General Education Program

MISSION, RATIONALE AND STUDENT OUTCOMES

The general education program offers undergraduate students a liberal arts education in order to cultivate thoughtful and responsible persons and citizens, to prepare them for the world of work and to teach them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. In order to accomplish those broad goals, the general education program seeks to promote effective reasoning, broad and deep learning, and the inclination to inquire.

Effective Reasoning
A comprehensive liberal education helps students to develop their abilities to recognize and to think clearly about important issues and questions. The ability to think clearly involves fluency in reading, writing and oral communication, as well as mastery of the basic principles of logical, mathematical and scientific reasoning.

Broad and Deep Learning
A liberally educated person should possess a rich and broad fund of meaningful knowledge as well as the ability to compare and integrate new or different areas of knowledge in fruitful ways. To that end, the general education curriculum imparts a broad understanding of the various liberal arts and sciences and the ways that those arts and sciences evolve. In much the same way, the curriculum aims to foster an appreciation of diversity as a rich source of new ideas and opportunities for learning. Through such studies, students may comprehend the interconnectedness of knowledge and the importance of integrating knowledge gained from disparate parts of the curriculum.

The Inclination to Inquire
An education in the liberal arts fosters a student’s commitment to seek out and acquire important knowledge and skills, both for their intrinsic value and for the good they contribute to our common and individual lives. For this reason, a disposition to ask incisive and insightful questions is perhaps the surest sign of a liberally educated mind.
The general education requirement offers a basic knowledge of mathematics and the natural sciences, including laboratory experience, intermediate knowledge of at least one foreign language, the study of the humanities, the political, philosophical and cultural history of world civilizations, and the foundations and principles of American society.
This mission statement reflects the standards promulgated by the American Academy for Liberal Education and CWU’s Mission Statement.

General Education Program Goals

1. Students will become thoughtful and responsible members of society and stewards of the Earth.
2. Students will respect diversity of background, experience and belief, and will value the different perspectives that this diversity brings.
3. Students will achieve fluency in reading, writing, oral communication and information technology.
4. Students will master the basic principles of logical, mathematical and scientific reasoning.
5. Students will develop an appreciation of the breadth and depth of scientific and humanistic knowledge.
6. Students will develop a sense of the interconnectedness of knowledge.
7. Students will integrate knowledge from diverse fields of study in order to solve real-world problems.
8. Students will become aware of the manifold ways that knowledge evolves.
9. Students will develop a disposition to ask incisive and insightful questions.

All courses taken to satisfy general education requirements must be taken for a letter grade.

BASIC SKILLS REQUIREMENT

All students must satisfy the following requirements in basic academic and intellectual skills:

1. UNIV 101, General Education Colloquium (1), or MUS 104, Introduction to Musical Studies (3). Only required of students who enter Central with fewer than 45 credits;
2. ENG 101 (4) and ENG 102 (4). A grade of C- or better is required in ENG 101 before ENG 102 may be taken;
3. Either MATH 101 (5), MATH 153 (5), MATH 154 (5), MATH 164 (5), MATH 170 (5), or MATH 172 (5);
4. Either MATH 102 (5), MATH 130 (5), PHIL 201 (5), or CS 105 (4);
5. One year of college or university study of a single foreign language or two years of high school study of a single foreign language. Courses used to satisfy this foreign language basic skills requirements may not be used to satisfy the Philosophies and Cultures of the World breadth requirement; and
6. Either CS 101 Computer Basics (4) or IT 101 Computer Applications (3)

All students must have met these basic education requirements by the end of the quarter in which they complete 75 credits. (This does not include the foreign language basic skills requirement, which may require longer to complete.) Students who do not meet this standard will have a hold placed on further course registration. To remove the hold, the student must meet with an advisor and submit a program of study to plan successful completion of this requirement. The student’s progress will then be monitored by an assigned academic advisor.

WRITING REQUIREMENT

Four (4) of the courses taken to fulfill the breadth requirement must have the W designation in the list below. These are courses which include at least seven pages of assigned writing that is assessed for content and mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation and organization).

BREADTH REQUIREMENT

I. ARTS AND HUMANITIES.

Students must take at least one course from each of the three groups. No more than one class from a single department may be counted toward this requirement.

Literature and the Humanities

A grade of C- or better is required in ENG 101 before taking any of the courses in this category.

• ENG 105(W) The Literary Imagination: An Introduction to Literature (4)
• ENG 247(W ) Multicultural Literature (4)
• ENG 347(W) Global Perspectives in Literature (4)
• HUM 101(W) Exploring Cultures in the Ancient World (5)
• HUM 102(W) Exploring Cultures from 16th Through 19th Centuries (5)
• HUM 103(W) Exploring Cultures in Modern & Contemporary Societies (5)

The Aesthetic Experience.

• ART 101 Introduction to Western Art (5)
• ART 102 Introduction to Non-Western Art (5)
• FVS 250 (W) Introduction to Film and Video Studies (5)
• MUS 101 History of Jazz (5)
• MUS 102 Introduction to Music (5)
• PED 161 Cultural History of Dance (4)
• TH 101 Appreciation of Theatre and Film (4)
• TH 107(W) Introduction to Theatre (4)
• TH 375(W) Asian Theatre (4)
• TH 382(W) Ethnic Drama (4)

Philosophies and Cultures of the World.

