Eastern Michigan University: General Education

Area 1: Effective Communication

The Effective Communication requirement is met by two General Education courses:

One required course in written composition (ENGL 121)
One required course in oral communication (CTAS 124)

In addition, as a University requirement, all students must complete an upper-level Writing-Intensive course connected to their major.

In ENGL 121, students will.

Become aware of the expectations of different audiences.
Demonstrate the ability to make explicit choices about the form and content of their writing.
Understand multiple modes of inquiry and demonstrate the ability to incorporate significant research into writing that engages a question and/or topic.
Understand that writing takes place through recurring processes of invention, revision, and editing and develop successful, flexible strategies for their own writing through these processes.
Use conventions associated with standard written English.
Use academic citation systems (MLA or APA) for documenting work.
Use a computer to construct sequential drafts of writing projects.
Acquire the ability to locate and critically assess sources available online.

In CTAS 124, students will.

Research, plan, prepare, adapt, and deliver oral messages that clearly and succinctly communicate information to public audiences.
Critically evaluate and respond to arguments made by others.
Use appropriate evidence and/or ethical oral communication strategies to persuade and/or influence public audiences.
Develop the ability to analyze critically and evaluate a public (oral) communication.
Learn to use language appropriate to different audiences and occasions.

In the upper-level Writing-Intensive courses in the major, students will.

Develop and employ successful, flexible writing and reading strategies that support sustained inquiry in a discipline.
Use writing strategies that achieve the purposes(s) for writing and address the expectations of audience(s) within a disciplinary context.
Formulate research questions and employ strategies for researching and responding to those questions.
Use discipline-specific genres to communicate information.
Understand conventions for communicating, disseminating, and interpreting information within a discipline.

Area 2: Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is met by one Quantitative Reasoning course.

In a Quantitative Reasoning Course, students will learn to solve real-life problems using a mathematical modeling process. They will learn to.

Identify an appropriate model.
Identify and discuss assumptions.
Collect or generate appropriate data.
Analyze a situation using arithmetic, geometric, algebraic, and probabilistic or statistical methods.
Estimate answers.
Propose and evaluate solutions.
Predict outcomes in other situations based on what they have learned from their analysis.
Understand and communicate quantitative relationships using symbols, equations, graphs, and tables.
Share their findings in oral and written reports using appropriate mathematical language.
Write summaries to explain how they reached their conclusions.
Draw inferences from a model.
Discuss the limitations of the model.

Area 3: Perspectives on a Diverse World

The Perspectives on a Diverse World requirement is met by two General Education courses:

One course focused on Global Awareness
One course focused on U.S. Diversity

In the Global Awareness course, students will.

Explore specific global issues influencing diverse nations and/or cultures, along with their interrelations within the global community.
Explore their own culture and cultural practices and how these relate to the cultures and cultural practices of others in the global community.
Explore the social and historical dynamics that create and influence nations, governments, global alliances, and global conflicts.
Explore the causes and consequences of social, cultural, and racial intolerance in the world.
Analyze and synthesize information from diverse sources to make informed decisions regarding global issues.

In the U.S. Diversity course, students will.

Examine the complexity of their own cultural identities and how these relate to the cultural identities of others in the U.S.
Explore the causes and consequences of social intolerance in the U.S.
Examine the differences between social intolerance and institutionalized racism, ethnocentrism, and exclusion in the U.S.
Explore how diversity has affected and continues to affect income distribution, economic mobility, political access, and the democratic process in the U.S.
Develop an awareness of alternative values, views, and communication styles in the U.S.

Area 4: Knowledge of the Disciplines

The Knowledge of the Disciplines requirement is met as follows:

Two courses in the Arts (different disciplines)
Two courses in the Humanities (different disciplines)
Two courses in the Social Sciences (different disciplines)
Two courses in the Natural Sciences (different disciplines)

In Knowledge of the Disciplines courses, students will.

Acquire introductory knowledge about the discipline.
Develop questions for inquiry that reflect an understanding of the discipline(s) in which they are asked.
Learn how knowledge is developed and disseminated in particular disciplines.

In the Arts courses, students will.

Acquire basic knowledge and skills in the use of the vocabularies, materials, tools, techniques, and intellectual methods in an arts discipline.
Examine the relationship between creative and critical thinking.
Learn the relationship between content and form.
Begin to understand historical development in an arts discipline.
Develop ability to evaluate work in an arts discipline.
Learn to define and solve artistic problems.

In Humanities courses, students will.

Recognize how the humanities cultivate aesthetic appreciation, imagination, and empathic understanding of others.
Demonstrate basic competency in reading and understanding literary, philosophical, or religious works both in their original historical context and as they inform debate and dialogue today.
Analyze and write about literary, philosophical, or religious works.
Demonstrate basic knowledge of the history of literary works, or religious or philosophical ideas.
Become familiar with the discursive practices particular to the study of the humanities.
Begin to recognize how society influences humanistic thought and how the humanities transform society.
Become practiced in the interpretation and generation of ideas.

In Foreign Language courses, students will.

