GE: Mission & Goals
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Fall 2012
2012 General Education Program Guidelines
Mission & Goals
Mission
The mission of the General Education Program is to promote learning that is
central to the intellectual pursuits associated with our educational programs and to
enable students to make informed choices about matters of public and personal
significance in a diverse, democratic society and global community. Our program helps
students to become informed, independent thinkers by developing competencies in
communication, quantitative analysis, and critical thinking and by helping them
understand and appreciate the diversity of culture, individuals, the natural environment,
and the global society.
Goals of General Education
After completing the General Education Program at EKU, students will be able to:
1.
Communicate effectively by applying skills in reading, writing, speaking, and
listening and through appropriate use of information technology.
2.
Use appropriate methods of critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to
examine issues and to identify solutions.
3.
Analyze the historical and social contexts of cultural, economic, political,
religious, and scientific developments.
4.
Analyze the social and behavioral influences that explain how people relate to
each other, to institutions, and to communities.
5.
Analyze the fundamental natural processes of the world and the interactions
of humans and their environment.
6.
Analyze the values, cultural context, and aesthetic qualities of artistic, literary,
philosophic, and/or religious works.
7.
Distinguish the methods that underlie the search for knowledge in the arts,
humanities, natural sciences, history, and social and behavioral sciences.
8.
Integrate knowledge that will deepen their understanding of, and will inform
their own choices about, issues of personal and public importance.
9.
Recognize perspectives from other cultures and/or historically marginalized
groups.
GE: Mission & Goals
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Fall 2012
GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS ADDRESSED IN EACH ELEMENT
Element 1 (Written & Oral Communication)
After completing the General Education Program at EKU, students will be able to:

Communicate effectively by applying skills in reading, writing, speaking, and
listening and through appropriate use of information technology. (GE Goal 1)

Use appropriate methods of critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to
examine issues and to identify solutions. (GE Goal 2)

Integrate knowledge that will deepen their understanding of, and will inform
their own choices about, issues of personal and public importance.
(GE Goal 8)
Element 2 (Mathematics)
After completing the General Education Program at EKU, students will be able to:

Use appropriate methods of critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to
examine issues and to identify solutions. (GE Goal 2)

Distinguish the methods that underlie the search for knowledge in the arts,
humanities, natural sciences, history, and social and behavioral sciences.
(GE Goal 7)

Integrate knowledge that will deepen their understanding of, and will inform
their own choices about, issues of personal and public importance. (GE Goal
8)
Element 3 (Arts & Humanities)
After completing the General Education Program at EKU, students will be able to:

Use appropriate methods of critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to
examine issues and to identify solutions. (GE Goal 2)

Analyze the values, cultural context, and aesthetic qualities of artistic, literary,
philosophic, and/or religious works. (GE Goal 6)

Distinguish the methods that underlie the search for knowledge in the arts,
humanities, natural sciences, history, and social and behavioral sciences.
(GE Goal 7)

Integrate knowledge that will deepen their understanding of, and will inform
their own choices about, issues of personal and public importance.
(GE Goal 8)
Element 4 (Natural Sciences)
GE: Mission & Goals
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Fall 2012
After completing the General Education Program at EKU, students will be able to:

Use appropriate methods of critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to
examine issues and to identify solutions. (GE Goal 2)

Analyze the fundamental natural processes of the world and the interactions
of humans and their environment. (GE Goal 5)

Distinguish the methods that underlie the search for knowledge in the arts,
humanities, natural sciences, history, and social and behavioral sciences.
(GE Goal 7)

Integrate knowledge that will deepen their understanding of, and will inform
their own choices about, issues of personal and public importance.
(GE Goal 8)
Element 5A (Historical Perspectives)
After completing the General Education Program at EKU, students will be able to:

Use appropriate methods of critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to
examine issues and to identify solutions. (GE Goal 2)

Analyze the historical and social contexts of cultural, economic, political,
religious, and scientific developments. (GE Goal 3)

Distinguish the methods that underlie the search for knowledge in the arts,
humanities, natural sciences, history, and social and behavioral sciences.
(GE Goal 7)

Integrate knowledge that will deepen their understanding of, and will inform
their own choices about, issues of personal and public importance.
(GE Goal 8)
Element 5B (Social and Behavioral Sciences)
After completing the General Education Program at EKU, students will be able to:

Use appropriate methods of critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to
examine issues and to identify solutions. (GE Goal 2)

Analyze the social and behavioral influences that explain how people relate to
each other, to institutions, and to communities. (GE Goal 4)

Distinguish the methods that underlie the search for knowledge in the arts,
humanities, natural sciences, history, and social and behavioral sciences.
(GE Goal 7)

Integrate knowledge that will deepen their understanding of, and will inform
their own choices about, issues of personal and public importance.
(GE Goal 8)
Element 6 (Diversity of Perspectives and Experiences)
After completing the General Education Program at EKU, students will be able to:
GE: Mission & Goals
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Fall 2012
Communicate effectively by applying skills in reading, writing, speaking, and
listening and through appropriate use of information technology. (GE Goal 1)
Use appropriate methods of critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to
examine issues and to identify solutions. (GE Goal 2)
Integrate knowledge that will deepen their understanding of, and will inform
their own choices about, issues of personal and public importance.
(GE Goal 8)
Recognize perspectives from other cultures and/or historically marginalized
groups. (GE Goal 9)