General Education Core Curriculum Objectives
Purpose of the Core Curriculum
The purpose of the general education core curriculum is to produce graduates who embody the Christian intellectual life thus helping to fulfill Institutional Educational Goals. Toward this end, undergraduate students will engage the humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, natural sciences and math, religion/philosophy, and demonstrate the critical reasoning skills essential to an educated Christian capable of leadership and service. All of this arises from the conviction that the liberal arts are best understood through a theological situation of life and learning. The basic assumptions of the general education core curriculum reflect the medieval insight that a mature faith seeks understanding. A graduate will demonstrate familiarity with the broad contours of human knowledge within the specific resources and perspectives offered by the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The goal of the general education curriculum is for students to develop a truly Christian understanding in vital conversation with the liberal arts.
Organization of the Curriculum
The general education core curriculum is organized into four tiers, which together prepare the student for academic work toward a specific vocation. In the Communications Tier students will develop the basic skills necessary for a university education and lifelong learning. From the Social/Behavioral Sciences Tier students will acquire the basic social structures necessary to a meaningful life. From the Natural Sciences and Math Tier students will gain an understanding of the scientific method, physical and biological sciences, and an appreciation of the environment. The central piece of the general education curriculum is the Humanities Tier. This part of the curriculum includes a worldview course embracing the basic content of a Christian liberal arts education and providing a foundation for future discussions of a Christian worldview within the student’s chosen discipline.
General Education Outcomes
The purpose and organization of the general education curriculum is linked to the Institutional Educational Goals. Therefore, the curriculum is a context of Christian character; disciplined reflection; and literary, artistic, mathematical, and scientific contributions that have shaped civilization within which students may develop an appreciation for diversity; writing, speaking, and use of technology; critical skills essential to a lifetime of intellectual growth; and a holistic understanding of life. The learning outcomes of the general education curriculum seek to link the Institutional Educational Goals through an emphasis upon skills, content, and constructive/integrative domains of understanding. The curriculum embraces the conception that the four tiers (Communications, Social/Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences and Math, and Humanities) are best understood as involving skills, content, and constructive/integrative domains. While the general education curriculum is organized into tiers, the horizon that informs the core involves these outcomes which run throughout the tiers. In other words, an educated person will possess certain skills and content as a basis of embracing the world through a constructive and integrative theological vision of life and learning.
Upon completion of the General Education Core Curriculum, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate competency in written communication exhibiting an awareness of content, purpose, and audience while accurately using Standard English. (Communications Tier)
- Use the scientific method and scientific inquiry to analyze and solve problems. (Natural Sciences and Math Tier)
- Demonstrate an understanding and practice of various intellectual modes of thinking. (Humanities Tier)
- Integrate the fundamental doctrinal/moral tenets of the Christian faith with the academic major, forming students for Christian leadership and service in the global community. (Social/Behavioral Sciences Tier)