Communicate at a basic functional level in a language other than their own native language.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the relationship between culture and language.
Use basic forms and structures of a language in communicating in that language.

In Social Science courses, students will.

Acquire an understanding of social science methods and of how they are used to engage in the systematic study of society and culture.
Understand and compare formal and informal social and political structures, organizations, and institutions.
Explore and understand power relationships and the impact of social change on different groups and on society in general.
Develop an appreciation of different interpretations of contemporary issues, institutions, or structures.
Use social science methods and content to interpret and analyze data and reports in the media and to make informed decisions regarding local, national, and international issues.
Use basic social scientific research techniques to examine and present information in a clear and concise manner.
Understand the relation between qualitative and quantitative research.

In Natural Science courses, students will.

Apply the scientific method and its assumptions to pose and answer questions.

Make observations, develop appropriate classifications, and infer trends.
Gather original data to verify the validity and reliability of accepted scientific principles.
Analyze and solve a scientific problem by drawing conclusions based on original data gathered using appropriate experimental techniques.
Use the processes and methods of science to demonstrate how reproducible experimental observations give rise to fundamental laws and theories.
Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which theories may evolve with time.
Analyze and solve problems by identifying and utilizing appropriate data and methodology.

Attain a basic knowledge of current scientific understanding of the universe and the laws that govern it.

Demonstrate a core knowledge base of facts and information.
Demonstrate a working knowledge of the hierarchical structure of natural science.

Become a scientifically literate citizen.

Acquire and apply an appropriate technical vocabulary.
Interpret, analyze, and critically evaluate data and reports in the media relating to the natural sciences.
Engage in informed discussions about the validity of the conclusions from reports in the media relating to the natural sciences.
Employ available resources to find relevant scientific or technical information.
Make informed decisions about scientific issues in daily life.

Area 5: Learning beyond the Classroom

The Learning beyond the Classroom requirement is met when students have satisfied two of the six focus areas below. These activities may or may not be credit-bearing.

Students who complete experiences in the Self and Well-Being area will.

Learn to achieve a balance between education, work, and leisure.
Choose behaviors and environments that promote health and reduce risk.
Develop skills and habits that aid in future life and career pursuits.

This area may be satisfied by courses, or it can be satisfied by participating in a coached sport, by participating in the EMU Marching Band, or by participating in Military Science activities.

Students who complete experiences in the Community Service, Citizenship, and Leadership area will.

Participate in the development, maintenance, and/or change of community standards and norms.
Participate in service/volunteer activities.
Develop leadership skills.
Develop skills and habits that aid in future life and career pursuits.
Develop and practice empathy for others.
Acquire skills for working cooperatively with others.

This area may be satisfied by a course designated as a service-learning course. It may also be satisfied by attendance at a week-long intensive experience such as LeaderShape, Alternative Spring Break, or the Student Volunteerism Conference. This area may also be satisfied by participation on the executive board of a student organization or by consistent community service with a campus-based student organization. It may also be satisfied by work as a supplemental instructor for at least one semester.

Students who complete experiences in the Cultural and Academic Activities and Events area will.

Understand and appreciate the relationship between curricular and co-curricular activities.
Experience and feel part of the campus community.
Appreciate campus activities and events that broaden their academic experiences.

This area may be satisfied by courses in which students are asked to attend at least four campus cultural or academic events. This area may also be satisfied by attendance at eight cultural or academic events sponsored by the university over the course of their enrollment, or by participating in the production of an arts or entertainment event.

Students who complete experiences in the Career and Professional Development area will.

Consider their careers and futures as professionals in reference to what they have achieved already, what they are doing currently, and what their interests and goals are.
Explore various career and professional opportunities through structured channels.

This area may be satisfied by involvement in a structured career exploration experience such as an internship or co-op. It may also be satisfied by taking a career development course or by significant, documented involvement with a professional organization (e.g., as an officer or volunteer).

Students who have international experiences in the International and Multicultural Experience area will.

Appreciate cultures outside of the U.S.
Understand how different cultures approach social problems.
Acquire the perspective of a cultural minority.
Acquire the skills necessary to function in another culture.

Students who have multicultural experiences in the International and Multicultural Experience area will.

Understand and appreciate cultures within the U.S.
Appreciate various forms of cultural expression.
Communicate effectively across cultures within the U.S.

This area may be satisfied by a study abroad experience, by an alternative spring break outside the United States, or by significant, documented participation in the planning and implementation of a major international or multicultural event.

For students who have taken a course in a foreign language to fulfill the Humanities requirement, this area may also be satisfied by completing a second course in that foreign language. Alternately, a student may fulfill this requirement by taking a first course in a foreign language; however, the same course cannot be counted for both this category and the Humanities requirement.

Students who have experiences in the Undergraduate Research area will.

Learn to carry out self-directed or independent learning projects.
Collaborate with or be mentored by a faculty member.
Appreciate the value of learning for self-understanding and actualization.
Appreciate the value of intellectual and critical engagement with local and global issues.

This area may be satisfied by a guided independent study. Desired outcomes for such research experiences are for students to publish their work or to present it at the Undergraduate Symposium or at a regional, national, or international conference.