Ensuring that undergraduate students receive a broad general education has been a primary goal of colleges and universities since their inception. In this era of increasing specialization and growing demand for professional expertise, it is vital that we continue to emphasize the value of general learning. Grand Valley State University maintains that a complete education involves more than preparation for a particular career. A career occurs in the context of a life, and a sound general education helps one "make a life" as well as "make a living." The University therefore remains committed to assuring that all undergraduate students, regardless of academic major or intended profession, receive a broad education rooted in the arts and sciences.

The focus of our General Education Program is to provide students with an education that balances depth with breadth, the specialized with the general. The General Education Program helps students become literate in a sophisticated way in a number of disciplines, and it fosters their ability to make connections across various domains of knowledge. Such preparation will provide students with the general knowledge and skills necessary to participate intelligently in the discourses that shape local, national, professional and global communities.

Teaching in the liberal tradition is at the heart of Grand Valley's identity, and this focus is critical in our General Education Program. Liberal education transcends the acquisition of information; it goes beyond the factual to ask important evaluative and philosophical questions. Liberal learning holds the fundamental principles and suppositions of a body of knowledge up to inquiry, question, and discussion. It helps a person recognize the assumptions under which he/she operates and encourages the examination and questioning of those assumptions. Liberal learning begins in the General Education Program and continues through the more specialized studies comprising each student's major and minor areas of study.

GVSU is dedicated to making sure that our students, via their academic majors, become competent specialists in their fields of endeavor. An equally pressing priority is that our graduates also possess the marks of a generally educated person--that they will have

acquired the broad knowledge and life skills that will allow them to be informed and thoughtful people. These ideals co-exist within our institution, and together they produce people who can contribute to their own well-being, their communities, their professions, and the world in which they live.

Mission of the General Education Program

The Grand Valley State University General Education Program provides a broad-based liberal education experience that fosters lifelong learning and informed citizenship. The program prepares students for intelligent participation in public dialogues that consider the issues of humane living and responsible action in local, national, and global communities.

Goals of the General Education Program

The General Education Program consists of a liberal arts and sciences curriculum that teaches both the skills and the general body of knowledge needed for students to intelligently participate in public discourse. Mastery of critical content and the development of essential skills occurs concurrently in all General Education courses.

The structure of the General Education Program is designed to acquaint students with the

following areas of knowledge:

1. The major areas of human investigation and accomplishment - the arts, the humanities, the mathematical sciences, the natural sciences, and the social sciences.

A generally educated person is able to understand a variety of disciplinary perspectives, their respective contributions to the growth of human knowledge, and the various approaches through which knowledge is generated, tested, and used.

2. An understanding of one's own culture and the cultures of others.

A generally educated person is able to comprehend and respond constructively to the world's diversity, a diversity manifested not only in ideas and ways of knowing but also in populations and cultures. As citizens of the United States, students should be familiar with our pluralistic heritage. As citizens of the world, students should be knowledgeable about cultures and perspectives different from their own.

3. The tradition of humane inquiry that informs moral and ethical choices.

A generally educated person is able to identify the values that shape his/her choices, assess the consequences of those choices, and understand alternate value perspectives. This enables one to make informed choices in light of ethical, moral, and practical concerns.

The pedagogy of the General Education Program helps students develop the following academic and life skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective writing and speaking.

A generally educated person has mastered the various forms of written and oral communication that permit full participation in a society and world dependent on the free interchange of ideas and information.

2. To think critically and creatively.

A generally educated person is able to think logically and creatively. Expressiveness, imagination, and originality are needed for innovation. Innovative ideas must be subjected to critical evaluation, which involves distinguishing information, judgment, and assumption; evaluating evidence and the logic of arguments; identifying and assessing differing perspectives and assumptions; and reasoning systematically in support of arguments.

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.

A generally educated person is able to locate, gather, assess, and process information from a variety of sources, and evaluate and use that information as the basis of informed judgments and intelligent decisions.

