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GE Area D4: Self Development

GE Program Goals

D4: Educational Objectives and Criteria - Introduction

Lower-division foundation courses in Area D1- D4 provide students with a basic understanding of humans, their institutions, and their social achievements in both contemporary and historical contexts. Courses in this area prepare a student for the demanding tasks of civic participation, life-long learning, the understanding of self and of the human community, and the achievement of perspective in time, space, and human diversity. Consequently, courses in this area should encourage students to see themselves in context with others, and to see the human experience as something that is both uniquely individual and communally comparable. By placing basic knowledge in a larger context, these courses provide a vision of why this area is an important component of general education. Courses in this area also emphasize writing as an integral part of the process of learning and discovery.

Lower-division courses in  D1 - D4  must meet THREE of the following objectives:
After completing the foundation courses in Area D/E, students should have an enhanced ability to understand:

D1 - D4:  Lower-Division Educational Objectives

EO 1  physiological, psychological, and social influences on thinking and behavior; how the mind and body work in concert; issues of "nature" versus "nurture"; personal development; and the importance of maintaining physical and mental health;

EO 2  how human beings act in concert; historically how communities have grouped together; basic interpersonal relationships (social, economic, political, and legal); the constant interplay in human society between the protection and elevation of the individual and the welfare of the community; how individual actions affect the whole;

EO 3  organizations of public order, of commerce and labor, and of society (family, education, government, religion, and economy) and their origins; how humans create institutions and what they expect from them; and how institutions function to first reflect then shape human society;

EO 4  the impact of history on the present and the future; how history affects the study of history; the importance of mythology; historical development in multidisciplinary terms (economic, political, sociological, institutional, intellectual, legal, and scientific); and the development of both western and non-western cultures;

EO 5  how the environment affects human behavior; the human impact on the environment; the importance of geographic and environmental factors on the historical evolution of human society and economy; the interconnectedness of the planet, its natural resources, and its population;

EO 6  the human experience in comparative terms by examining the diversity of experience from both individual and group perspectives with special attention to the issues of gender, ethnicity, and racial diversity on our planet;

EO 7  the importance of empirical information and appropriate methodologies.

Lower-division courses in D4 must meet each of the following criteria:
The course proposal and expanded course outline must clearly indicate how the course:

 Criteria for Area D4: (CSU Area E: Self Development)

CR 1  provides an understanding and appreciation of the self as an integrated physiological, psychological, and social being; and addresses issues relevant to the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social aspects of well-being;

CR 2  presents the theories and methodologies used to examine the self, their contexts, and their advantages and disadvantages;

CR 3  provides an understanding of the commonalties and individual differences among humans, and how these are expressed across the human life span and in a social or cultural context;

CR 4  provides an opportunity for students to see practical application of classroom material for enhancing their own personal development;

CR 5  includes an appropriate writing component.

All General Education courses must have a writing component. In achieving this objective, writing in most courses should be viewed primarily as a tool of learning (rather than a goal in itself as in a composition course), and faculty should determine the appropriate ways to integrate writing into coursework. While the writing component may take different forms according to the subject matter and the purpose of a course, at least 10% of the grade in all GE courses must be based on appropriate written work.

 
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Last Update: 6/13/07


General Education Progam
California Polytechnic State University
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