The General Education Committee has been busy this fall! (And thank you to faculty, staff, and students who gave additional comments and input, and to Chairs for encouraging and stimulating the discussion!)
The Committee has approved and sent to the University Curriculum Committee a number of improved student learning outcomes to replace many of our competency statements, effective in the 2019-2020 undergraduate catalog.
(Update – these changes have been approved and will be effective in fall 2019. For learning outcomes with rubrics, click here.)
What has changed?
The table below shows the proposed changes next to the current catalog language. (A pdf version is also available.)
What has not changed?
Our list of courses with General Education credit are not changing right now. Our current Cross-Cultural Awareness and Science and Technology in Society requirements are not changing right now. The Critical Thinking and Ethical Judgment credits that students earn in their majors are not changing right now.
The General Education Commitee will lead more faculty discussion in spring 2019 about broader structural revisions.
Why are these changes occurring?
A general education curriculum is more than just a set of courses! Student learning outcomes are required by SACSCOC and connect the holistic development of our students to the content, pedagogy, and assignment design of specific courses.
A new mission statement was created to help articulate the purpose of a coherent and meaningful General Education curriculum, drawn directly from the values of the Clemson community as gathered in discussions over the past year.
With renewed learning outcomes, we can focus on faculty development and meaningful assessment to fulfill our University mission.
Changes
General Education Student Learning OutcomesGeneral Education Competencies
| 2019-2020 Catalog | 2018-2019 Catalog, for comparison |
| Mission Statement
In order to become informed and productive citizens, undergraduate students need to think critically and synthetically about substantive and often interlinked aesthetic, ethical, historical, linguistic, philosophical, societal, scientific, and quantitative global challenges and issues. Therefore, in addition to being prepared to complete a major course of study, Clemson University undergraduate students are required to undertake a general education core course of study to develop and to demonstrate the ability to synthesize information relevant to complex issues, to evaluate the quality and utility of the information, and to use the outcomes of their analysis to reach persuasive logical conclusions. The Clemson University undergraduate curriculum is designed such that arts and humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, and written and oral communication contribute to the holistic development of its students. |
Mission Statement
Academic institutions exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the intellectual and ethical development of students, and the general well-being of society. Undergraduate students must be broadly educated and technically skilled to be informed and productive citizens. As citizens, they need to be able to think critically about significant issues. Students also need to be prepared to complete undergraduate work and a major course of study. The mission requires a high level of knowledge about and competence in the following areas:
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| Arts and Humanities
Students will analyze, interpret, and employ aesthetic, ethical, linguistic, and/or philosophical discourse in relevant contexts. or Students will create, perform, interpret, reinterpret, and/or criticize artistic works. |
Arts and Humanities
Demonstrate an ability to analyze and/or interpret the arts and humanities. |
| Mathematics
Students will demonstrate mathematical literacy through interpretation of mathematical forms and performing calculations. |
Mathematics
Demonstrate mathematical literacy through solving problems, communicating concepts, reasoning mathematically, and applying mathematical or statistical methods, using multiple representations where applicable. |
| Natural Sciences
Students will demonstrate the process of scientific reasoning through experimental activity and critical comparison of their results to those predicted by accepted natural science principles. |
Natural Sciences
Demonstrate the process of scientific reasoning by performing an experiment and thoroughly discussing the results with reference to the scientific literature, or by studying a question through critical analysis of the evidence in the scientific literature. |
| Social Sciences
Students will use social science concepts and evidence to explain human actions or behaviors in the past, the present, and/or the future. |
Social Sciences
Describe and explain human actions using social science concepts and evidence. |
| [No change is proposed at this time.] | Cross-Cultural Awareness
Explain how aspects of culture are integrated into a comprehensive worldview; and then demonstrate how culture influences human behavior. |
| [No change is proposed at this time.] | Science and Technology in Society
Demonstrate an understanding of issues created by the complex interactions among science, technology, and society. |
| Communication
Students will demonstrate competence in communication through organization of a central message with supporting materials in the chosen medium. |
Communication
Effective oral and written communication is the means by which all competencies will be demonstrated. |
| [No change is proposed at this time.] | Critical Thinking
Demonstrate the ability to assemble information relevant to a significant, complex issue, evaluate the quality and utility of the information, and use the outcome of the analysis to reach a logical conclusion about the issue. |
| [No change is proposed at this time.] | Ethical Judgment
Demonstrate an ability to identify, comprehend, and deal with ethical problems and their ramifications in a systematic, thorough, and responsible way. |