4. To integrate different areas of knowledge and view ideas from multiple perspectives.

A generally educated person is able to correlate and synthesize facts, basic concepts, and disparate knowledge into a coherent and meaningful whole. Making sense of a variety of data and experiences allows one to address human concerns in a broader way than can be accomplished through any one discipline.
 

Characteristics of General Education Courses

The General Education Program provides students with a common experience that will give identity and coherence to the program. Therefore, courses in the General Education Program are characterized by the following:

1) They meet the content objectives of the category.

2) They help students develop four skills.

Each course in a Foundation Category and each course that has received a cultural designation will use methods that help students develop the first three skills (articulate expression, thinking, and information literacy). Articulate expression can be developed by giving students opportunities to either write or speak, Foundation and Cultural courses do not have to do both. Speaking and/or writing do not have to be a large part of each course; the methods chosen would be up to each instructor and/or unit. A course which uses essay questions, short answer exams, short writing assignments, journal entries, reporting experiment results, short presentations, debate, structured discussion, etc., would, we believe, contribute to developing the ability to be articulate. Of course, we would hope that some courses would choose to use more intensive methods.

Courses in the thematic groups will use methods that will help students become more proficient in the four General Education skills. It is expected that upper level thematic courses will use more intensive methods than the foundation and cultural courses.

3) Units with courses in the General Education Program are expected to ensure that all faculty who teach in the program, including adjuncts, are knowledgeable about its goals and objectives.

In addition to the above requirements, instructors of General Education courses are encouraged to do the following:

1) Use multiple methods of learning to achieve general education goals and objectives. Possibilities include lecture, discussion, debate, presentation, group projects, reading, experimentation, technology, writing, simulation, visual, aural, and related methods.

2) Use multiple sources of materials. Possibilities include primary sources, textbooks, anthologies, current event coverage, expository pieces, cultural events, technology, appropriate media, etc.

3) Use multiple forms of learning evaluation that assess how well students are meeting both skills and category content objectives.

The Structure of the General Education Program

The General Education Program is divided into three sections: the Foundation Categories, the Cultural Emphasis Requirements, and the Thematic Group. Following is a brief description of each:

The Foundation Categories

Courses in the Foundation Categories introduce students to the major areas of human thought and endeavor . These courses present the academic disciplines as different ways of looking at the world, they introduce students to the varied methods used to create knowledge, and they acquaint students with major questions and principles of the field.

The pedagogy of the Foundation Categories helps students develop the essential skills of creative and critical thinking, articulate expression, and information literacy. Since it is important that this work begin early in the college experience, all classes in the Foundation Categories help students develop these skills.

The Cultural Emphasis Requirements

An important component of education is realizing that how we know is as important as what we know. The study of culture prompts students to recognize themselves as cultural beings, and to understand the diverse ways in which people organize life and perceive the world. Courses that receive the Cultural Emphasis Designations focus on the values, perceptions, history, and social life of various cultures and sub-cultures in the United States and in other countries or regions. Such study enhances one's ability to live and work intelligently, responsibly, and cooperatively in a multicultural nation and an interdependent world.

All classes that have received the Cultural Emphasis Designations help student develop the skills of creative and critical thinking, articulate expression, and information literacy.

The Thematic Group

Preparing for responsible participation in public discourse requires that people become conscious of both complimentary and competing viewpoints and recognize that any issue or problem can be viewed from multiple perspectives. Cross-disciplinary study helps students integrate knowledge from various disciplines through the study of a major idea.

The thematic component of the General Education Program builds on the knowledge gained in the Foundation Categories. Each thematic group consists of interrelated courses that explore an idea from three different perspectives and examines the connections that exist, actually or potentially, among our various ways of understanding major ideas.

