University Studies Program Overview
The University Studies Program of
Winona State University provides a broad base of skills and knowledge to equip
students for informed, responsible citizenship in a changing world. It thereby
distinguishes a college degree from a technical or occupational training
program certificate. The program provides opportunities for students to
evaluate their cultural and social inheritance critically, to think
scientifically in both the natural and social spheres, to think beyond the
boundaries of their own culture, and to understand the expressive arts. It also
enhances reasoning, analytic, and communication skills that students will need
to perform well in a wide range of occupations and post-graduate programs.
Finally, the program provides the opportunity for students to explore how an
understanding of the connections among these diverse bodies of skill and
knowledge enhances their ability to live well and ethically in the contemporary
world.
All students, including transfer students,
must complete the University Studies Program in order to graduate from
Winona
State
University. Transfer students
whose general education requirement has been waived because of receipt of an
Associate of Arts Degree from a community college or completion of the
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum at another institution must nevertheless
successfully complete the University Studies Program flag requirements
explained below.
Upon successful completion of the
University Studies, students should be able to demonstrate the following
characteristics of a college and university graduate:
- ability to read,
write, and speak appropriate English at levels significantly above that
which is expected of a high school graduate;
- familiarity with
the various ways in which information is produced, gathered, processed,
and used;
- ability to
reason, understand, and manipulate ideas or numbers;
- familiarity with
various forms of human expression (written, oral, artistic, physical);
- knowledge of and
sensitivity toward those aspects of life and the environment that are
common to all life as well as those aspects that display diversity;
- willingness to
accept appropriate responsibilities and to practice freedom, justice, and
equality for all; and
- commitment to lifelong
learning and cultivation of intellectual curiosity.
University Studies Program
Overview
I.
Governance Structure
A.
University Studies Subcommittee
The University Studies
Subcommittee (USS) is a standing subcommittee reporting to the
Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee (A2C2). The USS will consist of
representation from each college and from the English, Communication Studies,
and Mathematics/Statistics Departments. The members will be drawn from among
the members and alternate members of A2C2. A2C2 will elect the members. Members
will serve staggered three-year terms. The Director of the University Studies
Program will be a non-voting ex-officio member of the USS and will chair the
committee.
B.
University Studies
Director
1.
The responsibilities
of the Faculty Director are as follows:
a.
oversee
the final stage of implementing the University Studies Program;
b.
serve
as chair and ex-officio non-voting member of the
University Studies
Subcommittee of A2C2;
c.
oversee
the section(s) of the catalog devoted to the University Studies Program;
d.
direct
production and distribution of publicity materials concerning university
studies to faculty and students;
e.
direct
dissemination of University Studies Program objectives and purpose in the First
Year Orientation course;
f.
coordinate
with Faculty Development programming related to development of Unity and
Diversity courses and implementation of the upper division flag requirements;
g.
coordinate assessment of the
program with the university Assessment Coordinator.
h.
advocate for team teaching possibilities in
University Studies courses.
2.
Qualifications:
The candidate must be
a full time member of the
Winona
State
University faculty.
3.
Compensation:
The faculty director
will receive 3/8 reassigned time for the academic year.
4.
Term: The term of appointment
is 3 years, and is open for renewal.
II.
Departments,
Disciplines and Course Placement
A.
Upper
division courses and courses with prerequisites are permitted in the University
Studies Program.
B.
Courses
in the Arts and Sciences Core may be taken from a single department.
C.
In
the Arts and Sciences Core it is understood that departments and programs
excluded from the list of departments normally associated with the areas of
study may submit courses for approval in those core areas.
D.
Courses
in the Basic Skills or Unity and Diversity categories may fulfill both major
and University Studies requirements. Students can use a course to meet
requirements in any major, minor, option or concentration requiring the course.
However, students may not use a course in her/his major to meet an Arts and
Sciences Core requirement unless it is an additional requirement. Those courses
are noted under the Major Requirements with an asterisk *. (Credit earned in
the course counts only once toward the minimum 128 semester credits required
for graduation.)
E.
A
course may be approved to satisfy only one set of outcomes.
F.
Students
may not fulfill more than one Course Requirement with a single course.
G.
Approved
sequences of courses may be used to satisfy a University Studies Program requirement.
H.
Flagged
courses will normally be upper division courses within the student’s major. A
course may carry only one flag per 3 semester credits.
III.
Transfer Policy
A.
Successful
completion of the WSU University Studies Course Requirements fulfills the requirements
of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
B.
Students
transferring to WSU with an associate degree (i.e. A.S. or A.A.S.) from an
accredited Minnesota community college,
non-Minnesota community college or any four-year college or university can
normally anticipate that they will meet the WSU University Studies Course
Requirements once they have completed a total of 40 semester hours. Those 40
hours must include humanities, the natural sciences and social sciences (as
defined by WSU) and include coursework equivalent to the courses required in
the basic skills. (Drawn from current WSU catalog.)
