STAFF COUNCIL
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD 7/16/02

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Indiana University Southeast
General Education
Philosophy, Goals and Student Outcomes

Purpose and Philosophy

The purpose of an IU Southeast undergraduate education is to prepare students to act as thoughtful, informed and productive citizens and lifelong learners in the context of a complex and rapidly changing society.

We believe that the best education is one that provides not only specific knowledge and skills but also intellectual breadth. Such an education enables students to develop into well rounded human beings who can provide the leadership their communities need in an era of rapid change.

We embrace the notion of a set of common goals for an undergraduate education at IU Southeast and recognize that the means of attaining those goals will vary among degree programs. The coherence of an IU Southeast education lies more in the pursuit of common goals than in the completion of common courses.

The pursuit of these goals is a shared responsibility of faculty and students. Courses in the major contribute to general education and those in general education contribute to the major. Thus all faculty members foster both the breadth and the depth of the education of all students in their courses.

Common Goals of an IU Southeast Undergraduate Education

These are primarily the goals of general education:

• To develop essential skills, including:
  • Written and oral communication skills
  • Quantitative reasoning
  • Use of information and technology literacy
  • Reasoning about moral and ethical questions
  • Critical thinking
• To understand humanity and the world through the central ideas, issues and methods of inquiry found in the arts and humanities, the natural sciences, and the social and behavioral sciences.
• To understand the diversity of experiences and perspectives within and among cultures.
• To function productively in groups and other interaction situations.

These are primarily the goals of the major:

• To acquire a depth of knowledge in a specified area of study.
• Within the context of a specified area of study, to reason, to think both critically and creatively, and to solve problems.

Student Outcomes

The Faculty Senate endorses the following list of skills that the educated person should possess. The General Education Working Group proposes that these skills be integrated into courses and experiences for incorporation into the curriculum of Indiana University Southeast.

Written and oral communication skills (1-2)

1. As a writer or speaker
   1. Choose, adapt and restrict the focus of a topic to clarify it according to its purpose and goals.
   2. Formulate a thesis statement and state the significance of that statement.
   3. Conduct research using a variety of credible sources.
   4. Select subjects and modes of presentation appropriate to the specific audience and context.
   5. Organize the message with an introduction, main points, useful transitions and a conclusion.
   6. Select appropriate material or visual aids to reinforce ideas.
   7. Plan, draft, compose, revise and edit written products and use standard methods of message delivery (vocal qualities, gestures, and body language) for oral products.
   8. Use appropriate pronunciation, grammar, articulation and word choices to express ideas.
   9. Follow standard practices in spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, paragraphing and vocabulary.
   10. Explain what constitutes plagiarism.



2. As a reader or listener
   1. Identify the writer’s or speaker’s central purpose(s), ideas and goals.
   2. Discriminate between statements of fact and opinion.
   3. Discriminate between emotional and logical arguments.
   4. Analyze information and inferences in order to draw conclusions.
   5. Recognize coherence in structure and use of voice and style.
   6. Produce an active listening response to a message.
   7. Explain, identify and apply compliance gaining strategies.



3. Quantitative Reasoning
   1. Interpret mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables and schematics and draw inferences from them.
   2. Represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically and verbally.
   3. Estimate numerical probabilities and make reasonable judgments based on knowledge of probabilities.
   4. Make logical inferences and identify logical errors and fallacies.
   5. Solve problems involving basic geometrical concepts such as distance, area, volume, angle, and rectangular coordinates.
   6. Use basic algebra to solve equations.



4. Information and Technology Literacy
   1. Identify, access, evaluate, organize and present information, using appropriate tools and technologies.
   2. Use information and information technology responsibly, in accordance with legal and ethical principles.



5. Reasoning about Moral and Ethical Questions
   1. Explain the principles by which people make moral and ethical judgments.
   2. Explain the reasoning that serves as the basis for a specific ethical choice and discuss the likely consequences of that choice for the individual and society.
   3. Distinguish between value assertions and statements of fact; evaluate the arguments for value assertions.
   4. Recognize and explain the moral/ethical issues relevant to an action or situation.



6. Critical thinking
   1. Ask relevant questions
   2. Evaluate the quality of arguments and evidence and the accuracy of claims.
   3. Distinguish between fact, inference, and opinion and use each appropriately.
   4. Use statistics appropriately.
   5. Recognize alternative approaches and conflicting viewpoints.
   6. Support a position with reason and evidence and withhold judgment when reason and evidence are insufficient.
   7. State consequences and implications of different problem solutions.


The student shall be exposed to the central ideas, issues and methods of inquiry in (7-9)


7. Arts/Humanities



8. Natural/physical Sciences



9. Social/behavioral Sciences



10. Diversity
    1. Explain perspectives linked to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation both in American society and in international contexts.
    2. Identify and define the differences and commonalities between the student’s own culture and a different culture.
    3. Recognize and evaluate how the students own cultural history affects their sense of self and relationship to others.
    4. Recognize the basis and impact of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes.
    5. Recognize the significance of western and non-western cultural contributions.



11. Groups and Other Interactive Situations
    1. Set and manage realistic agendas.
    2. When leading a group, keep group interactions relevant and focused.
    3. When a member of a group, contribute to interaction in ways that are relevant and focused.
    4. Use motivational techniques to encourage others to participate and work effectively.
    5. Manage and participate in group problem solving.
    6. Ask and answer questions concisely and to the point or issue.

Approved by the Indiana University Southeast Faculty Senate
April 2000/November 2000

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