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Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 15:32:43 -0400 (EDT)
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From: janasm@cofc.edu (Monica Janas)
Subject: Group 2 (third meeting To: GENED@cofc.edu
Cc: bowerst@cofc.edu, browningj@cofc.edu, cass@jove.cofc.edu, farrells@cofc.edu, godowa@cofc.edu, janasm@cofc.edu, sautterl@cofc.edu, waggenerg@cofc.edu
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Summary of Third Meeting
Inquiry Group 2

Gen. Ed. Inquiry Group 2 met on October 11, 1996. It was the third time this semester that Group 2 met. We discussed the general education goals and objectives of the College of Charleston. We came up with the following list:

1. To develop reading, writing, and oral communication skills.

2. To develop a sense of history, a general historical perspective, including especially a knowledge of the intellectual history of Western thought, complemented by a knowledge of the intellectual history of other cultures. Students should have an understanding of political, economic and social issues of the past as well as the present.

3. To develop an understanding of self-expression (as in artistic or literary expression, especially). Graduates should understand and appreciate others' expressions, and be able to interpret various modes of self-expression. To develop an understanding of how expression is linked to culture; to be able to interpret the expressions of the culture they live in as well as other cultures.

4. To develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, defined as the ability to analyze evidence or data and assess how they are being used in arguments, to construct and evaluate arguments, to analyze texts (discourse), to determine the validity of truth claims.

5. To develop an ability to access and utilize resources, including a knowledge of what knowledge is--what counts as knowledge, where it comes from, and how we get it. Graduates should have grappled with questions of methodology and epistemology and have an understanding of the scientific process.

6. To develop a commitment to intellectual curiosity and lifelong learning. To develop the spirit of inquiry and a willingness to question--especially ideas (not just accept them without seeing a good reason for doing so).

7. To develop an understanding of and a respect for diversity, both within our culture and among different world cultures.

8. To develop certain emotional and social skills (for lack of a better term--we didn't like "affective development"), including an ability to work with others, but also on their own, to be self-starters and independent thinkers (and not always look to others to tell them what to do or think). To develop a certain self-reflectiveness about their own actions.

9. To develop some notion of good citizenship--its duties and responsibilities. To instill a desire to be good citizens.

-- Monica Janas, Ph.D.
EDFS / School of Education
College of Charleston
janasm@cofc.edu