St. Cloud State University
General Education Goal Area 5 Designation
History and the Social & Behavioral Sciences
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date: ______________________
Effective Date: ______________________
1.
2.
Prepared by: Ann Finan
Phone: 8-1045
Proposal Number: _________________
Email: asfinan@stcloudstate.edu
Requesting Unit: Sociology/Anthropology
3.
Department, Course Number, Title: Sociology/Anthropology, SOC 200: Social Dimensions of
Environmental Change
4.
New Course
Existing Course
5.
Will this course be flagged as a diversity course?
Already Designated as Diversity
6.
Will this course also satisfy another General Education Goal Area?
If “Yes” specify which goal area.
10
No
Diversity Proposal Accompanying This Form
No
Yes
7.
Course bulletin description, including credits and semesters to be offered:
SOC 200. The Social Dimensions of Environmental Change (Diversity/MGM)
The social aspects of environmental issues, emphasizing the importance of gender, race, class and nation to an
understanding of the human-environment relationship. 3 Cr. Spring and Fall.
8.
Indicate the clientele for whom this course is designed. Is the course for general education only, or
does it fulfill general education and other program needs for this or another department? Obtain
signatures from any affected departments.
General education and elective in the major/minor.
9.
Indicate any changes that must be made in offerings or resources in your department or other
departments by offering this course.
none
10.
For new courses or courses not yet approved for General Education, indicate any other SCSU departments
or units offering instruction that relates to the content of the proposed course.
N/A
11.
Courses designated as General Education are included in the assessment plan for the Goal Area(s)
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for which they are approved. Courses for which assessment is not included in the annual GE
assessment report for two years will be removed from the General Education Program.
The Requesting Unit understands and recognizes the above conditions.
12.
Provide a concise explanation of how the following goal is a “significant focus” of the proposed course.
Goal Area 5: History and the Social & Behavioral Sciences
Develop understanding of human societies and behaviors, and of the concepts, theories, and methods of
history and the social sciences.
SOC 200 is a sociology course, exploring both sociological theory and praxis around environmental
topics. A central organizing theme in the course is the nature of social science, and understanding the research
that we will be studying about how human society and non-human environment interact and are mutually
constitutive.
13. In order for a course to be designated as fulfilling Goal Area 5, it must address at least 4 of the 5 student learning
outcomes (SLOs) below. Check the SLOs below that are focused on in the proposed general education course.
1. Describe or use the methods and data by which historians, social scientists, or behavioral scientists investigate
human conditions.
2. Analyze human behavior, cultures, and social institutions and processes from the perspectives of history or the
social and behavioral sciences.
3. Develop explanations for and explore solutions to historical or contemporary social problems.
4. Reflect upon themselves in relation to family, communities, society, culture, and/or their histories.
5. Apply and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories about human societies and behaviors.
14.
Discuss how each Student Learning Outcome checked above is achieved in this course. (Note: Although
descriptions of typical assignments or types of assignments may be part of this discussion, it is not
appropriate to submit copies of actual assignments.)
SLO 1. Class content is centered around environmental sociological theory and research.
SLO 2. Both in-class discussion and assignments ask students to critically apply the sociological lens to various
environmental problems, and to look at problems often seen as technological or ecological as also involving
human institutions and societies.
SLO 3. Students develop tools to propose ways of addressing environmental problems, and are asked to
creatively propose various possible ways of addressing environmental problems using a sociological perspective.
SLO 4. Class content includes a variety of cross-society comparisons of environmental issues and attitudes, as
well as focusing on how environmental problems and how we think about them have changed over time.
Additionally, race, class and gender are emphasized, especially in the Environmental Justice units.
SLO 5. Students learn about a variety of explanations for environmental problems, and by the end of the class are
able to critique these theories and choose among them when asked to explore particular problems or questions.
15.
List or attach the Course Outline (adequately described and including percentage of time to be allocated
to each topic). Curriculum Committees may request additional information. Topics larger than 20% need
10/15/2009
to be broken down further. Indicate in your course outline where the Student Learning Outcomes
checked above are being met.
see attached
10/15/2009