Curriculum

The General Education Program is required of all students entering Shenandoah University as a first-year/freshman. This requirement is in addition to the college/school requirements and the major/program of study requirements. Transfer students should consult with their advisor and/or the Director of General Education concerning their General Education requirements.

Students should direct all questions regarding General Education to your college/school/program Dean or Director, and/or the Director of General Education, Dr. Eric K. Leonard at gened@su.edu.

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of General Education at Shenandoah University is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to be active, ethical, and productive citizens in a changing and diverse world.

Program Objectives

Shenandoah University's General Education program targets three primary areas that the faculty and students have identified as essential to productive citizenry:

1. critical thinking;
2. effective communication;
3. creative performance.

The General Education requirements are designed to enhance the skills of our students within all of these areas.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking includes understanding and analyzing the information presented, synthesizing and evaluating knowledge while applying newly-learned material to the problem-solving process. Included within this area are problem identification, assessment, solution generation and re-evaluation. The development of critical thinking skills occurs as the student gains practical knowledge and is able to synthesize information from multiple contexts and disciplines to increase understanding and apply knowledge.

Effective Communication

Effective communication includes expression and articulation of original ideas, active listening, and an understanding of verbal, nonverbal, and scientific language. In order to communicate effectively, individuals must understand the rules and the structure of language. In addition, the communicator must recognize social and cultural norms and understand their role in multiple environments. The purpose of both written and oral communication are to understand, inform and motivate.

The written word is an especially essential method of communication; therefore, an emphasis is placed on writing throughout the General Education program of study. The objective of writing in the SU General Education program is to produce effective writers who demonstrate command of rhetorical and ethical principles, grammar rules, mechanical conventions, conventions of usage and critical thinking.

Creative Performance

The act of performance includes thinking and communicating while engaging in activity; whereas creativity includes generating original ideas, demonstrating initiative, and using one's imagination. Along with these foundational characteristics, creative performance is also predicated on the synthesis of and creation from previously acquired knowledge. In addition, creative performers contribute to the profession and the body of knowledge of the areas in which the individual performs. As a result, the General Education program at Shenandoah University is designed to give our students the tools they need not only to perform effectively but also to challenge the current and/or traditional boundaries of their field and to excel in their future creative endeavors.

Domains of Knowledge and Intensities

Seven domains of learning form the foundation of the General Education program at Shenandoah University. Each domain fosters at least one element of the program's primary goals. The General Education program at Shenandoah University exposes students to multiple methods of thinking, questioning and knowing. Through an exploration of the domains of communication in multiple contexts, the arts and society, quantitative literacy, the scientific world, moral reasoning, foundations of human behavior, and historical and cultural perspectives, students develop an awareness of the world around them and the ability to perform effectively in the communities in which they engage.

The following is an overview of the seven domains. A maximum of six credits per domain may count toward a student's General Education requirements with the exception of the scientific world domain, in which students may take a maximum of eight credits.

In addition to the domain requirements, students must also complete the intensity requirements. These courses are skill directed proficiency courses that will assist students in becoming productive citizens. These courses may overlap with the domain courses and/or other intensity courses. These courses do not require a specific number of credits. It is anticipated, but not mandated, that students will fulfill the majority of these credits within their major. The following are the intensity requirements.

• One course designated Information Literacy Intensive (ILI)
• One course designated Writing Intensive (WI)
• One course designated Oral Communication Intensive (OCI)
• One course designated Technology Intensive (TI)

Domain 1: Communication in Multiple Contexts 3-6 credits (Students must complete ENG 101 or its equivalent)

Rationale: Written and oral communication skills are essential for the educated individual and the productive citizen as they offer a means for participation and self-expression in a variety of different situations. As a result, courses focusing on communication in multiple contexts are designed to engage students on theoretical and practical levels along with the enhancement of students' critical thinking skills.

Definition: Courses in this domain help students cultivate the skills necessary to express themselves in a variety of different situations.

Objectives: Upon completion of courses in this area students will:

1. Demonstrate the ability to engage actively in communication practices, written and verbal;
2. Demonstrate the ability to communicate in multiple contexts.

Domain 2: The Arts and Society
3-6 credits

Rationale: The purpose of this domain is to introduce students to the arts and literature throughout the centuries. An understanding and appreciation of arts and literature is an essential characteristic of the educated individual and provides students with an introduction to media of expression that reflect the human experience.

Definition: Courses in this domain will engage students in either artistic performance or the study of a form of artistic performance. Specific courses are designed to reinforce methods and techniques regarding performance practices and skill development in the areas of music, dance, theatre, visual art and creative writing, and/or engage students in the study of music, dance, theatre, visual art and literature in relation to people, place and time.

Objectives: Upon completion of courses in this area students will:

1. Demonstrate methods of artistic performance;
2. Demonstrate an awareness of methods and techniques related to the artistic discipline (i.e. music, dance, theatre, visual art, and/or creative writing)
3. and/or Demonstrate an awareness of the role of the arts as part of the human experience in relation to history and culture;
4. Demonstrate an awareness of relationships between and among arts disciplines and within arts disciplines (inter- and intra-disciplinary connections).

Domain 3: Quantitative Literacy
3-6 credits

Rationale: Members of an increasingly technological society are frequently confronted with issues that originate in the discipline of mathematics. Thoughtful consideration of such matters requires a degree of quantitative literacy and therefore, the educated person should be familiar with such forms of analysis. In addition, the process by which mathematicians have established this understanding is essential to a fundamental awareness of our natural world.

Definition: Courses in this domain seeks to address the students' understanding of the fundamental workings of our world from the viewpoint of mathematics.

Objectives: Upon completion of this area of study students will:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of the principles and practices of mathematical analysis;
2. Demonstrate the ability to use mathematics in the analysis of questions and the solution of problems.

