General Education Committee Minutes, 4/21/08
Members present:, S. Hines, D. Morton, K. Shanley D. Sloan, G. Weix
Members absent: S. Kalm, D. MacDonald, K. Hill, D. Potts, F. Rosenzweig
Guest: P. Meunch – Ethics Subcommittee Member
The meeting was called to order at 3:10 pm.
Communications:
There was much concern regarding the Ethics criteria and learning outcomes at the open forum.
Therefore, the Ethics Subcommittee redrafted requirements.
ECOS revised the American and European Perspective.
The Department of Modern and Classical Languages has concerns regarding the inclusion of
American Sign Language in the requirement. It objects to the courses being less than 5 credits and
not exposing students to a non- American culture. The subcommittee is working through the issues.
Business Items:
The committee considered the revised criteria for Ethics and Human Values and voted to approve
the language. It will be sent to the full committee for comment and to ASCRC for consideration
tomorrow.
The discussed the form and made revisions. It will be sent to the full committee for comments and
approval, then to ASCRC.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:40 p.m.
Revised Ethics Criteria and Learning Goals
Description
Ethics and Human Values courses familiarize students with one or more traditions of ethical
thought. These courses rigorously present the basic concepts and forms of reasoning that define and
distinguish each tradition. The focus of these courses may be on one or more of these traditions, or
on a concept such as justice or the good life as conceptualized within one or more of these
traditions, or on a professional practice within a particular tradition.
Criteria
1. Courses may focus on one or more of the specific traditions of ethical thought (either Western
or non-Western), on basic ethical topics such as justice or the good life as seen through the lens
of one or more traditions of ethical thought, or on a professional practice within a particular
tradition of ethical thought.
2.
Courses should include a rigorous analysis of the basic concepts and forms of reasoning which
define the traditions, the ethical topics, or the professional practices that are being studied.
Learning Goals
Upon completion of an Ethics and Human Values course, students should be able to:
1.
correctly apply the basic concepts and forms of reasoning from the tradition or professional
practice they studied to ethical issues that arise within those traditions or practices;
2.
analyze and critically evaluate the basic concepts and forms of reasoning from the tradition or
professional practice they studied.
I. ASCRC General Education Form
Group
Dept/Program
Course #
Course Title
Instructor
Phone / Email
Program Chair
Prerequisite
Credits
II. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory
and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm
III. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group or groups. See
link……
IV. Student Learning Outcomes: Briefly explain how course objectives, mode of instruction,
assessments, and readings achieve the applicable learning outcomes. See link…….
V. Assessment: (a) Describe measures used to determine whether students are learning the
general education requirement goals of the course. (b) Instructors are encouraged to submit
copies of student work for evaluation by the assessment committee. Describe the assignment
and learning goal submitted for assessment.
VI. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html