Structural

Reform #11: Six-Credit Student Choice (AS, GI and CA)

What would change with this proposal?

1. Eliminate the existing Student Choice (Depth or IN) and Interdisciplinary (ID) requirements.
2. Create a new Student Choice that encompasses three categories: Global and International
Learning (GI), Applied Science and Technology (AS), and Communication and Argumentation
(CA).
3. AA and AS Students will be required to take a course from two of the Student Choice
categories.
4. AAS and Certificate students will be required to take a course from CA (which will replace
the existing CM designation) and a course from HR, which might be expanded to include
some existing courses that are currently in ID.
5. The designations and initial course assignments in Student Choice would be as follows:

Global and International Learning (GI) Unless otherwise decided by school curriculum
committees, the courses in GI might include:
ANTH 1030 World Prehistory (GI) 3;
ENGI 2630 Global Literature (GI) 3;
HIST 1100 Western Civ. to 1300 (GI) 3;
HIST 1110 Western Civ. Since 1300 (GI) 3;
HIST 1300 Colonial Latin America (GI) 3;
HIST 1310 Modern Latin America (GI) 3;
HIST 1450 Middle Eastern Civilization (GI) 3;
HIST 1460 Modern Middle Eastern Civ (GI) 3;
HIST 1500 World History to 1500 (GI) 3;
HIST 1510 World History Since 1500 (GI) 3;
HUMA 2300 World Religions (GI) 3;
INTL 2040 The Immigrant Experience (GI, DV) 3;
INTL 2060 Intl Lit and Culture (DV) 3;
INTL 2230 Global French Cultures (GI) 3;
INTL 2240 Latin American Studies (GI) 3;
INTL 2980 Travel Studies (GI) 3;
INTL 2990 Study Abroad (GI) 3;
POLS 2100 Intro to International Politics (GI) 3;
POLS 2200 Intro to Comparative Politics (GI) 3;
POLS 2700 Model United Nations (GI) 3.

Applied Science and Technology (AS) Unless otherwise decided by school curriculum
committees, the courses in AS might include:
ANTH 2220 Forensic Anthropology (AS) 3
BIOL 1120 Conservation Biology (AS) 3
BIOL 1400 Environmental Science (AS) 3
BMAN 1110 Intro to Biomanufacturing (AS) 3
BMAN 1130 Bioengineering in Society (AS) 3
CIS 1070 Living in a Digital World (AS) 3
ENGR 1050 Intro to Nanotechnology (AS) 3

ENGR 1600 Engineering the Guitar (AS) 3

GEOG 1800 Mapping Our World (AS) 3
HLTH 1050 Life, Society and Drugs (AS) 3
HLTH 1110 Social Health and Diversity (AS, DV) 3
MET 1010 Intro to Meteorology (AS) 3
MUSC 1500 Music and Technology (AS) 3
TECH 1010 Technology and the Future (AS) 3
TECH 1030 Complex Devices Simplified (AS) 3

Communication and Argumentation (CA) Unless otherwise decided by school curriculum
committees, the courses in CA might include:
BUS 1040 Ethics at Work (CA) 3;
BUS 2200 Business Communications (CA) 3;
COMM 1010 Elements of Effective Communication (CA) 3;
COMM 1020 Principles of Public Speaking (CA) 3;
COMM 1270 Analysis of Argument (CA) 3;
COMM 1500 Introduction to Mass Communication (CA) 3;
COMM 1560 Radio Production (CA) 3;
COMM 2110 Interpersonal Communication (CA) 3;
COMM 2500 Elements and Issues of Digital Media (CA) 4;
COMM 2150 Intercultural Communication (CA, DV) 3;
LE 1310 Mind, Machine, Consciousness (CA) 3;
CTEL 1020 Career Speech Skills (CA) 3;
PHIL 1250 Reasonable & Rational Decision-Making (CA) 3.


Why these three categories in Student Choice?

Applied Science and Technology:
Applied Science and Technology is a category that fits especially well in a comprehensive
community college such as ours.
It is a designation that exists at the University of Utah where the majority of our transfer
students go.
Many of the classes that are currently ID classes would find a legitimate home here, such
as BMAN 1110, BMAN 1130; CIS 1070; ENGR 1050; GEOG 1800; ANTH 2220; etc.
It is a category that has definitional substance that is readily ascertainable. While it may,
on one hand, open the door to some programs that have not been able to find a seat at
the Gen Ed table, it is a definite enough designation to avoid becoming watered down.

Global and International Learning:
It fits with previous work at the college intended to designate International/Global courses
and allow students to graduate with an International/Global designation on their diplomas.
It is important for students to understand our increasingly interconnected world. Moreover,
guidance already exists for writing language for a Global Learning designation.
Many colleges are emphasizing Global understanding in General Education. See, for example,
the AAC&Us initiative on General Education for a Global Century.

Communication and Argumentation:

A survey of national employers shows that they are seeking graduates with effective
communication and critical thinking skills.


How will courses meet their new Student choice category criteria?

