General Education Mission Statement

General Education, as an integral component in the achievement of the Mission of Saint Francis University, provides a means for the University to honor many of its most important commitments. Ever mindful of the rapidly changing world around us and the need for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary inquiry to address complex problems, General Education is dedicated to providing students with the values, skills, and knowledge necessary to meet future challenges. True to the liberal arts roots and Franciscan heritage of the University, the program encourages students to examine ethical issues, demonstrate global awareness, become actively involved in community service, and prepare for life-long learning of new skills and knowledge.

General Education contributes to the development of the whole person, allowing individuals to achieve more rewarding and purposeful lives. General Education strives to achieve 14 objectives that collectively represent the values, skills, and knowledge deemed most important by Saint Francis University. These include:

Values: Develop an understanding of the goals of Franciscan higher education and examine one’s own values in light of those goals.
— Understand the complexities underlying moral and ethical questions and the consequences of choices we make as individuals and as members of communities.
— Develop an understanding of the importance of human and cultural diversity.
— Develop a commitment to life-long learning and to sharing our skills and abilities through community service.

Skills: Demonstrate skills in communication, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, information literacy, and responsible citizenship.
— Develop the skills necessary for effective communication in a variety of formal and informal contexts.
— Demonstrate proficiency in mathematical reasoning and quantitative literacy.
— Develop critical reasoning skills and abilities.
— Effectively conduct research using discipline-appropriate materials and methods.
— Develop the collaborative and leadership skills necessary for exercising the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a participatory democracy.

Knowledge: Develop a broad conceptual foundation in various fields of knowledge and make interdisciplinary connections.
— Demonstrate knowledge in the traditional liberal arts and sciences, with attention to primary source materials, multicultural issues, and interdisciplinary topics.
— Develop historical perspective across and within disciplines, finding the connections among different ideas, courses, and majors.
— Develop a conceptual foundation in economic, political, and social systems.
— Cultivate an understanding of processes and concepts used in science and technology.
— Develop an appreciation of the visual arts, music, theatre, and literature through creative expression, performance, and analysis of artistic works.
— Develop an understanding of key elements of personal health and wellness, major health care issues the well-being of communities.

General Education

General Education encompasses the learning Saint Francis University wants for its students generally, regardless of academic major or professional ambition. At Saint Francis University, general education is a multi-year program that weaves core curriculum courses plus other program components (e.g., writing competency exam, capstone experience), co-curricular requirements (e.g., college-wide community enrichment series), first year experiences (e.g., SOAR, special courses for first-year students, a summer reading program, advising), and options to create a connected, coherent academic experience that provides a foundation for life-long learning.

During the 2011-2012 academic year, Saint Francis University will begin transitioning to a new General Education program. Students entering Saint Francis University during Fall 2011 and after, who bring in fewer than 28 earned credits, will complete the new program (see “Ethical Citizenship for the 21st Century: a program for General Education”, below). Currently enrolled students, and those entering with 28 or more earned credits, will complete the older, 58-credit program. However, in order to better align the requirements of the two programs, students completing this program will be allowed to waive up to six credits of specific general education requirements. Consult the Registrar’s Office or the Office of General Education for a list of the courses eligible for waiver.

Important Definitions:

Curriculum— all the courses offered by Saint Francis University.
Core Curriculum — the distribution of courses that all students must take from English, fine arts, foreign languages, history, mathematics, sciences, philosophy, religious studies and social sciences, plus skills courses.
Common Core — core courses which all students must take.
General Education — a multi-year program that incorporates core curriculum courses plus other program components to create an academic experience that provides the foundation for life-long learning.
Major— the specialty area in which students choose to develop expertise.
Minor — a concentration of courses from an area other than the major. This is not a required part of the curriculum for most majors.
Senior Capstone or Keystone course — an experience or course that enables students to make connections based on material, information, and ideas encountered and developed during their undergraduate years.
General Education Thematic Minor – a fifteen-credit sequence of courses that focus on a common theme related to the Franciscan Mission of Saint Francis University. These five courses address (respectively) Ethics, Science and Quantitative Literacy, Diversity and Communications, Social Systems, and the Keystone Senior Course.
Open Program – the Open Program offers students the opportunity to fulfill the fifteen-credit academic requirement of the General Education Thematic Minors without unifying the courses under a common theme.
 

Ethical Citizenship for the 21st Century: a program for General Education

This program is to be completed by all students entering Saint Francis University with fewer than 28 earned credits starting Fall 2011.

Firmly rooted in Franciscan heritage and values, “Ethical Citizenship for the 21st Century” includes the learning that Saint Francis University wants for all of its students, regardless of academic major or professional ambition. Starting with the first-year Franciscan cornerstone course, which includes a service-learning component, the program offers curricular and co-curricular experiences designed to provide students with the values, skills and knowledge necessary for responsible, engaged citizenship in today’s world. This general education program is a multi-year program that weaves together core curriculum courses and other program components to create a connected, coherent academic experience that provides a foundation for life-long learning. The program includes a 36-credit inner core of course offerings (some common core courses and some choices within defined parameters) and a menu of 15-credit General Education Thematic Minors that allow students to take responsibility for choosing a focus for a significant portion of their general education. All of these thematic minors culminate in a ”Keystone Seminar” that includes a collaborative project. Students will explore various aspects of health and wellness while completing a portfolio project in the first two years of their education. In addition to the core courses, students engage in the university’s Summer Academic Orientation and Registration (SOAR), a first-year summer reading program, and a college-wide community enrichment series. Additionally, all students must pass a junior-level writing competency examination designed to assure that graduates can write at an appropriate level.