The Common Curriculum
Appendix: DOUBLE COUNTING
(Students are not allowed to triple count courses)
Students are required to take a minimum of 10 different courses under the envisioned Gen Ed program. Unlike the current program, there is significant opportunity for double counting.
Here is an example : suppose we develop an ID cluster on Media Studies and a student takes Philosophy 23, Philosophy in Film; Anthropology 11, Ethnographic Film; Chinese 13, Asian American Film and Performance.
This student’s Gen Ed profile might look as follows (recall they need 10 courses so it limits the extent of double counting).
There are obviously other variations, for example if the student also took a foreign language, let’s say Chinese, he/she may wish to double count Anthropology 11 as his/her Social Science and Chinese 13 in the Humanities category instead use Chinese language in the Cultural Competency section. But he/she CANNOT triple count ANT 11 for Media studies, social sciences, and cultural competency.
Part A: Core
FYP __________
Sophomore Seminar __________
Part B: Distributions
Social Science
1.
Humanities
1.Philosophy 23
2. (lit)
Cultural Competency:
1. Anthropology 11
2. Chinese 13
Natural Science, Quantitative Reasoning etc.
1.Science with Lab ___________
2. Quantitative Reasoning __________
3. Third course: _______________
Part C: ID Cluster: Media Studies
1. Philosophy 23
2. Anthropology 11
3. Chinese 13
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Appendix 2: Gen Ed Implementation, Designations and Worksheet
Implementation: The subcommittee discussed how courses would be approved should the proposal passed. Some of us were in favor of increasing the GenEd board by adding 2 at-large representatives to cope with the requirements of approving new courses to fit the new categories established in the proposal. We also envisioned that the special task of reviewing cluster proposals, particularly in the beginning stages, might require a separate board, consisting of elected representatives of the 4 divisions. There was some discussion of establishing special, appointed, subcommittees of the GenEd board to deal with particular areas such as QMR and Cultural Competency. These subcommittees would have representatives from the GenEd Board and also representatives from concerned departments. Some members of the subcommittee were in favor of this. But other members of the subcommittee thought that it was important that each area of the curriculum be reviewed by elected representatives of the four divisions, in keeping with past practice. Certainly, however, members of the GenEd board might want to consult with people from relevant departments.
Special Note on Clusters: Every proposed Cluster must come with a formal proposal from a faculty group consisting of faculty from several different departments with a designated Cluster Coordinator. It will have to include information about courses in the cluster, as well as schedules of frequency of offerings, projected enrollments etc. There will need to be information guaranteeing the accessibility to courses for students declaring the cluster. Precise guidelines for clusters will be laid out by the Gen Ed Board in Spring 2005, if any new Gen Ed program includes the idea of Clusters.
Designations and Worksheet:
(Recall: Students are allowed to double count, but not triple count courses for Gen Ed purposes)
Students are required to take a minimum of 10 different courses under the envisioned Gen Ed program.
Course Notation:
L – satisfies Literature requirement. As currently, however simpler.
Sci/Lab – Science with Lab, as currently
QMR – quantitative reasoning (replaces Math)
SET – Science, Engineering or Technology (third course in Science category, if not a Sci or Sci/Lab)
CC – Cultural competency
Clusters – Each cluster will receive a designation and courses will then be denoted by this in the course listing. For example, Religion in the Pagan World, might be designated Classics 32, An/Rel, to denote that it fulfills both the Ancient Studies and Religious Studies clusters.
Students will be asked to declare their Cluster by the end of the sophomore year, similar to declaring their major. This, of course, can be changed but it should not be the responsibility of the Registrar to decide from among numerous possible clusters.
Students majoring in a program must do a cluster in a different area for Gen Ed, e.g. a Biochemistry major can not use three Biochemistry courses for their ID cluster.
[Note added April 2009: The General Education Board has determined that majors in a formal interdisciplinary program HAVE automatically satisfied the Cluster requirement by satisfying the intent that they take courses that connect different departments. In fact, any major or minor in an official interdisciplinary program now satisfies the Cluster requirement.]
Sample Worksheets:
Gen Ed Worksheet (sample for Mechanical Engineering major, taken from the transcript of a junior who has yet to do his literature or his science elective)
First-Year Preceptorial__________
Sophomore Seminar __________
Social Science
1. Sociology 10
Humanities
1. English 34B, Nature and Environmental Writing
2. English 22
Cultural Competency:
1. Czech Culture
2. Prague Term Abroad
Natural Science, Quantitative Reasoning etc.