The pedagogy used in the thematic courses continues to address the essential skills of creative and critical thinking, articulate expression, and information literacy, In addition, these courses focus on integrative skills. These classes emphasize the integrative, synoptic, and creative qualities of thought characteristic of the generally educated person. All classes in the Thematic Groups help students become more proficient in the four general education skills.
 
 

Foundation Categories:

1) The Arts (one course)
2) The Humanities (two courses, one from each category):
    -Philosophy and Literature
    -Historical Perspectives

3) The Mathematical Sciences (one course)
4) The Natural Sciences (two courses, one from each category; one must contain a lab):
    -Physical Sciences
    -Life Sciences

5) The Social Sciences (two courses from two disciplines)

Cultural Emphasis Requirements

Each student will select one class that carries a World Perspectives designation and one class that carries a U.S. Diversity designation. These classes can come from the Gen Ed Program, the major, minor, or electives.
 
 

Thematic Group

Each student will select a theme and choose three courses from that theme. The courses must come from three different disciplines and two divisions. Two of the courses must be upper level.

TOTAL: 10 to 11 classes, depending on the theme selected. (If a student chooses to take two cultural courses that are separate from any other requirement, the total would be 11 to 13 courses.)

The Arts and Humanities

The studies recognized as the arts and humanities rest upon intellectual discourse and philosophical reflection and emphasize aesthetic creation and understanding. They are a heritage of the traditional liberal disciplines of logic, rhetoric, and grammar -- together with music, poetics, interpretation, history, and philosophy. We may speak of them as the arts of reflective thinking, communication, and creation of meaning. The arts and humanities provide students with training in judgment and the interrelationship of intellectual and emotional abilities. They furnish an opportunity for students to experience works from art, history, literature, and philosophy which address concerns shared by human beings across the boundaries of time, geographical location, and culture.

The Mathematical Sciences

The studies recognized as the mathematical sciences are part of the creative human effort to search for patterns and order that help make the world comprehensible. The study of the mathematical sciences aims at understanding abstract concepts such as number, chance, form, algorithms, functions, propositions, and principles of reasoning. As sciences of abstract objects, the mathematical sciences rely on valid inference rather than observation as their standard of truth. Even so, they still employ observation, simulation, and experimentation as means of discovering truth. These goals are pursued through the diverse disciplines of computer science, logic, mathematics, and statistics. These disciplines deal with data, measurements, and observations; with inference, deduction, and proof; with mathematical models of natural phenomena, of human behavior, and of social systems; and provide a common fabric of communication indispensable in society.

The Natural Sciences

The studies recognized as the physical and life sciences are rooted in the creative human endeavor to understand, control, and adapt to nature. The natural sciences are a continuing, skeptical, self-correcting inquiry that strives for increasingly inclusive explanations of our physical universe and its life forms. The physical and life sciences taken together provide students with awareness of the role of science in human society, scientific methodologies as ways of knowing, and a knowledge about the workings of the natural world. Scientific inquiry is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the contemporary world; a scientifically literate person can apply scientific knowledge and habits of mind to both individual and social purposes.

The Social Sciences

The studies recognized as the social sciences represent the systematic study of human behavior and culture. They are concerned with the development of principles that explain individual thought, action, and experience; the interactions between people in the context of small groups, communities, institutions, states, and societies; and the functioning of social systems. Taken together, the social sciences form a base for public discourse, inform us about ourselves, and provide insight into the behavior and cultural patterns of other people. They provide students with analytical tools and principles that will help them to make informed decisions in their personal and public lives, and assist them to become aware of their responsibilities as citizens of a national and international community.
 
 

Category Purpose and Description

Through the study of the visual and performing arts, students will come to realize that art functions as an important component in the individual life experience and as a major cultural force in human society. An understanding and appreciation of the arts help people in defining what is meaningful and significant in life.

Each course in this category is a broad introduction to an area of study in the arts; courses will assist students in understanding art by introducing them to the language, conventions, and symbols used in the creation and performance of works of art. The aim is to make the arts more accessible and enjoyable, while preparing students to make informed interpretations about individual works of art.