C.
Transfer
students who receive a waiver of the University Studies Course Requirements
must complete the Flag requirements in the University Studies Program.
IV.
Course Approval
Process
The
USS will review courses submitted by departments for inclusion in the
University Studies Program. Courses will receive approval for a fixed period.
Approval will automatically expire if the course is not submitted for review
before the end of that fixed period. In order to stagger workload, in the first
round of review the length of the fixed period will vary from 4 to 6 years.
Thereafter, the fixed period will be 6 years.
A.
Required Courses
1.
Course
proposals must address all specified outcomes.
2.
The
course proposal must include documentation of Course Requirements and learning
activities designed to meet the course outcomes specified for the area.
3.
The
course proposal must include a course description that clearly identifies the
course as a University Studies Course and the Course Requirement which it
satisfies.
4.
The
course description should include information directed to the student which
clearly identifies course activities and assignments that address the course
outcomes.
5.
Course
sequences may be submitted for approval to satisfy the area requirements. In
this case, it must be demonstrated that the relevant outcomes are met across
the approval must be submitted for all courses in the sequence. Note: The
University Studies Program requirement is met when the course sequence is
successfully completed. Students will not receive University Studies credit for
partial completion of an approved course sequence.
6.
The
USS may request other material (e.g., textbooks) for review in evaluating
course a proposal.
7.
The
USS may request additional information for re-approval.
B.
Flagged Courses
1.
The
USS recognizes that decisions as to which courses meet department flag
requirements reside with the department offering the courses. Nevertheless,
departments are required to demonstrate how flagged courses address the
relevant outcomes for each flag.
2.
Departments
should submit course descriptions for flagged courses to the USS and the
syllabus should clearly identify the course as a course that satisfies a flag
requirement within the University Studies
3.
The
course descriptions for flagged courses should include information directed to
students which clearly identifies activities and
assignments that address the outcomes.
4.
The
USS committee has the right to comment on department plans for flagged courses
and to offer suggestions
5.
No
flagged course will satisfy University Studies Course Requirements in the
University Studies Program.
V.
Implementation Date
The
University Studies Program will be implemented in Fall Semester 2001.
UNIVERSITY STUDIES REQUIREMENTS
- COURSE
REQUIREMENTS (46 S.H.)
A.
Basic Skills (12 S.H.)
1.
College
Reading and Writing (4 S.H.)
The purpose of the
College Reading and Writing requirement is to help WSU students increase their
critical reading, thinking, and writing skills. The course will help students
develop a mature writing style and an ability to integrate material from
multiple sources with their own writing. The course will further emphasize
writing as essential to academic learning and intellectual development. Only
approved courses offered by the Department of English can be used to satisfy
the University Studies requirements for Basic Skills in College Reading and
Writing.
The course is designed
to establish a foundation for the reading and writing done in later college
courses, supporting a larger writing-across-the-curriculum educational
experience; therefore, students should take it as soon as possible, preferably
in their first year and certainly no later than their third semester.
The course must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
read
challenging texts that reflect important cultural themes and demand critical
thinking;
b.
analyze
the rhetoric and structure of (their own and others’) arguments;
c.
summarize
and critique examples of mature expository and argumentative prose;
d.
revise
through multiple drafts and critical readings to create and complete successful
essays;
e.
formulate
intelligent claims and make purposeful, appropriate documented use of authoritative
sources as supporting evidence;
f.
make
use of basic tools of research, such as general indexes, periodicals, and
on-line databases;
g.
construct
coherent essays based on reading, interpreting, analyzing, critiquing, and
synthesizing texts;
h.
adapt
the structure, content, and tone of their writing to the knowledge and
attitudes of their audience;
i.
use
vivid, concrete language; concise, varied sentences; unified, cohesive
paragraphs; gender inclusive English; and a college-level vocabulary; and
j.
proofread, edit, and correct their final copy
for common errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage.
2.
Oral Communication (3
S.H.)
The purpose of the
basic Oral Communication requirement is to provide all students with the
knowledge and experience required to enable them to become highly competent
communicators by the time they graduate. A goal of he Oral Communication course
in the University Studies program is to produce students who are skilled at
expressing their ideas effectively, and who are skilled at interacting with
others in dyadic and group contexts.
The basic Oral
Communication course should be viewed as a starting point, supporting a larger
communication-across-the-curriculum program educational experience. Only
approved courses offered by the Department of Communications Studies can be
used to satisfy the University Studies requirements for Basic Skills in Oral
Communications. Students should complete the class during their first two
years.
