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2009-2010 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

General Education Program Requirements by Content Category

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All students studying toward a baccalaureate degree at Shawnee State are required to complete the University’s General Education Program (GEP). This group of courses gives students the opportunity to acquire the characteristics of an educated person—something quite distinct from the goals of other courses associated with the degree programs offered by Shawnee State. Most courses required for a specific degree program are meant to give students the opportunity to study a particular discipline and the ability to practice a profession. The goal of Shawnee State University, however, goes beyond professional education to preparing you to function effectively in the multiple roles demanded by contemporary life. In this respect, the General Education Program supports the University’s mission statement.

The GEP is a combination of required and elective courses, grouped in categories, each chosen for the contribution it makes to the skills or knowledge characteristic of university graduates.

For More Information

Phil Blau, Ph.D., Director
General Education Program

Vern Riffe Center for the Arts, Room 313
Shawnee State University
940 Second Street
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662-4344

Phone: 740.351.3443
Fax: 740.351.3501 (Provost’s Office)
E-mail:  pblau@shawnee.edu

Our Commitment to Your Success

Shawnee State’s General Education Program is committed to:

  • Providing an undergraduate education that includes competence in written communication, oral communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis, and logical thinking.
  • Providing a breadth of knowledge that goes beyond education for a specific discipline or profession.
  • Providing a breadth of experience that includes knowledge and understanding of multicultural factors.
  • Ensuring that you have the ability to reflect carefully upon ethical issues and can enter into reasoned dialogue about these issues.
  • Preparing you to become an independent and continuing learner.

As part of our commitment to the success of our students, Shawnee State University has adopted the goal of integrating information literacy and computer literacy into the courses included in the General  Education Program.

General Education Program Requirements by Content Category

The GEP requirements are arranged in two levels. You should complete requirements at the Foundational Level before you take courses that satisfy the Integrative Level of the program. Also, it is suggested that you begin by taking courses in English and mathematics and continue to take courses in these areas until you have completed requirements in English composition and quantitative reasoning.

A more complete description of each category follows. Specific course descriptions are found in their own section of this catalog.

Foundational Level:
English Composition Minimum 6 Hours
Quantitative Reasoning Minimum 3 Hours
Fine and Performing Arts 3 Hours
Social Sciences 3 Hours
Natural Sciences Minimum 7 Hours
   
Integrative Level:
Cultural Perspectives Minimum 6 Hours
Ethics 3 Hours
Capstone 3 Hours
   
Total Hours Required 34 Hours

Note: It should be noted that in cases where a single course meets requirements of the General Education Program and the major, the total number of hours required for the GEP will be reduced by the number of related course hours. The minimum credit hours required for the baccalaureate degree shall not, however, be less than 124.

English Composition (6 Hours Minimum)

These courses provide an opportunity for you to develop as a writer. Their goal is for you to learn to write clearly, concisely, and creatively in a variety of formats.

Take one of the following courses:

And also

Note:

Two English composition courses must be completed prior to taking coursework at the Integrative Level of the GEP.

Quantitative Reasoning (3 Hours Minimum)

This component of the General Education Program addresses the nature of mathematical thought and its impact on modern life. To fulfill the quantitative reasoning component of the GEP, each course contains active communication about mathematics (which includes reading and/or writing and/or speaking), exercises designed to stimulate critical thinking, the use of mathematical-related technology, and an emphasis on problem-solving. In addition, each course stresses data and data analysis, demonstrates the application of mathematics to a variety of disciplines, and incorporates activity-based learning.

Choose one course from the following list:

Fine and Performing Arts (3 Hours)

You should leave the GEP with a greater appreciation of how the arts contribute to an enriched quality of life. Courses in this category include either an art history, art appreciation, music, or theatre component.

Choose one course from the following list:

Social Sciences (3 Hours)

This GEP component introduces you to the breadth and depth of the influence the social sciences have on contemporary life. Courses reflect an interdisciplinary or cross disciplinary approach with the expectation of increasing your awareness of the interconnectedness of the social sciences.

Choose one course from the following list:

Natural Sciences (7 Hours Minimum)

The natural science component of the General Education Program addresses scientific reasoning.

Choose two courses for a minimum of seven semester hours from the following list.  At least one course must have a lab (all courses have a lab component except for NTSC 1110).  (These eight courses are recommended for students who are not science majors and for students who do not have science courses required in support of their majors:  BIOL 1120, CHEM 1121, GEOL 1201, NTSC 1110, NTSC 3850, PHYS 2210, PSCI 2251, PSCI 2252.)

Note:

Credit is not allowed for both CHEM 1121/2200 and CHEM 1141/1142.

Cultural Perspectives (6 Hours Minimum)

The goal of this GEP component is to help you understand aspects of western and non-western cultures and to appreciate the multicultural nature of modern society. Courses may vary as to discipline, content, and approach, but each instills some comprehension of the complex historical, cultural, or sociological contexts which inform contemporary experience.

Western Perspective:

Choose one course from the following list:

Non-Western Perspective:

Choose one course from the following list:

Ethics (3 Hours)

The requirement in ethics serves several purposes within the GEP’s broader goal of enabling students “to function effectively in the multiple roles demanded by contemporary life.” First, students are introduced to the most influential moral theories of western civilization. These theories attempt to answer what constitutes the good life and what makes an action ethical, as well as introduce ways of reasoning about the moral life. Second, students learn how these theories affect how we think about public life, including the relationship of morality to law and public policy. Third, students engage in a thorough and careful analysis of contemporary moral issues in order to arrive at a rationally defensible, well-informed conclusion within a context of open and civil dialogue with others. Evaluation is based, first and foremost, on how well students reason about moral issues, not on the particular conclusions.

Choose one course from the following list:

Capstone (3 Hours)

Senior Seminar (IDST 4490) comes late in your university experience and gives you the opportunity to write, speak, think, analyze, synthesize, and integrate. A central part of the seminar is the research and writing of a major paper and an oral presentation of your findings.  The prerequisites for Senior Seminar are senior standing and completion of all prior GEP requirements, including Ethics (31 semester hours).

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