Content Objectives

All courses in the Arts Category include the following content:

1) The introduction of the arts as a "way of knowing"; an examination of principles and questions that define the field;

2) An analysis of the formal elements and aesthetic value in works of art;

3) How meaning in the arts is created and interpreted;

4) An understanding of the historical and cultural contexts in which specific works of art were created;

5) An understanding of the relationship between artists and society;

6) A direct exposure to works of art and/or attending of live performances; preparation of written responses to the experiences.

Skills Objectives

All courses in the Arts Category use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective speaking, writing or appropriate artistic media;

2. To think critically and creatively;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.

Faculty Qualifications

Minimum qualifications for faculty assigned to teach in the Arts Category include the following or their equivalent:

1) An understanding and appreciation of the mission, goals, and objectives of the GVSU General Education Program;

2) College level teaching experience and advanced study or experience in the subject;

3) A professional commitment to the subject, as demonstrated by teaching experience, publication, continuing professional education, or professional activities.
 
 

Category Purpose and Description

The study of history enables a society to share a common memory of where it has been, what its core values are, and what decisions in the past account for present circumstances. It helps to create an informed discriminating citizenry educated in the democratic process of governance that characterizes the United States. In addition, the study of history nurtures the individual by providing one of the keys to self-identity within the context of shared community. Finally, history allows one to see both the differences among and the universality of world cultures.

Content Objectives

All courses in the Historical Perspectives Category include the following content:

1) The introduction of history as a "way of knowing"; an examination of principles and questions that define the field;

2) An understanding of how knowledge in history is created, including chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, and historical analysis of issues;

3) The use of history in any inquiry into the political, social, or moral issues in a society;

4) The ways in which knowledge of one's roots and one's place in the stream of human history allows the development of both a self-identity and a sense of shared community;

5) The ways in which the past has influenced U.S. culture and identity;

6) An examination of different cultures and ways of life, and a consideration of the common problems and shared humanity among different peoples of the world;

7) The development of historical understanding through the integration of five spheres of human activity: social, political, scientific/technological, economic, and philosophical/religious/aesthetic.

Skills Objectives

All courses in the Historical Perspectives Category use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective speaking or writing;

2. To think critically and creatively;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively

Criteria for Inclusion in the Category

1) Courses in this category will emphasize the narration and analysis of events over a period of at least 500 years, using a comparative approach to civilizations.

2) Where possible, United States history should reflect a global context, and modern world histories should treat the United States as one of its integral parts. Where this is not possible, such as the study of ancient history, focus should be placed on the analysis of events and intellectual constructs that have relevance for modern Americans.

3) Courses in this category should treat the history and values of diverse civilizations, including those of the West, and should especially address the interactions among them. Thus all courses in this category will, to some extent, cross the borders of their immediate focus.

Faculty Qualifications

Minimum qualifications for faculty assigned to teach in the Historical Perspectives Category include the following or their equivalent:

1) An understanding and appreciation of the mission, goals, and objectives of the GVSU General Education Program;

2) College level teaching experience and advanced study or experience in the subject;

3) A professional commitment to the subject, as demonstrated by teaching experience, publication, continuing professional education, or professional activities.
 
 

Category Purpose and Description

Literary and philosophical works represent an ongoing conversation about the fundamental ideas and values that shape cultures and civilization. To participate fully in this conversation requires knowledge both of those works that are recognized as defining the history of the conversation, and of works that offer original or critical additions to it in the present. Through the study of great works of Philosophy and Literature, students will come to understand more clearly their own response to the world and to the ideas that give it form and comprehensibility.

Courses in this category will introduce students to the interpretation of a significant body of literary or philosophical work, assist them in the careful reading and interpretation of primary texts, help them arrive at meaning through discussion, and explore the important issues in their own lives and in the lives of others.