These courses must include requirements and learning activities
that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
deliver
a self-prepared speech in a public setting with a reasonable level of
competency;
b.
demonstrate
the basic principles for organizing ideas appropriately for accomplishing
informative and persuasive communication objectives;
c.
understand
and demonstrate the principles of rhetorical sensitivity and effective,
audience-centered message adaptation, utilizing gender-neutral English;
d.
locate,
use, and correctly cite appropriate evidence in supporting their claims;
e.
demonstrate
communication behaviors appropriate for effective comprehensive and supportive
listening;
f.
understand
and be able to apply the communication behaviors appropriate for the
constructive management of intra-group conflict;
g.
understand
the skills, roles, and methods of proceeding in task groups in order to achieve
high levels of motivation, productivity and member satisfaction and to obtain
high-quality decisions and/or outputs; and
h.
understand the components of the
communication process and how they enhance and/or hinder the effective exchange
of information and ideas.
3.
Mathematics (3 S.H.)
The purpose of the
Mathematics requirement in University Studies is to help students develop an
appreciation of the uses and usefulness of mathematical models of our world, as
applied in a variety of specific contexts. Students should complete the
requirement as soon as possible, preferably in their first year and certainly
no later than their third semester. Only approved courses offered by the
Department of Mathematics and Statistics can be used to satisfy the University
Studies requirements for Basic Skills in Mathematics. Each of these courses
must address at least four of the following outcomes.
These courses must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
use
logical reasoning by studying mathematical patterns and relationships;
b.
use
mathematical models to describe real-world phenomena and to solve real-world problems
- as well as understand the limitations of models in making predictions and
drawing conclusions;
c.
organize
data, communicate the essential features of the data, and interpret the data in
a meaningful way;
d.
do
a critical analysis of scientific and other research;
e.
extract
correct information from tables and common graphical displays, such as line
graphs, scatter plots, histograms, and frequency tables;
f.
express
the relationships illustrated in graphical displays and tables clearly and
correctly in words; and/or
g.
use appropriate technology to describe and solve
quantitative problems.
4.
Physical Development
and Wellness (2 S.H.)
The purpose of the
Physical Development and Wellness requirement is to provide students with
fundamental knowledge and practical skills in the areas of lifetime physical
activity, health awareness and wellness. Such courses offer experiences
designed to initiate quality lifetime health, nutrition, fitness, leisure and
wellness habits in a challenging technologically focused and service oriented
society. These courses will offer the student the opportunity to complement and
enhance their educational foundation by learning how to live a healthy
lifestyle. Only approved courses offered by the Department of Physical
Education and Recreation or the Department of Health and Human Performance can
be used to satisfy the University Studies requirements for Physical Development
and Wellness. Each of these courses must address at least seven of the
following outcomes.
These courses must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
learn
skills that will improve the quality and length of their lives;
b.
make
proactive choices that lead to a healthier lifestyle;
c.
explore
dimensions of personal health promotion and disease prevention;
d.
attain
skills necessary to make critical decisions regarding health-related issues;
e.
understand
health as multidimensional, involving the whole person’s relationship to the
total environment;
f.
utilize
physical activity to reduce risk of illness and injury and provide relaxation,
socialization, and balance in their lives;
g.
become
intelligent consumers of good healthy habits and information;
h.
enhance
creative use of leisure time;
i.
develop
skills consistent with efficient levels of human movement;
j.
become
accountable for their health and leisure choices and the impact of those
choices on self, others, and the environment; and/or
k.
understand basic nutritional
considerations that will aid in healthy food choices and lifestyles.
B.
Arts and Sciences Core
(22 S.H.)
Courses
in the Arts and Sciences Core will be taught by faculty drawn from disciplines
normally identified with those areas. Exceptions to the rule are possible, but
they are not normative and must be supported by documentation.
1.
Humanities (6 S.H.)
The purpose of the
Humanities requirement in the University Studies program is to provide a
framework for understanding the nature and scope of human experience.
Humanities courses explore the search for meaning and value in human life by
examining its expression in cultural forms and texts, literature and the arts.
Courses must be selected from an approved list; departments normally included
in the Humanities are Art, Communication Studies, English, Foreign Languages,
History, Music, Philosophy, and Theater and Dance.
These courses must include requirements and
learning activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
identify
and understand specific elements and assumptions of a particular Humanities
discipline;
b.
understand
how historical context, cultural values, and gender influence perceptions and
interpretations; and
c.
understand the role of critical
analysis (e.g. aesthetic, historical, literary, philosophical, rhetorical) in
interpreting and evaluating expressions of human experience.
2.
Social Science (6
S.H.)
The purpose of the
Social Science University Studies requirement is to assist students to
understand and explain the economic, political, psychological, and sociological
perspectives regarding human behavior. Courses must be selected from an
approved list; departments normally included in the Social Sciences are
Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology (including
Geography).