Domain 4: The Scientific World
3-8 credits

Rationale: Members of an increasingly technological society are frequently confronted with issues that originate in the sciences. Thoughtful consideration of such matters requires a degree of scientific knowledge and therefore, the educated person should be familiar with a scientific understanding of our world. In addition, the process by which scientists have established this understanding is essential to a fundamental awareness of our natural world.

Definition: Courses in this domain seeks to address the students' understanding of the fundamental workings of our world from the viewpoint of the natural sciences.

Objectives: Upon completion of this area of study students will:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of the principles and practice of the scientific method;
2. Demonstrate the ability to use scientific methodology in the analysis and solution of problems.

Domain 5: Moral Reasoning
3-6 credits

Rationale: Members of an increasingly complex global community need the ability to engage in moral reasoning that includes the exploration of thoughtful questioning. Content in this domain is designed to assist students in the investigation of personal values and ways of thinking that foster creative problem-solving and ethical decision-making. Courses in this area enable students to identify creative solutions to difficult problems and to evaluate their actions based upon a foundational understanding of ethics, philosophy, and religion.

Definition: Courses in this domain will provide students with the opportunity to evaluate problems and events, generate multiple solutions, and actively participate in the problem solving process, considering both the short- and long-term impact of actions and decisions.

Objectives: Upon completion of courses in this area of study students will:

1. Demonstrate awareness of foundational knowledge of ethics, philosophy, or religion;
2. Demonstrate awareness of ethical principles consistent with the area of study;
3. Demonstrate awareness of how ethics, religion or philosophy shape the decision making process;
4. Explore personal values and how these values may be reflected in the area of ethics, religion, or philosophy.

Domain 6: Foundations of Human Behavior
3-6 credits

Rationale: This domain introduces students to those disciplines that investigate the individual and societal aspects of the human experience. Courses within this domain provide students with an appreciation for the interrelationship of the person and the social environment.

Definition: Courses in this domain will provide students the opportunity to explore theoretical principles related to the foundation and development of human and/or societal behavior.

Objectives: Upon completion of courses in this area of study students will:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of the role the individual plays in the human experience;
2. Demonstrate an awareness of the theoretical and practical aspects of self or how individuals participate in and shape society.

Domain 7: Historical and Cultural Perspectives
3-6 credits

Rationale: A historical and cultural perspective on our world entails both an understanding of how peoples, cultures, and governments function as a consequence of historical change and an appreciation of other ways of thinking, doing, communicating and performing. Such a perspective on our world is a cornerstone of productive citizenship. As a result, history, economics, cultural diversity and politics provide essential perspectives for students and citizens of the twenty-first century.

Definition: Courses in this domain are designed to assist students in understanding the contemporary world, how it came to be, and the roles individuals play in multiple and varied communities, along with fostering an appreciation of cultural diversity. The ultimate goal of this domain is the expansion of the students' understanding of our changing and complex world.

Objectives: Upon completion of courses in this area of study students will:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of today's world and their role within it as a consequence of decisions made and actions taken by people, communities, and governments in the long span of human history;

2. Demonstrate an awareness of citizenship as creative and productive action in today's world;
   and/or
3. Identify similarities and differences in human activity;
4. Demonstrate an awareness of how diversity influences individuals and communities;
5. Demonstrate an awareness of the role of diversity and tolerance in society.

Intensity Courses

Courses throughout the General Education program, as well as the major area of study, may include intensive use of skills and knowledge in specific areas. Students are required to complete a minimum of one course designated "intensive" for each of the areas of information literacy, writing, oral communication, and technology. Students will find that many of these courses may be taken within their major/program of study or within the General Education program's domain courses.

Information Literacy Intensive
(ILI Designation - A minimum of one course is required.)

1. Courses will introduce students to bibliographic sources of information in a specific field or multiple disciplines.
2. Courses will instruct students in the process of bibliographic research.
3. Students will learn to locate and access information in print and electronic media.
4. Courses will include instruction in the critical evaluation and effective use of bibliographic resources needed to support a written or oral presentation.
5. Upon completion of the course students will recognize that the skills and knowledge learned in an information literacy intensive course are transferable to other settings.
6. Courses will instruct students in legal and ethical acquisition along with the utilization of bibliographic information.

Writing Intensive
(WI designation - A minimum of one course is required.)

1. Skills and knowledge acquired throughout the course are reflected in a written format.
2. Writing is essential to the course content and evaluation.
3. At least one substantial paper or a number of significant smaller papers must be completed.
4. A substantial part of the course grade must be based on papers.
5. Feedback on writing style and content must be provided by the instructor.
6. The required writing-intensive course is in addition to the ENG 101 requirement for the communication in multiple contexts domain.

Oral Communication Intensive
(OCI designation - A minimum of one course is required.)

1. Skills and knowledge acquired throughout the course are reflected in oral presentations.
2. Oral presentations are essential to the course content and evaluation methods.
3. A substantial part of the course grade must be based upon oral presentation.

Technology Intensive
(TI designation - A minimum of one technology-intensive course is required.)

1. Successful completion of the course is dependent on the student's ability to demonstrate basic information technology skills.
2. Information technology is a critical component to understanding, analyzing and/or gaining access to course information.
3. Information technology must be used as the primary source of communication, presentations and course assignments.

Quick Reference Guide for General Education

Students must complete at least one course in each of the seven domains.

• A maximum of six credits per domain may count toward a student's General Education requirements with the exception of the scientific world domain, in which students may take a maximum of eight credits.
• Students must complete ENG 101 or its equivalent.
• Students must complete a minimum of thirty General Education credits.
• In addition, all students must complete the four intensity requirements.