The Aims of General Education
Knowledge
The General Education Program will help students understand:
- aesthetic, scientific, historical, and interdisciplinary ways of knowing;
- religion, particularly Christianity, in its many expressions;
- Berea College’ s historical and ongoing commitments to racial (traditionally black and white) and gender equality, as well as to the Appalachian region;
- the natural environment and our relationship to it;
- the roles of science and technology in the contemporary world;
- U.S. and global issues and perspectives.
Skills
The General Education Program will help students develop the abilities to:
- read and listen effectively; write and speak effectively, with integrity and style;
- think critically and creatively, and reason quantitatively;
- develop research strategies and employ appropriate technologies as a means to deepen one’s knowledge and understanding;
- work effectively both independently and collaboratively;
- resolve conflicts nonviolently.
Habits of Mind
The General Education Program will help students:
- deepen their capacities for moral reflection, spiritual development, and responsible action;
- develop an openness to and knowledgeable appreciation of human diversity in terms of race, gender, class, religion, sexuality, language, and culture;
- cultivate their imagination and ability to discern connections, consider alternatives, and think about topics and issues from multiple perspectives;
- think and act in ways that promote peace with justice;
- develop habits leading to lifetime health and fitness.
Learning Experiences
The above aims of General Education Program will be achieved through a combination of learning experiences designed to help students become independent learners and thinkers. Such learning experiences are likely to include:
- Discussion and lecture;
- Student-initiated learning;
- