FORM J
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
THE FACULTY SENATE
UNDERGRADUATE GENERAL EDUCATION DESIGNATION PROPOSAL
PROPOSAL FOR SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (SB) DESIGNATION
The social and behavioral sciences have taught us that people are both creatures and creators of their own societies. Educated
individuals should have some understanding of this reciprocity, and they should appreciate the diversity that exists in human
societies. How does this course assist students to grasp the variations among human cultures and to understand their own social
milieu in relation to other social milieus? Insights and explanations about the causes of human behavior, the nature of human
societies, the structure of social relationships and the ways in which people and societies change should help students think more
clearly about their own human nature and the social worlds in which they live.
With the foregoing in mind, please identify and explain the following (please note that after each set of questions, there is an
expanding text field. Since this field is limitless, you will be able to answer each question in full):
1.
Please provide a brief course description (including prerequisites, if any, and number of credits) such as would be used in
the Undergraduate Catalog.
2.
Please describe the course format and anticipated enrollment per section. Does the course consist of a large lecture
session only, large lecture with discussion/laboratory sections, small class sections? Is it online only, blended face-to-face
and online, web-enhanced, video-based, or some other format?
3.
One purpose of this requirement is to introduce students to the theory, methods and results of systematic and critical
inquiry about individual and/or social life. Please explain how the proposed course treats each of these aspects.
4.
The second purpose of this requirement is to demonstrate the dynamic nature of both individuals and societies, leading
to an understanding of change as a natural process. Please explain how this view of change will be accomplished in the
course.
5.
The third purpose of this requirement is to stress the systematic quality of individual and social life, leading to an
understanding of the complex relationships among individual behaviors, human situations, and social institutions. Please
explain how this course will address this expectation.
6.
How will the course provoke comparison and critical acuity? All Social World courses should require writing, and critical
writing assignments are preferred. What form of writing will there be in the course? Please provide samples of writing
assignments and the related assessment feedback process used in this course. (The writing requirement is at minimum 10
cumulative pages throughout the semester and should support the learning objectives of the course.) When describing
examinations and assignments, please specify what is meant by phrases such as "short (or long) answer" or "short (or
long) essay," in terms of length of expected answers/essays and the amount of time students are expected to spend on
each answer/essay.
If anticipated enrollment will exceed 50 students per section, please explain how the department will make possible the
grading and evaluation of writing and problem solving assignments designed to promote critical thinking (e.g., assignment
of teaching assistants for reading/grading). If this aspect of the course has already been addressed by Form LO, simply
provide a reference to the previous response.
7.
How does this course assist students in grasping the variations among human cultures in order to evaluate viewing their
own social milieu?