Content Objectives

All courses in the Philosophy and Literature Category include the following content:

1) The introduction of philosophy or literature as a "way of knowing"; an examination of principles and questions that define the field;

2) An understanding of how knowledge in these fields is created; the ways in which philosophy and literature have contributed to human knowledge and civilization;

3) The reading of primary sources as a major portion of course content;

4) A consideration of the relationship between the works discussed, the cultures in which they were created, and the human concerns they illuminate;

5) The methods and terminology appropriate to critical analysis;

6) The critical analysis and interpretation of one or more primary texts.
 
 

Skills Objectives

All courses in the Philosophy and Literature Category use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective speaking or writing;

2. To think critically and creatively;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.

Faculty Qualifications

Minimum qualifications for faculty assigned to teach in the Philosophy and Literature Category include the following or their equivalent:

1) An understanding and appreciation of the mission, goals, and objectives of the GVSU General Education Program;

2) College level teaching experience and advanced study or experience in the subject;

3) A professional commitment to the subject, as demonstrated by teaching experience, publication, continuing professional education, or professional activities.
 
 

Category Purpose and Description

The physical sciences explore and seek to explain the behavior of the physical universe. They seek to understand the fundamental workings of nature, from the behavior of particles of matter to the functioning of the galaxies. Study of the concepts, history, contexts, and methodologies of the physical sciences assists students in becoming scientifically literate. Each course in this category is a broad introduction to one or more of the physical sciences. Courses contribute to the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and help students apply an understanding of scientific ways of thinking to their own lives and careers.
 
 

Content Objectives

All courses in the Physical Sciences Category include the following content:

1) The introduction of the physical sciences as a "way of knowing"; an examination of principles and questions that define the field;

2) An understanding of how scientists use information and theory to explain the phenomena observed in the physical universe;

3) The unifying concepts of the physical sciences including the forces of nature, the structure of materials, and the role of energy in the physical universe.
 
 

Skills Objectives

All courses in the Physical Sciences Category use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective speaking or writing;

2. To think critically and creatively;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.
 
 

Faculty Qualifications

Minimum qualifications for faculty assigned to teach in the Physical Sciences Category include the following or their equivalent:

1) An understanding and appreciation of the mission, goals, and objectives of the GVSU General Education Program;

2) College level teaching experience and advanced study or experience in the subject;

3) A professional commitment to the subject, as demonstrated by teaching experience, publication, continuing professional education, or professional activities.
 
 

Course Purpose and Description

The life sciences are the study of the structure and function of living things. Such study ranges from the level of molecules within cells to ecosystems of organisms interacting with each other and their environment. Study of the concepts, history, contexts, and methodologies of the life sciences assists students in becoming scientifically literate.

Courses in this category prepare students to better understand and appreciate not only themselves as organisms, but also other organisms in the world around them. Courses contribute to the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and help students apply an understanding of scientific ways of thinking to their own lives and careers.
 
 

Content Objectives

All courses in the Life Sciences Category include the following content:

1) The introduction of the life sciences as a "way of knowing"; an examination of principles and questions that define the field;

2) The approaches life scientists use at various levels of organization to understand how living things function;

3) The unifying concepts of the life sciences such as evolution and cellular organization of organisms.
 
 

Skills Objectives

All courses in the Life Sciences Category use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective speaking or writing;

2. To think critically and creatively;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.
 
 

Faculty Qualifications

Minimum qualifications for faculty assigned to teach in the Life Sciences Category include the following or their equivalent:

1) An understanding and appreciation of the mission, goals, and objectives of the GVSU General Education Program;

2) College level teaching experience and advanced study or experience in the subject;

3) A professional commitment to the subject, as demonstrated by teaching experience, publication, continuing professional education, or professional activities.
 
