The Faculty Senate
SD 15-04
Curriculum and Educational
Policy Committee
March 2, 2015
For Discussion
April 1, 2015
For Action
April 22, 2015
Amended and approved
To:
Faculty Senate
FROM:
Curriculum Educational Planning Committee
(On behalf of General Education Committee)
SUBJECT: Proposal of General Education Core Curriculum For Purdue University Northwest
The Curriculum Educational Policy Committee at the request of The General Education
Subordinate Committee presents the following Core Curriculum for Purdue University
Northwest (PNW) to take effect for all entering students the fall semester after the university is
recognized by the Higher Learning Commission. This will be fall 2016, according to the current
schedule, or later if necessary.
The proposed Core Curriculum is the result of the work of the General Education Unification
Committee. The proposed changes are based on the desire to bring the Core Curriculum in line
with the Indiana Statewide Transfer General Education Core. The requirement of the statewide
core is 30 credit hours and it was the goal to have the Core Curriculum of Purdue Northwest at
30 hours as well. The State Core Categories are 1) The Foundational Intellectual Skills which
include: Written Communication; Speaking and Listening; Quantitative Reasoning. 2) Ways of
Knowing which include Scientific Ways of Knowing; Humanistic Ways of Knowing; Social and
Behavioral Ways of Knowing. The proposed PNW Core Curriculum will map to the State Core.
A category of Technology was added due to the fact that the State document did not address.
The current Core Curriculum, adopted as a revised document in April 2012 by the Purdue
University Calumet Senate is the following.
Current Purdue University Calumet Core Curriculum
Core (30 credits)
Credits Courses
English Composition
6
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
Speech
Communication
3
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
The Faculty Senate
Mathematics or
Statistics
3
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
Natural Science
3
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
Humanities
3
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
Social Science
3
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
Computer Utilization
3
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
Wellness Education
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
Technology in Society
Select from list of approved general education courses for
this competency
Additional credits
3
1-3 hours
The Purdue Northwest Core would make the following changes to the PUC Core:
 Deletion of Computer Utilization as a separate core competency. All previously approved
Computer Utilization approved courses will now fall under the Technology competency.
 Deletion of Wellness as a core competency
 Deletion of Technology and Society as a core competency. Technology and Society
courses if 3 credit hours and meet the criteria will be re-designated to the technology
competency.
Additional credits: 3 credits in any of the General Education (GE) categories except FYE
 FYE is a separate line in the core, but defined as 1–3 credits, from a list of courses that
functions like other GE lists; if an FYE course is less than 3 credits, additional credit
must be earned from one of the other General Education categories to bring the total to at
least 30 credits.
The Faculty Senate
Proposed Purdue Northwest Core Curriculum
Core Categories
English Composition
Speech Communication
Quantitative Reasoning
Natural Sciences
Technology
Humanities
Social Sciences
Additional credits
First-Year Experience
(FYE)
Total (minimum)
Credits Courses
6
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
1–3
Select from English Composition Core list.
Select from the Speech Communication Core list
Select from the Quantitative Reasoning Core list
Select from the Natural Sciences Core list
Select from the Technology Core list
Select from the Humanities Core list
Select from the Social Sciences Core list
Select a course from any Core list except FYE
For courses with less than 3 credits, 1 or 2 credits must be
earned from another Core list
30
The HLC General Education Unification Committee, the PNC General Education Committee,
and PUC General Education Assessment Committee, will continue to work through the spring of
2015 on GE assessment procedures for Purdue Northwest, with the following principles:
 Existing GE course lists will be combined and mapped to learning outcomes
 Assessment will be aligned with Indiana Statewide Transfer General Education Core
Submitted to Curriculum Educational Planning Committee by the General Education
Subordinate Committee for approval
Approved (General Education Committee):
L.Rittenmeyer (Chair)
L. Bryant
R. Stankowski
R. Merkovsky
S. Obrien
Approved (Committee on Curriculum and Educational Policy):
G. Schultz (Chair)
S. Mo
D. Pick
L. Rittenmeyer
Absent:
O. Farook
K. Gopalan
L. McClaughry-Erwin