These courses must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
understand
humans as individuals and as parts of larger social systems;
b.
understand
the historical context of the social sciences;
c.
identify
problems and frame research questions relating to humans and their experience;
d.
become
familiar with the process of theory-building and theoretical frameworks used by
the social sciences;
e.
understand
research methods used in the social sciences;
f.
describe
and detail discipline-specific knowledge and its applications; and
g.
understand differences among and
commonalties across humans and their experience, as tied to such variables as gender,
race, socioeconomic status, etc.
3.
Natural Science (with
lab - 7 S.H.)
The purpose of the
Natural Science requirement in the University Studies program is to provide
students with the tools to understand and be able to apply the methods by which
scientific inquiry increases our understanding of the natural world. Courses
must be selected from an approved list; departments normally included in the
Natural Sciences are Biology, Chemistry, Geoscience,
and Physics.
These courses must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
understand
how scientists approach and solve problems in the natural sciences;
b.
apply
those methods to solve problems that arise in the natural sciences;
c.
use
inductive reasoning, mathematics, or statistics to solve problems in natural
science;
d.
engage
in independent and collaborative learning;
e.
identify,
find, and use the tools of information science as it relates to natural
science;
f.
critically
evaluate both source and content of scientific information; and
g.
recognize and correct scientific misconceptions.
Courses that satisfy
the laboratory requirement in the Natural Sciences will additionally provide
students the opportunity to practice scientific inquiry through hands-on
investigations and to analyze and report the results of those investigations.
4.
Fine and Performing
Arts (3 S.H.)
Courses in the Fine
and Performing Arts area of the University Studies program offer opportunities
for creative expression. These courses, which have a significant experiential/studio
component, introduce the student to the creative process. They develop basic
skills and aesthetic awareness in tandem with a fundamental understanding of
artistic traditions and contemporary expressions. Courses must be selected from
an approved list; departments normally included in the Fine and Performing Arts
are Art, English, Music, and Theater and Dance.
These courses must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
explore
the language, skills, and materials of an artistic discipline;
b.
use
the methods of an arts practitioner to actively engage in creative processes or
interpretive performances;
c.
understand
the cultural and gender contexts of artistic expression; and
d.
engage in reflective analysis of their own
art work or interpretive performance and respond to the works of others.
C.
Unity and Diversity
(12 S.H.)
It
is understood that any academic program or department may explore Unity and
Diversity and may propose courses to meet the requirements described below. It
is further understood that the treatment of some of the issues described may
require a higher level of understanding, and thus, these courses might be
offered at any level and might require prerequisites.
1.
Critical Analysis (3
S.H.)
Critical Analysis
courses in the University Studies program are devoted to teaching critical
thinking or analytic problem-solving skills. These skills include the ability
to identify sound arguments and distinguish them from fallacious ones. The
objective of these courses is to develop students’ abilities to effectively use
the process of critical analysis. Disciplinary examples should be selected to
support the development of critical analysis skills.
These courses must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
evaluate
the validity and reliability of information;
b.
analyze
modes of thought, expressive works, arguments, explanations, or theories;
c.
recognize
possible inadequacies or biases in the evidence given to support arguments or
conclusions; and
d.
advance and support claims.
2.
Science and Social
Policy (3 S.H.)
The purpose of the
Science and Social Policy requirement in the University Studies program is to
promote studentsí understanding of the interrelated
concerns of society and the sciences. These courses should integrate issues
related to one of the sciences with the social and government policy decisions
that stem from these issues. Issues might include the environment, genetic
testing and mapping, applications of technology, etc. They should be treated
from the perspective of the scientific foundations of the problem and address
ethical, social, historical, and/or political implications of the issue.
These courses must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
understand
the scientific foundation of the topic;
b.
understand
the social, ethical, historical, and/or political implications;
c.
understand
and articulate the need to integrate issues of science with social policy;
d.
evaluate
the various policy options relevant to the social dilemmas posed by the
science; and
e.
articulate, choose among, and
defend various policy and/or scientific options to cope with the challenges
created.
3.
Global OR
Multicultural Perspectives (3 S.H.)
Global
Perspectives
The purpose of the
Global Perspectives requirement in University Studies is to improve students’
understanding of the growing inter-relatedness of nations, people, and the
environment, and to enhance students’ ability to apply a comparative perspective
to cross-cultural social, economic, political, spiritual, and environmental
experiences. Courses that fulfill the global perspectives requirement must
address at least two of the following outcomes.
These courses must include requirements and learning
activities that promote students’ abilities to...
a.
understand
the role of the world citizen and the responsibility world citizens share for
their common global future;
b.
