meet the criteria. Departments will submit proposals for individual courses to the CAC committee, furnishing course descriptions and other evidence that this course meets the criteria.

        b) The three required communication-intensive courses, which will replace the current requirement for English 101 and 102, must include the following:
             i) During the student’s first year, one composition course (a writing-intensive course devoted to academic writing)
             ii) At least one speaking-intensive course, which may be a course in the student’s major
             iii) One course in literature, a rich and creative form of verbal communication. Courses satisfying this requirement must also be writing-intensive. Courses must also explore a significant quantity of literary works (at least five full-length prose works or three volumes of verse). Departments wishing to have courses approved for satisfying this requirement will submit proposals to the CAC committee, furnishing course descriptions and other evidence that the course fulfills these criteria for a literature course as well as the criteria for a communication-intensive course.
             iv) Communication instruction within the major should include both writing and speaking instruction, although a department may emphasize one mode more than another.

        3) Students may select two to four examples of work completed in these required courses to be uploaded within their online record (as described in “Online Record Proposal”). These work samples may be used for institutional assessment, and students may choose to display them when applying for employment or graduate school admission.

        4) Writing- or speaking-intensive classes will have no more than 20 students, and departments offering such courses shall not be penalized for any adverse impact on their department’s Delaware Study target number.

        5) Formal training in communication instruction for approved courses will be offered at a time convenient to faculty members (either during a summer institute or at some other convenient time), and faculty completing this training will receive a stipend for their time.

        6) The College will provide additional support for faculty who teach WI and SI courses, such as pedagogical workshops during the academic year and, when appropriate, student mentors trained to provide supplemental instruction in particular courses.

      • The Senate adjourn “sine die,” ending the 2006-2007 Senate session.

        This vote concluded the 2006-2007 session of the Faculty Senate. Proposals that were introduced during this session, but not voted on before the Senate adjourned, now “fell to the ground”: they do not carry over to the 2007-2008 Senate agenda.

Estimated Budget

  • ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AS PROPOSED IN AUGUST 2007

      • Start-up Costs

      Online Record Creation of interface within BATTERY
      No added cost i
      Campus-wide implementation of new General Education curriculum 7 Gen Ed committee members eligible for course releases and/or summer stipends (provided by Academic Affairs) for 1-2 years
      2008-2009: Up to 50,000
      2009-2010: Up to 50,000
      Total one-time costs

       

      		  
      Up to 100,000 (2008-2010)



      Recurring Costs

      Communication (I.2) Lines to offset smaller class sizes; stipends for faculty training & student mentors 330-450,000 ii
      Foreign Languages (I.3) All students must take FL at C of C

      		No additional cost iii
      Scientific Reasoning (II.1b) New lines to create seats in added 3-hour course iv 360,000
      Personal & Ethical Perspectives (V) Staff member to authenticate student experiences v (Already allocated in QEP)
      Assessment Surveys and grading of student work vi 25,000
      Total new recurring costs   715-835,000
      Monies budgeted for FYE (already allocated in QEP)   1, 300,000
      QEP and Gen Ed combined recurring costs  

      		2,015,000-2,135,000

      i We have requested that the online record, which was approved by the Senate in Spring 2007, be incorporated into the new BATTERY system. Chief Information Officer Bob Cape has confirmed that the new BATTERY system, like most 21 st-century student information systems, will include the capacity for students to create e-portfolios that interface with degree audit systems.

      ii This is the Ad Hoc Committee’s estimate of the final annual cost of providing seats for all students in three communication-intensive courses under the conditions approved by the Senate in Spring 2007.

      iii Foreign language chairs have reported that the number of students who would be affected by this proposal is so small that its impact would be insignificant. Most students already take at least one FL at the College. Many of those who are placed out of 202 by AP or transfer credit are currently taking additional courses in that language.

      iv We calculate that 6 new lines will be required to supply this additional instruction. We assume that approximately 75% of our students now take no more than the present 8 hours required, which means that 1500 students per year, or 750 each semester, would need another 3 hour-course under the proposed new requirement. Assuming a faculty member could teach 125 students in a semester, this number of students would require 6 faculty members.

      v This proposal would require a staff member in Service Learning or other offices to evaluate students’ requests for authentication of their participation in experiences that promote Goal V, and to post these authenticated experiences onto the students’ online record. The authentication process would be developed so as to require a minimum of scrutiny, since the student’s participation is only being verified, not evaluated.

      vi This covers annual assessment of student learning in General Education courses, using a combination of extant data, indirect measurement (student surveys such as NSSE), and direct measurement (use rubrics to score student work done in Gen Ed courses). Surveys and salaries for faculty scorers are the main costs of this assessment.

Analysis of Transcripts of 2007 Graduates

  • TRANSCRIPT ANALYSIS RESULTS
    •  

      • Forty-three recent graduates were chosen at random using the list of graduates from the 2007 commencement program. At least one graduate from each degree program at the College is represented, although some programs may be represented more than once if a student earned more than one degree. The purpose of this analysis was to give the committee a rough snapshot of where these students might stand vis-à-vis some of the hours and content distribution requirements of the proposed general education requirements.

      Copies of the data from which this summary was derived can be made available upon request to the General Education Committee, but for sake of the privacy of the students, will not be posted publicly.

      Number of Transcripts Examined
      43
      Number of Double Majors
      9
      Number of Minors
      12
      Number with a Double Major and a Minor
      1

       

      Summary Statistics

      Mean Number of Hours Earned
      137.4
      Median Number of Hours Earned
      131.5
      Number of students with AP, IB or transfer credits
      33
      Mean Number of AP/IB Credits
      8.5
      Median Number of AP/IB Credits
      6
      Mean Number of Transfer Credits (excluding AP/IB credits)
      21.8
      Median Number of Transfer Credits (excluding AP/IB credits)
      15
      Mean Number of Language Credits Earned via Placement
      4.5
      Median Number of Language Credits Earned via Placement
      4.5
      Number of students who took FRSR101 or LIBR 105
      9
      Number of students who took a speaking intensive course
      16