1. All courses listed above on pages 1 and 2 will be grandfathered into the GI, CA, and AS
categories to which they have been assigned.
2. School curriculum committees can change the course categories of those courses by simply
passing a motion and submitting it to the General Education Committee. Such motions
should be passed before this proposal goes into effect.
3. Courses grandfathered into GI, CA, or AS will come up for 5 year review according to the
existing schedule, at which time they will be judged according to the GI, CA, or AS category
criteria.

What are the Student Choice category criteria?
(Draft versions of what faculty groups on the Gen Ed Committee have come up with so far. These
drafts are enough to give you an idea of how each category would be defined.)

Applied Science and Technology (AS)

Objective
Applied Science and Technology (AS) courses introduce students to how basic science is
used in practical situations and how technologies and techniques derived from basic science
are used to solve problems.

Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of an AS course, students will be able to:
1. Understand the knowledge embodied in at least one recognized Applied Science and
Technology field, and be apply it to real world problems or situations.
2. Understand and use the scientific method, including identifying the question,
problem, or need, formulating a hypothesis, engaging in experimentation, and
drawing warranted conclusions.
3. Use quantitative and qualitative reasoning to process, analyze, and draw conclusions
from data or models.
4. Effectively communicate in the context of at least one recognized Applied Science and
Technology.
5. Think critically about the moral and ethical implications of scientific and
technological progress and its impact on society.

Communication and Argumentation (CA)

Objective
Communication and Argumentation (CA) courses focus on the principles, skills and art of
reasoning, in written, verbal, nonverbal and multi-modal forms of communication. They
strive to help students enhance their critical thinking and analysis skills, develop and
support beliefs, and evaluate the strength of arguments made by oneself and others in real-
life situations.

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Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of a CA course, students will be able to:
1. Critically listen to and view public and interpersonal communication.
2. Evaluate claims, evidence, underlying, and missing assumptions.
3. Consider audience and purpose in the tailoring of messages.
4. Communicate in groups, work together and make decisions effectively.
5. Recognize and use rhetorical strategies.
6. Identify perspectives and paradigms, manipulative rhetoric, fallacies and other
obstacles to clear reasoning.
7. Understand the variations in modes of reasoning within different disciplines
(scientific, moral, legal, ethical and other frameworks).
8. Assess the quality of information and sources, and/or evaluate and improve their
own reasoning.

Global and International Learning (GI)

Objective
Global and International Learning (GI) courses focus on students learning about the world
beyond the United States. The terms International and Global focus on different types of
power relationships and structures that impact everyday life in unique ways.

Global courses focus on the interconnected and interdependent issues that transcend
national borders, function worldwide, and affect the lives of people, ecosystem diversity, and
the earths sustainability.

International courses provide a broad base of knowledge about interactions, exchanges,
relations, cultures, international frames of reference, communications, historical
developments, geography, perspectives, etc. among specific countries and/or regions in
comparative contexts.

Guidelines for Course Proposals
The course title and/or description must reveal the Global/International nature of the
course, the specific focus between international and Global, and any overlap between the
two must be explicit in all of the curriculum documents. For example, the course syllabus
should specify if the course is Global, International or both in content. The General Education
Committee welcomes courses that provide students opportunities to become civically
engaged in a Global community.

Learning Outcomes
Through both international and Global learning, students should be able to:
1. Become informed, open-minded, responsible, and engaged citizens who think
critically about Global issues and systems.
2. Use a comparative framework to examine the dynamics of power and how it
shapes such issues as knowledge, privilege, gender, economies, religion,
environment and race relations.
3. Use quantitative and/or qualitative analytical skills to understand the
interconnectedness and interdependence of Global systems and the complexity of
international and Global issues.

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4. Employ discipline specific approaches/methods in examining international

and/or Global issues, processes, trends, events, structures, etc. and develop a
sense of perspective and social responsibility in a Globally interconnected world.
5. Address the world's most pressing and enduring issues collaboratively and
equitably through critical reasoning and creative thinking in order to become
civically engaged members of the Global community.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of identity including how
deeply rooted identity is in culture, language, religion, race/ethnicity, power and
borders.
7. Communicate effectively about topics beyondor transcendent ofthe borders
of the United States or about the United States in a comparative perspective.

From the student perspective, how does the General Education program change?

Current Gen Ed Structure for AS Degrees
Core Skills (12-13 credits)
Composition (EN)
Quantitative Literacy (QL)
American Institutions (AI)

USHE Distribution Areas (15 credits)
(Take one class from each area)
Fine Arts (FA)
Humanities (HU)
Life Sciences (LS)
Physical Sciences (PS)
Social Sciences (SS)

Institutional Requirements (7 credits)
Student Choice (Take an IN course or a
Depth course)
Interdisciplinary (ID)
Lifetime Wellness (LW)
Total Credits=34-35

Proposed Gen Ed Structure for AS Degrees

Core Skills (12-13 credits)
Composition (EN)
Quantitative Literacy (QL)
American Institutions (AI)

USHE Distribution Areas (15 credits)
(Take one class from each area)
Fine Arts (FA)
Humanities (HU)
Life Sciences (LS)
Physical Sciences (PS)
Social Sciences (SS)

Institutional Requirements (7 credits)
Student Choice (Take a course from two
of the following categories:
o Comm and Argumentation
o Intl/Global Learning
o Applied Science and Technology
Lifetime Wellness (LW)
Total Credits=34-35