GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE APPLICATION
1. Attach a proposed course syllabus.
2. Attach department minutes.
3. Provide 10 paper copies of this form and attachments (to the Gen Ed chair one week prior to
consideration).
Course Title ________Beginnings____ Subject __FYS________ Number ___101_002___
Faculty Proposing Course Priscilla Starratt
Department Social Inquiry
Department sponsoring this course Social Inquiry
Date submitted to Gen-Ed October 2013
1. Check the box(s) next to the Gen-Ed category being requested for the course listed above and
explain below why this should be placed in these category/ies.
Core Requirements:
Writing
Math & Computer Science
Health & Human Performance
Communicating Arts
Knowledge Category: (choose only one within the Knowledge Category)
Humanities:
X History
Literature
World Language, Culture & Philosophy
Social Sciences:
Natural & Physical Science:
Fine & Applied Arts:
Diversity & Nonwestern Category:
Environmental
Lab Science
Art History, Criticism & Appreciation
Diversity
Aesthetic Experience
Nonwestern
Rationale for the category/ies chosen: The history of human origins is the very first topic now in
most world history courses in high school and college curricula. The study of human origins uses
3 major sources of history: archaeology, genetics and historical linguistics.
2. Is there a prerequisite for this course?
Yes
X No
If yes, why is the prerequisite necessary? (e. g. foreign language competency)
3. Explain how this course incorporates best practices in teaching.
Students will learn from a variety of methods. They will do their own research and make
presentations to the group on fossils and stories of origin of different human populations. They
will work in groups to explain the ‘peopling’ of various continents using linguistic, genetic and
archaeological evidence. Their book learning will be reinforced with visual images by watching
films from this field of study. This is still active learning because they answer questions on study
guides for the films and discuss these in class.
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4. All Gen-Ed courses need to address General Education Learning Goals.
Check the goals this course substantially addresses and explain in detail (a paragraph would be
appropriate) how the goal(s) will be met.
X Communication: Students demonstrate effective communication skills in writing, speaking,
reading, and listening.
Students will write essays and make oral presentations in class. They depend on 3 text books
and short articles for evidence as well as class films. Combining them to write an essay
simulates real life challenges of sorting through different types of evidence to come up with a
solution or theory.
X Critical Thinking: Students engage in critical thinking based on multiple forms of evidence.
Getting your head around “mtDNA and Y Chromosome genetic” mapping is good mental exercise for
any of us. Students get excited to see how it works. They are excited to finally understand what race
is and isn’t and which genetic markers determine how we look. When we learn how we all emerge
from traits from southern Africa, our common humanity becomes apparent. These are new concepts
for most Americans and students are fascinated by them, and by their implications for celebrating our
common humanity.
Creative Expression: Students develop skills in creative expression, including abstract thinking.
X Diversity and Global Citizenship: Students demonstrate empathetic and ethical thinking based on
knowledge of the diversity of human experience..
Race and difference and the fear and prejudice attached to them are one of the things the
species has done best, over the millennia. This class helps counter this tendency by teaching us
that we all descend from the same group of Homo sapiens in Africa who likely resembled and
lived much like the hunting and gathering groups of south-west southern Africa. We can also
empathize with the reaction of populations for whom this knowledge comes as a shock. All
around the world people are finding out things they want to know and things they wish they didn’t
know about the origins of their groups. But in the long run, we will understand better our close
relationships with all of our cousins on planet earth.
X Interdisciplinary Connections: Students connect knowledge and methods from a variety of
disciplines through courses across the general education curriculum.
The science of genetics, the oral literature of legends of origin, the social science of archaeology,
and the humanities of linguistics are all involved. Sounds pretty interdisciplinary to me. All of
these areas of knowledge come together to study human beginnings.
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Gen-Ed Committee Decision:
X
Approved
Denied
Gen-Ed Committee Decision Rationale:
The course meets the specific goals for General Education certification as checked below:
Core Requirements: course meets the skills to be learned in this category
X
Knowledge Category: course meets the requirements of this category; the area of study is central
to the course design.
