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Campuswide General Education Requirements

All students matriculating in the fall of 2005 and subsequent semesters are subject to the campuswide general-education requirements. Individual schools and colleges may establish additional general-education requirements for undergraduate degrees.

The Purpose of General Education at IU South Bend

The General Education program aims to provide students with

• a broad knowledge of human cultures and the natural world, including the social and natural sciences as well as the arts and humanities
• advanced intellectual and practical skills, including the capacity for effective written and oral communication, logical reasoning, analysis, problem solving, and the basic quantitative, information, and technological literacy needed for the 21st century
• a sense of personal and social responsibility, including sensitivity to and knowledge of other cultures, recognition of diversity, and the capacity to take charge of and effectively manage their own well-being (health and finances).

IU South Bend is further committed to high-impact practices, such as first-year experiences. Together, these will provide students with the knowledge, skills, and sense of personal and social responsibility necessary for them to become active, engaged, informed, and responsible citizens and workers,over their lifetimes,whatever their career path might be after graduation.

Summary of General Education Requirements

All courses certified as meeting the campuswide general education requirements for the areas listed below are designated appropriately in the Schedule of Classes. The list of approved courses in each category is subject to change.

Consult degree requirements to determine whether completion of a specific course in any category is preferred or required by a department or program.

The Goals of General Education

1. Fundamental Literacies | Students will obtain a broad knowledge of the ways in which communication takes place through written and oral communication, and obtain essential skills in quantitative reasoning and critical thinking.
   • Written and Oral Communication | Students will be able to communicate effectively both in writing and orally, in public and interpersonally, using appropriate materials, and to work effectively in teams.
   • Quantitative Reasoning | Students will have basic mathematical skills and appreciation for statistical concepts and methods, and be able to apply these not only to pre-given calculations, but generally, to real-world situations and problems described in prose.
   • Critical Thinking | Students will gain the general skills needed to think and reason logically, to reflect on and articulate their own reasoning, to understand the nature of evidence and properly assess evidential support, and to analyze and solve real-world problems.
2. Common Core | Students will obtain broad knowledge of the physical and natural world, human behavior and social institutions, literary and intellectual traditions, and art, aesthetics and creativity though interdisciplinary study demonstrating the productive relationships among disciplines and by emphasizing the value of fundamental literacies from the general-education curriculum.
3. Contemporary Social Values | Students will demonstrate familiarity with the culture, society, and values of a global society, or explore knowledge and traditions grounded in global cultural paradigms, as well as develop an appreciation of diversity and a sense of social responsibility.
   • Global Cultures| Students will have knowledge of and sensitivity to diverse global cultures.
   • Diversity in U.S. Society | Students will have knowledge of and sensitivity to racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity in the United States.
4. Extended Literacies | Students will obtain a broad knowledge of the ways in which communication takes place in the visual form, ways in which technology is used to support our lives, and develop a sense of personal responsibility for their health and finances.
   • Computer Literacy | In the 21st Century preparation for life beyond the university includes learning how to use computers for a variety of tasks.
   • Visual Literacy | Students will be able to understand meaning in a visual message/image and read, perceive, understand, create/produce, use, and appreciate visual images in a variety of settings.
   • Health and Wellness | Students will be able to manage effectively their own well-being (e.g., their health).
   • Financial Literacy | Students will be able to effectively manage their own finances.
5. Additional Requirements
   • Information Literacy | Students will be aware of how information is created and disseminated and will be able to effectively search for, evaluate, and ethically use relevant sources in their academic research projects.
   • First Year Seminars (FYS) | Students will be able to understand how FYS fits into General Education and major fields of study, show how their personal beliefs and preconceptions influence their learning experiences, demonstrate their critical-thinking and decision-making skills, name ways to get involved in campus life, and reflect on their growth as learners.

The General Education Curriculum

The Campuswide General Education Curriculum is composed of five elements and requires a total of 33 credit hours of coursework.

• Fundamental Literacies courses (12 cr.)
• Common Core courses (12 cr.)
• Contemporary Social Values courses (6 cr.)
• Extended Literacies courses (3 cr.)
• Additional Requirements (0 cr.)