MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL ON ACADEMIC AFFAIRS 9-2-99

The September 2, 1999, meeting of the Council on Academic Affairs was held at 2:00 p.m. in the Arcola/Tuscola Room.

III. Changes in the Incomplete Policy, 99-39.

4. Report on Honors Program.

The meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m. Billie Rawlings, Recording Secretary.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEXT MEETING

September 16, 1999 at 2 p.m.

Arcola/Tuscola Room of the MLK Union

Agenda:

99-39 Changes in the Incomplete Policy. (Postponed until the September 16 of Fall semester.)

DRAFT DRAFT 7/6/99

General Education at Eastern Illinois University

Responsible Global Citizenship through Mindful Scholarship

General Education at Eastern Illinois University offers students an intellectual foundation for their future academic, professional, and personal lives. Mindful scholarship necessitates not only dedicated study but reflection on the purposes and consequences of that study. By fostering serious and enthusiastic learning, Eastern Illinois University seeks to instill the value of intellectual curiosity and lifelong education in its students. Equipped with the values and traditions of scholarship, students will be better prepared to fulfill their duties as responsible citizens and capable leaders in a diverse world.

The mission of the General Education program at Eastern Illinois University is three-fold:

-to enhance student literacy

-to encourage students to think critically and reflectively

-to introduce students to knowledge central to responsible global citizenship

Enhancing literacy and oral communication

Mindful scholarship requires that students develop their ability to listen and read critically as well as to write and speak clearly and effectively. Additionally, to function in a global society requires an appreciation for communication within and among cultures through both the written and spoken word. Therefore, as a foundation for further exploration within the general education curriculum, for study in one’s major area, and for developing a successful career, our general education program requires both course work in and assessment of written and oral communication skills.

Critical and reflective thinking

Mindful scholars engage in a process of critical thinking learned through exposure to disciplinary study in the traditional areas: physical and biological sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and humanities and fine arts. Developing analytical thinking skills and working in the modern world require knowledge of mathematics. Additionally, an adequate foundation for pursuing study in any of the sciences requires mathematical skills. Consequently, the general education program also requires one course from a select group in that discipline.

In physical and biological sciences courses, students are introduced to the rigor and practice of scientific inquiry through classroom and laboratory experiences. They learn to consider analytically the description, understanding, explanation, and prediction of physical and biological phenomena. Students acquire further scientific awareness as they explore the social, economic, political, and ethical implications of science and technology as well as the dilemmas they create.

The social and behavioral sciences more directly focus on understanding society and the individual. In these courses, students will have the opportunity to apply various methods of inquiry and analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, to the study of the human condition. These sciences emphasize the importance of understanding the diversity of human cultures, their socio-historical context, and one’s personal responsibility of being not only a good citizen, but a steward of the environment cognizant of the importance of globalism in the twenty-first century.

In humanities and fine arts students are presented with the liberal arts in their cultural contexts. These courses are designed to broaden students’ knowledge of culture and help them practice the principle of cultural relativity, that is, the appreciation of each culture in its own right without prejudging it based on one’s own experiences. Students will also begin to develop historical consciousness by learning of the forces and events that have shaped our nation and world. Courses in the arts and humanities enhance students’ aesthetic literacy by helping them develop awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the contribution of the arts to past and present cultures.

The general education program thus gives students the opportunity to explore the variety of ways of knowing through the disciplinary foundations of a liberal arts education. These courses help students become more mindful of the relationships among self, society, and the environment. Such preparation is vital as society becomes more complex, interdependent, and reflective of diversity. In all disciplines Eastern Illinois University’s general education curriculum provides choices among courses that collectively encourage students to develop critical and reflective thinking as an intellectual habit.

Responsible Global Citizenship

The general education curriculum is also designed to develop and strengthen those attitudes integral to responsible global citizenship—ethical behavior, civic participation, and an appreciation of diversity. Responsible citizens not only comprehend world-shaping forces and events and the varied experiences that shape human culture, but also use that understanding to make informed, objective, and ethical decisions. They understand their responsibility as educated members of society and actively participate in their communities. Finally, responsible global citizens appreciate the diversity of the world and work and live in it comfortably.