• Foreign Languages 251, 252 or 253. Second year foreign language (same as studied in high school) (5) or
• Foreign Languages 151, 152 or 153 or CHIN 141, 142, or 143. First year foreign language (different than the one used to meet basic skills requirement) (5)
• PHIL 101(W) Introduction to Philosophy (5)
• PHIL 115(W) The Meaning of Life (5)
• PHIL 202(W) Introduction to Ethics (5)
• PHIL 209(W) Introduction to Asian Philosophy (5)
• PHIL 210(W) Current Ethical Issues (5)
• PHIL 306(W) Environmental Ethics (5)
• PHIL 378(W) The Philosophy of Love (5)
• RELS 101(W) Introduction to Religion (5)
• RELS 201(W) Sacred Books of the World (5)

II. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Students must take at least one course from each of the three groups. No more than one class from a single department may be counted toward this requirement.

Perspectives on the Cultures and Experiences of the United States

An introduction to the institutions, cultures and traditions of the United States intended to encourage a critical and analytical understanding of how the past affects the present and the future. An introduction to the complexities of social, economic and political processes, issues and events in the United States intended to provide a context for informed decision-making and citizenship.

• ECON 101 Economic Issues (5)
• ECON 201 Principles of Economics Micro (5)
• ETS 101(W) Ethnic Awareness (4)
• HIST 144(W) U.S. History Since 1865 (5)
• POSC 210 American Politics (5)
• SOC 101(W) Social Problems (5)
• SOC 305(W) American Society (5)
• WS 201(W) Introduction to Women Studies (5)

Perspectives on World Cultures

An introduction to institutions, cultures and traditions of nations, groups and societies outside the United States intended to encourage an understanding and appreciation of the dimensions of human diversity as well as similarities. An introduction to contemporary international and transnational issues intended to provide a broader perspective of the individual’s relationship to other cultures and to common human concerns.

• ANTH 130 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (5)
• AST 102(W) Introduction to Asian Studies (3)
• COM 302(W) Intercultural Communication (4)
• ECON 102(W) World Economic Issues (5)
• ECON 360(W) Contemporary Economic Problems (5)
• GEOG 101 World Regional Geography (5)
• HIST 102(W) World Civilization: 1500-1815 (5)
• HIST 103(W) World Civilization Since 1815 (5)
• LLAS 102(W) Introduction to Latino and Latin American Studies (5)
• POSC 270(W) International Politics (5)

Foundations of Human Adaptations and Behavior

An introduction to and analysis of the fundamental principles underlying human interaction intended to foster a better understanding of the human condition. An introduction to the fundamental patterns and understandings of human interaction with natural and man-made environments is intended to help students make informed judgments concerning broad environmental issues.

• ANTH 107 General Anthropology (5)
• ANTH 120 Introduction to Archaeology (5)
• FCSF 337(W) Human Sexuality (4)
• GEOG 108 Introduction to Human Geography (5)
• HED 101 Health Essentials (4)
• POSC 101(W) Introduction to Politics (5)
• PSY 101 General Psychology (5)
• PSY 205(W) Psychology of Adjustment (5)
• SOC 107(W) Principles of Sociology (5)

III. THE NATURAL SCIENCES

The natural sciences provide basic methods for rigorously describing and comprehending the natural world. Inquiry-driven laboratory and field observations are an essential mode of teaching, learning and practicing natural science. Students must take at least one course from each of the three groups. No more than one class from a single department may be counted toward this requirement. It may be advantageous for students to take courses from groups in the order they appear below.

Fundamental Disciplines of Physical and Biological Sciences

An introduction to those sciences that study the fundamentals of physical and life systems.

• BIOL 101 Fundamentals of Biology and Laboratory (5)
• CHEM 111/111LAB Introduction to Chemistry and Introductory Chemistry Laboratory (5)
• CHEM 181/181LAB General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory (5)
• GEOL 101/101LAB Physical Geology and Laboratory (5)
• PHYS 111/111LAB Introductory Physics and Laboratory (5)
• PHYS 181/181LAB General Physics and Laboratory (5)

Patterns and Connections in the Natural World.

Those sciences that use a knowledge of basic scientific disciplines to examine large and complex physical and life systems.

• ANTH 110 Introduction to Biological Anthropology (5) (Lab ANTH 110LAB is optional)
• BIOL 200(W) Plants in the Modern World and Lab (5)
• BIOL 201 Human Physiology (5)
• BIOL 300 Introduction to Evolution (5)
• ENST 301 Earth as an Ecosystem (5)
• GEOG 107 Introduction to Physical Geography (5)
• GEOL 102/101LAB Geology of National Parks and Lab (5)
• GEOL 107 Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Civilization (5)
• GEOL 302, Oceans and Atmosphere (4)
• PHYS 101/101LAB Introductory Astronomy of Stars and Galaxies and Lab (4) (1)
• PHYS 102/101LAB Introductory Astronomy of the Solar System and Lab (4) (1)

Applications of Natural Science

These courses explicitly treat social, economic, technological, ethical or other implications of natural phenomena, of human influence on natural systems, or of responsive scientific inquiry.

• ANTH 314 Human Variation and Adapta-tion in Living Populations (4)
• BIOL 302 Human Ecology (5)
• CHEM 101 Contemporary Chemistry and Lab (5)
• ENST 302 Ecosystems, Resources, Popula-tion and Culture (5)
• GEOG 273 Geography of Rivers (5)
• GEOL 108 Introduction to Environmental Geology (5)
• IET 101 Modern Technology (5)
• NUTR 245 Basic Nutrition (5)
• PHYS 103/103LAB(W) Physics of Musical Sound and Lab (4)