1. Science with Lab Chemistry 10
2. Quantitative Reasoning Math 13
3. Third course: Physics 17
ID Cluster: STMC
1. History of Technology (on Prague term)
2. English 34 B, Nature and Environmental Writing
3. Env. Studies 10 (also serves as Science elective for ME major)
Gen Ed Worksheet (taken from the transcript of a Biochemistry major)
First-Year Preceptorial__________
Sophomore Seminar __________
Social Science Psychology 10
Humanities
1. AMU 20, Chant to Mozart
2. Eng 31A, How to Read Poetry
Cultural Competency:
1. Spanish 120
2. AMU 35, Music of Latin America
Natural Science, Quantitative Reasoning etc.
1. Science with Lab Chem 10
2. Quantitative Reasoning Math 10
3. Third course: Chem 12
ID Cluster: Environmental Studies
1. Chem 10
2. Geo 50A, Geology of Australia and New Zealand (Australia)
3. Bio 50A, Terrestrial Ecology Abroad (Australia)
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Appendix 3: Cluster ideas/examples
Possible Ideas for Clusters: the following are examples of possibilities for new clusters, amongst many possibilities
Popular Culture: examines cultural productions aimed at a mass audience and how these shape and are shaped by surrounding social and cultural systems
AMU 42 Popular Music in Japan
ANT 45: Sport, Society and Culture
ANT ?: Youth and Popular Culture
ANT 83 Peoples and Cultures of Latin America
Eco 120 Sports Economics
ENG ? The Victorian Detective Novel
HST 113 Pop Culture and American History
HST 24: America in the 60s
HST 114 American Folk Music
HST 150 Newspapers and US politics
HST 150B The European Renaissance and popular culture
Spanish 94
Film, Photography and Representation/Media Studies: examines the mass media and its relationship with society/culture. A particular focus on representation of self and other in film.
ANT 70 Photographing Culture
ANT 11 Ethnographic Film
EE 12 Audio and Digital Signal Processing
Eng 48: Film as Fictive art
HST 184a: US history in Film
Chinese 11: Chinese Cinema
Chinese 13: Asian American Film and Performance
FRH 28 Sex lives and Videotape
German 44, 47
Russian 68
Spanish 91
PS 86: Politics and Film
Soc 110 Personality Media and Society
Nationalism and Nation-States: examines the process of forming national identity and national political structures
Eng 71, 72, 73
German 41 Forging and nation
Ger 42: Identity after the Holocaust
Russian 70
GER 30
(probably many history and political science courses could also count here)
“The Other”: Investigates the ways cultures define “self” in relation to “other” by stereotyping other groups
ANT 47: The Pacific in Literature and Film
Classics 48: Greeks Romans and Barbarians
ENG 31c Gothic
ENG 34c Women Savages and Myths in the Civilizing process
ENG 39 Science Fiction
Russian 66, 69
FR 139
SPN 149c
Information Technology and Society: examines communications and information technology systems and their impact on society
ANT 40 Culture and Technology
CS 15: Working with the Web
CS100 History of Computing
ECO 16: Engineering’s impact on society
Eco 130: E Commerce Economics
Many EE and CS courses?
SPN 149
PHL 49 The Self in Cyberspace
Genre Studies: Drama
Classics 143 Roman Drama
ENG 25 Intro to Shakespeare
ENG 46: Modern Drama
ENG 47 Contemporary Drama
ENG 54, 55, 56, 59
FR 145
GER 133
SPN 135, 136
Many theater courses
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Revisions to the Faculty Manual Section IV to aid in implementing the new General Education Program
1) Replace the 1st paragraph of IV.IV.C with the following (changes are in bold):
C. STANDING SUB-COUNCILS OF THE AAC
The AAC shall form two standing sub-councils: a Sub-council on the Standing of Students and the General Education Board. Unless the actions or recommendations of these standing sub-councils are deemed by the AAC to be detrimental to the College’s academic programs, they will normally be sustained by that Council.
2) Replace the 3rd paragraph of IV.IV.C with the following (changes are in bold):
The General Education Board shall oversee the general education program and shall formulate plans and policies relating to it. The membership of the General Education board shall be the Dean of Undergraduate Education, four faculty members and two students. Each of the four divisions of the faculty shall elect one representative, and the faculty shall serve staggered three-year terms. The two students shall be selected by a process determined by the Student Forum and shall serve staggered two-year terms. The Director of the Writing Center shall serve ex-officio. The Dean of Undergraduate Education shall serve as the Director of the General Education Board and shall be responsible for the administration of the program.
3) Delete section IV.IV.E
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Approved by the AAC
April 21, 2005