Diversity & Non Western category: course meets the specific requirement for that/those
designation(s)
X
The General Education Learning Goal(s)s is/are central to the design of this class
OR
This course does not meet the specific goals for General Education certification because:
This course did not address the goals of the category sought
This course did not sufficiently address the General Education Learning Goals
specifically:
The Gen-Ed Committee requests that your proposal be re-submitted with the areas checked above addressed
3/6/2014
X
Jeffrey A. Schuldt
Jeffrey A. Schuldt
Professor, Department of Natural Sciences
Signed by: Jeffrey A. Schuldt
Jeffrey A. Schuldt
_______________________________
General Education Chair (printed name)
______________________________
General Education Chair Signature
3-6-14
___________________________
Date
(This is included for your information as you fill out the form)
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GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS 2012-2014
Core Requirements:
 WRIT 101, FYS 116 (C- or better)
 WRIT 102 (C- or better)
 COMM 110 (cannot be taken P/F)
 MATH (3 credits) 112, 115, 130, 150, 151, 230, 240; CSCI 101, 201;
HHP 102 (HHP majors must earn a C or higher), FYS 100
Knowledge Categories:
1. Humanities (9 credits)
a. History (3 credits)
FNS 223 (D), 224 (D); FYS 101, 111, 121; HIST 111, 151, 152, 160(NW), 161(NW), 212, 219(NW), 220(NW), 223 (D), 224 (D),
225(NW), 230 231, 240(NW), 241(NW), 254(D), 281(NW), POLS 175
b. Literature (3 credits)
ENGL 211, 212, 221, 222, 228(D), 229(D), 241 (NW), 242 (NW); FYS 102, 112, 122; WLLC 232(NW)
c. World Language, Culture, and Philosophy (3 credits)
CHIN 101 (NW), 102 (NW), 201 (NW), 202 (NW); FNS 101, 110(D), 201, 230(D), 242(D); FREN 101, 102, 201, 202; FYS 103,
113, 123; GERM 101, 102 , 201, 202; MUSI 161(NW, D); PHIL 151, 211, 212, 262; POLS 101 (NW) 262, 265; PSYC 212; SPAN
101, 102, 201, 202; WLLC 203, 204, 255; or any foreign/indigenous language proficiency course (rather than culture) with a
minimum of 3 credits.
2. Social Sciences (6 credits) must have two different disciplines: 
ANTH 101(D), 205; CJUS 106; ECON 235, 250, 251; FNS 151; FYS 104, 114, 124; GEOG 100(NW), 102(NW); LSTU 115, 261; POLS 100,
150, 230, 260, 263; PSYC 101; SOCI 101, 200, 201, 210(D) 273(D); WST 150(D), 210(D)
3. Natural & Physical Science (6 credits)
GEOL 130 may be used to satisfy either the environmental or lab sciences requirement, but not both.
a. One Environmental Course
BIOL 100; CHEM 100, 101; FYS 106; GEOL 130
b. One Lab Course
BIOL 111, 115, 123, 130; CHEM 102, 105; FYS 107; GEOL 110, 130; PHYS 100, 107, 160, 201;
4. Fine and Applied Arts (6 credits)
a. Art History, Criticism, and Appreciation (3 credits)
ART 221, 222, 224(NW), 331(NW); COMM 104, 122, 285, 286; FYS 108, 118, 128; MUSI 160, 266 (D); WRIT 215, 216
b. Aesthetic Experience (3 credits)
ART 101; COMM 125, 180, 200, 273; FYS 109, 119, 129; HHP 133, 136; MUSI 104-116, 118, 120-139, 170; WRIT 250, 251, 252,
253, 270, 350,
Diversity & Non-Western Categories: must complete separate diversity and non-western courses
1. One Diversity Course Required (3 credits) (may be a duplicate from knowledge courses).
ANTH 101; CJUS 312; COMM 467; ENGL 228, 229, 304, 328; FNS 110, 223, 224, 230, 242, 304, 324, 386, 460, 480, 481; FYS 121,
122, 123, 124, 125, 128, 129; HIST 223, 224, 254, 320, 322, 323, 324, 403, 404, 406, 407, 460; LSTU 357, 365; MUSI 161, 266;
PHIL 330, 365, 459; POLS 374; PSYC 258, 360; SO W 386; SOCI 210, 273, 460; SPAN 350, T ED 270; WRIT 255, 348; WST 150,
210, 255, 258, 322, 328, 348, 365, 374, 403, 404, 406, 407, 459, 460
2. One Non-Western Course Required (3 credits) (may be duplicate from knowledge courses).
ANTH 306, 315, 320, 368; ART 224, 331; CHIN 101, 102, 201, 202; ENGL 241, 242; FNS 368, FYS 111, 112, 113, 114, 118, 119;
GEOG 100, 102; HIST 160, 161, 219, 220, 225, 240, 241, 281, 306, 368, 369, 371, 382, 383, 384, 385, 403, 404; MUSI 161; PHIL
175; POLS 101; SOCI 300; WLLC 232, 255; WST 403, 404
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