Science and Math General Education Working Group

Rationale
The Science and Math Working Group feel that the General Education Program at Millersville University is not irreparably broken. We believe that the current system does meet the characteristics proposed by the reform. However, we also believe the current curriculum is perceived by students and faculty alike as incoherent and lacking clear purpose. Therefore, our working group strongly encourages a reframing of the general education curriculum where all students are consistently encouraged by the general education structure and more importantly by advisors and faculty members to seek an intellectually rich curriculum. Our proposal creates thematic overlays for general education blocks whereby a clear purpose is intentionally stated and packages of courses are created that encourage coherence and intellectual richness within the current structure.

Our proposal

• The G1/G2/G3 core requirements remain the same but overlays are created to frame General Education into coherent themes such as Our Changing World, Human Experience, or Tour de Science (see attached).
  36-37 credits

• Life Skills: This three credit grouping may be fulfilled through freshmen seminar, wellness, or other newly designed courses.
  • Freshman Seminar may consist of 1-3 credits
  • Freshmen Seminar may be housed within the department or as a University seminar for undecided students
    • Strongly encourage freshmen seminars related to Themes
  • Redesigned physical education/wellness courses that teach sports for ½ credits may be used to reach 3 credit total
  3 credits

• Foundations: ENGL 110 and COMM 100 remain the same but suggest they become part of genuine learning communities with linked general education course and freshman seminar
  • Topics covered in ENGL 110 and COMM 100 relate to the freshman seminar or general education theme
  6 credits

• The Advanced Writing (AW) course also remains but individual sections are designed for students of similar majors and/or interests. For example, one section would be for meteorology and physics majors; another section designed for oceanography and marine biology majors; another section designed for environmental studies students.
  3 credits

• The Perspectives Component (P) remains unchanged
  3 credits

51 Total Credits

Our Changing World

G1: Change in America

Choose One

MUSI 267 Survey of American Music W
ART 313 Art in America

Choose 3 Courses: No more than 2 may be from the same department

COMM 220 Survey of History, Structure, and Social Impact of American Mass Media
COMM 441 Political Communication W
ENGL 235 Early American Literature
ENGL 236 Later American Literature
ENGL 250 The Press and Society W

G2: Change in the Natural World

Required Courses

ESCI 102 Origin and Evolution of the Earth
ESCI 221 Physical Geology with Lab L

Choose One

BIOL 103 The Science of Evolution
BIOL 205 Heredity and Human Affairs BIOL 100

MATH 130 Elements of Statistics
MATH 235 Survey of Statistics MATH 151 or 160

G3: Humans and Change

Required Courses

ANTH 122 Physical Anthropology

Choose One

SOCY 216 Human Population W
SOCY 313 Sociology of Disaster W

Choose Two

GEOG 101 Global Environment
GEOG 202 Resources and the Environment
GEOG 230 Physical Geography
GEOG 333 Biogeography GEOG 230 or BIOL 100
GEOG 336 Climate and Society

P: Perspectives Requirement

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