Propose a Perspective: Instructor Information

Propose a Perspective

Perspectives courses are taught within departments.  Sometimes they are pre-existing courses that answer the requirements of a Perspectives category; sometimes they are courses created to serve as a General Education Perspective.

Perspectives must be approved within your department and division as a normal departmental course before being considered as a General Education Perspectives course.  If that is accomplished, the course must then be submitted to the Faculty Council General Education Implementation Committee, with a form that appears below.

What kind of course can be a Perspective?

A Perspective can be any course that fits into one of the seven Perspective Categories designated below, and that includes the proficiencies and outcomes that define the category chosen. Though the majority of Perspectives ought to be lower-level courses (200 level), upper level Perspectives (300 level) are also appropriate providing they include prerequisites (junior or senior standing, for instance) that keeps under-qualified students from electing them.

Should Perspectives Courses be open to Majors?

Perspectives courses can be open to majors.  Some departments however prefer to create separate 200-level courses to serve General education students, both to provide a more general introduction to Gen Ed students, and to keep Gen Ed students from filling courses required for majors.

Other departments will offer a large lecture open to Gen Ed students and majors, reserving certain recitation sections for Gen Ed students, and others for majors.

The Perspectives Categories and Requirements

A.  Artistic Perspective:
-Objective: An Awareness of Artistic Issues from a Critical Perspective
-Proficiency:  W (A. WRITING: 3500 Words of Writing; Ability to write a critical essay; Ability to prepare a bibliography and outline; Oral and Written communication skills.
B. INFORMATION LITERACY: Ability to conduct Library and Internet Research)

B.  Global History and Culture Perspective:
-Objective: Familiarity with belief systems, history, social dynamics of a society outside of the Euro-American tradition.
-Proficiency:  W (A. WRITING: 3500 Words of Writing; Ability to write a critical essay; Ability to prepare a bibliography and outline. Oral and Written communication skills.
B. INFORMATION LITERACY: Ability to conduct Library and Internet Research)

C.  Literary Perspective:
-Objective: An understanding of the methods and concerns of literary analysis, with close reading and attention to historical context
-Proficiency:  W (A. WRITING: 3500 Words of Writing; Ability to write a critical essay. To prepare a bibliography and outline. Oral and Written communication skills.
B. INFORMATION LITERACY: Ability to conduct Library and Internet Research)

D.  Logical/Philosophical Perspective:
-Objective: Experience with analytic and/or philosophical reasoning, to examine fundamental questions of ethics, justice and     epistemology
-Proficiency:  W (A. WRITING: 3500 Words of Writing; Ability to write a critical essay. To prepare a bibliography and outline. Oral and Written communication skills.
B. INFORMATION LITERACY: Ability to conduct Library and Internet Research)

E.   Natural/Scientific:
-Objective: Experience with the techniques and methodologies of science including experience gathering and interpreting data.
-Proficiency: Q (QUANTITATIVE SKILLS:  Math skills, experience in interpreting graphs, charts, statistics. Technological competency.)

F. Natural/Scientific Perspective with an Interactive Component:
Objective: Experience with the techniques and methodologies of science including experience gathering and interpreting data, with a hands-on, interactive component.
-Proficiency: Q (QUANTITATIVE SKILLS:  Math skills, experience in interpreting graphs, charts, statistics. Technological competency.)

G. Self and Society Perspective:
-Objective: An awareness of ethical and societal justice as well as theories and methods in the study of individuals and society and issues surrounding (gender, race, class, etc.)
-Proficiency:  EITHER W (A. WRITING: 3500 Words of Writing; Ability to write a critical essay. To prepare a bibliography and outline. Oral and Written communication skills.B. INFORMATION LITERACY: Ability to conduct Library and Internet Research) –AND/OR-  Q (QUANTITATIVE SKILLS:  Math skills, experience in interpreting graphs, charts, statistics. Technological competency.)

H.  US Society Perspective:
-Objective: Knowledge of selected events and key topics in the development of US society, through various tools and analytic approach.
--Proficiency:  W  (A. WRITING: 3500 Words of Writing; Ability to write a critical essay. To prepare a bibliography and outline. Oral and Written communication skills.
B. INFORMATION LITERACY: Ability to conduct Library and Internet Research)

Courses that include “Q” proficiencies instead of “W” and vice versa are also welcome (ie: a “Q” course in Philosophy.  However, Perspectives must have either the “W” or “Q” skills broadly defined above, embedded.)