 

Category Purpose and Description

The development of formal reasoning and abstract thought have been defining characteristics of civilization. Through the study of the mathematical sciences, students will develop their ability to reason and solve problems with abstract ideas or quantitative information. Full participation in many professional and public policy discussions requires the ability to express scientific, economic, or social issues in quantitative terms. Study of the concepts, history, contexts, and methodologies of the mathematical sciences assists students in becoming mathematically or quantitatively literate.

Courses in this category introduce students to the foundations of mathematical, logical, and quantitative reasoning. They will develop each student's mathematical, statistical, quantitative, or logical reasoning skills in ways that allow these skills to be transferred or used in other content areas.
 
 

Content Objectives

All courses in the Mathematical Sciences Category include the following content:

1) The introduction of computer science, logic, mathematics, or statistics as "way of knowing"; an examination of principles and questions that define the field;

2) An understanding of how computer scientists, logicians, mathematicians, or statisticians think and how knowledge in these fields is created;

3) An analysis of problem solving, including recognition of key problem elements, the choice of suitable methods for solving a problem, and the appropriate application of these methods.

Skills Objectives

All courses in the Mathematical Sciences Category use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective speaking or writing;

2. To think critically and creatively through:

a) the solving of multiple step problems which require logic and reasoning skills;

b) the application of problem solving and logical reasoning skills to new problems;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.

Faculty Qualifications:

Minimum qualifications for faculty assigned to teach in the Mathematical Sciences Category shall include the following or their equivalent:

1) An understanding and appreciation of the mission, goals, and objectives of the GVSU General Education Program;

2) College level teaching experience and advanced study in the discipline;

3) A professional commitment to the subject, as demonstrated by teaching experience, publication, continuing professional education, or professional activities.
 
 

Category Purpose and Description

The social sciences examine the human condition from various perspectives, and encompass the study of: individuals, communities, social institutions, social structure, culture, and international relations. The methodologies, theoretical developments and empirical findings of the social sciences are an essential part of public discourse and constitute a basis for self-reflection, critical evaluation, public and social policy decisions, and social and cultural changes.

Students select two courses from two disciplines; each course is an introduction to the content and methods of a social science field. Courses in this category are concerned with the development of principles that explain individual thought, action, and experience; the interactions between people in the context of small groups, communities, institutions, states, and societies; and the functioning of social systems.
 
 

Content Objectives

All courses in the Social Sciences Category include the following content:

1) The introduction of the social sciences as a "way of knowing"; an examination of principles and questions that define the field;

2) An understanding of how knowledge in the social sciences is created;

3) A introduction to the contemporary status of a social science field of study;

4) The major approaches, methods, theories, and substantive findings of the field;

5) The concepts and information necessary for an educated layperson to understand and formulate opinions on contemporary social issues;

6) Examples of some of the ways that knowledge developed in the field finds application;

7) A critical stance that will allow students to begin to understand how to weigh ideas and claims within the field's domain.
 
 

Skills Objectives

All courses in the Social Sciences Category use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective speaking or writing;

2. To think critically and creatively;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.
 
 

Criteria for Inclusion in the Category:

Courses must be an introduction to a social science field, and be sufficiently broadly based that they can meet the course objectives described above. Courses addressing specialized topics within fields of study are not appropriate for inclusion in this category.
 
 

Faculty Qualifications

Minimum qualifications for faculty assigned to teach in the Social Sciences Category include the following or their equivalent:

1) An understanding and appreciation of the mission, goals, and objectives of the GVSU General Education Program;

2) College level teaching experience and advanced study or experience in the subject;

3) A professional commitment to the subject, as demonstrated by teaching experience, publication, continuing professional education, or professional activities.
 
 

The study of culture prompts students to recognize themselves as cultural beings and to understand the diverse ways in which people organize life and perceive the world. Courses that receive the Cultural Emphasis Designations analyze the sources, causes, implications, and ways of understanding diversity both in the United States and around the globe. They focus on the values, perceptions, history, creative expression, and social life of various cultures and sub-cultures in the United States and in other countries and world regions. Such study enhances one's ability to live and work intelligently, responsibly, and cooperatively.

