Pathway Minors (18 credits)
Pathway minors are built around six knowledge areas designed to meet program learning goals five and six. This portion of general education can be met through three options: (1) completion of a themed pathway minor, (2) completion of a general pathway minor, or (3) completion of a general education-approved departmental or interdisciplinary minor.
Goal 1:
Demonstrate effective written and oral communication.
Goal 2:
Demonstrate critical thinking and reasoning
Goal 4:
Demonstrate scientific literacy through evidence-based inquiry
Goal 5:
Appreciate the range of human experiences as represented in the arts, literature, and other forms of cultural expression
Area A: Literary representations
Area B: Fine, visual, & performing arts
Area C: Intercultural competency
Goal 6:
Critically and ethically evaluate past and present implications of social institutions.
Area D: Historical reflection
Area E: Culture and society
Area F: Engaged citizenship
Goal 7:
Responsibly identify, locate, evaluate, and use information that is relevant to a given issue through information literacy and effective use of technology
Option 1: Themed Pathway Minor
Themed Pathway Minors are programs of study created specifically for the General Education Program. Each Themed Pathway Minor addresses a broad topic and investigates it from several disciplinary approaches. Courses will be designated as meeting that topic’s theme. Each themed pathway minor includes the following:
Two courses (3 credits each) from different areas of Goal 5
Two courses (3 credits each) from different areas of Goal 6
Two additional courses that meet any general education learning goal
The Themed Pathway Minors are listed below.
Option 2: General Pathway Minor
Working with an academic advisor, students choose five courses, each from a different knowledge area in goals 5 and 6 and one additional course from any general education area of knowledge or any general education goal area.
Option 3: Departmental or Interdisciplinary Minors
Approved departmental or interdisciplinary minors may replace the pathway minor. However, these minors must meet the distribution requirements outlined above, i.e. must include at least two courses that meet different areas of goal five, two courses that meet different areas of goal six, and two additional courses that meet at least one of the general education goals. Departmental or interdisciplinary minors may also include additional course or credit requirements. These minors may include courses that count toward general education foundations; however, foundational courses may not count toward the 18 credits need to complete this portion of the general education program.
Course Type Requirements
Regardless of the type of minor selected, at least one course must be at the 300 - 400 level, and at least one course must be a Writing Intensive seminar.
- At least two courses taken to fulfill the general education program must have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) designation with one of those at the 300 or 400 level.
- Individual courses may not count in both the Foundation and Pathway Minor areas.
General Education Exemption Criteria
For details about exemption procedures, consult with the coordinator of the relevant department.
Goal 1 - Written Communication
ENG 101: For exemption from ENG 101, students must provide the Basic Studies Committee with three college-level essays and an impromptu piece of writing that demonstrate the student’s ability to write clearly-organized, thesis oriented essays. Essays will be judged on their clarity, organization, development, focus, coherence, thesis, and mechanics.
ENG 102: For exemption from ENG 102, students must provide the Basic Studies Committee with four well-organized, thesis-oriented essays, including an impromptu piece of writing and three college-level essays, at least one of which demonstrates the student’s ability to write an organized, coherent research paper which correctly utilizes the conventions of one of the standard methods of documentation. Essays will be judged on their clarity, organization, development, focus, coherence, thesis, mechanics, research, and documentation.
Goal 1 - Oral Communication
Exemption from the oral communication requirement shall be granted by providing demonstrated competence in one or more of the following ways:
- Proof of coursework or other significant structured learning that provided both experience in oral communication (skill development) and in the theoretical foundations of the field;
- Written testimony by qualified persons acquainted with the applicant’s experience in both the performance and theoretical aspects of the field;
- Other forms of proof (portfolio, taped performance, etc.) that attest to the applicant’s experiences in, and knowledge of, the field.
At the discretion of the faculty, some form of presentation may be required in addition to the above criteria.