Courses with a Cultural Emphasis Designation can appear anywhere in the curriculum, and, where appropriate, may double count.

Purpose and Description of the U.S. Diversity Designation

The United States has been and continues to be a society comprised of people from many different backgrounds. Rarely in history has another nation opened its borders and extended citizenship to so many diverse groups of people. Members of such a society need to be able to understand how diversity may affect their own identities as well as their relationships with people in their social and political communities.

Courses that receive the U.S. Diversity designation must:

1) Feature an examination of the various cultures that make up the United States, highlighting both the variability and similarity in human behavior, beliefs, customs, and values;

2) Examine the ways identity can be affected by ethnicity, race, gender, class and common history;

3) Examine the historical and social consequences of United States diversity;

4) Consider whether there is a United States culture -- a common culture that unites and subsumes all groups in the United States.

Purpose and Description of the World Perspectives Designation

This designation is meant to help students the perspectives and ways of life of people in societies located outside the boundaries of the United States. In light of the increasing interaction among nations, the growth of transnational organizations, the growing ease of global communications and population movements across borders, it is necessary for students to be knowledgeable about international matters and matters of global scope and importance. Courses receiving this designation provide students with the necessary basis for understanding and interpreting the variety of world cultures, institutions, societies, and issues.

Courses that receive the World Perspectives designation must:

1) Examine how culture affects people's efforts to understand, use, and survive in their environments, and how these efforts, in turn, affect culture;

2) Examine within a cultural context the world views, language, or ways of life of societies, nations, regions, or peoples located outside of the United States;

3) Consider the interconnectedness and interaction that characterize world relationships.
 
 
 
 

Skills Objectives

All courses that receive the U.S. Diversity or World Perspectives designations use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expressions through effective speaking or writing;

2. To think critically and creatively;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.
 
 

An important part of general education is the development of the ability to think in broad terms and to see the connections in the world. A thematic group helps students learn to integrate knowledge from various disciplines through the study of a major idea.

Preparing for responsible citizenship requires that we become conscious of both complementary and competing viewpoints and recognize that any issue or problem can be viewed from multiple perspectives.

Purpose of Thematic Teaching

The various academic disciplines represent different ways of viewing the world and creating knowledge. The purpose of the thematic group is to provide students with a coherent educational experience by immersing them in the ways different disciplines illuminate a topic. This kind of cross-disciplinary study helps students learn to integrate and harmonize different perspectives and prepares them to intelligently participate in the increasingly complex discourses that shape the modern world.

Characteristics of a Thematic Group for GVSU General Education Program

1) We define a thematic group as a group of courses that are related by a common theme; the courses focus on an idea, event, or issue from different perspectives. A thematic group is sufficiently broad to include courses from at least three disciplines and two divisions/autonomous schools. It focuses on a concept that can demonstrate enduring relevance over time.

2) Each thematic group will generally consist of five to seven courses.

3) A student will normally select a thematic group at the start of the sophomore year, and choose three courses from that group. These three courses will comprise the student's thematic set. At least two of the selected courses must be at the 300 or 400 level, although all three can be upper-division. The three courses selected must come from three different disciplines and two different divisions/autonomous schools.

4) Completion of the Foundation Category requirements will serve as the prerequisite for upper-division courses in the thematic group. Some of the upper-division courses might have additional prerequisites and others will not. If appropriate, a course in the Foundation Categories can serve as the lower-division (100 or 200 level) course in a theme.

5) Although not mandated, it is strongly recommended that each thematic group contain courses that are designated as U.S. Diversity and/or World Perspectives.

Skills Objectives

All courses in a Thematic Group use teaching methods that help students become more proficient in the following skills:

1. To engage in articulate expression through effective speaking and writing;

2. To think critically and creatively;

3. To locate, evaluate, and use information effectively;

4. To integrate different areas of knowledge and view ideas from multiple perspectives.
 
 

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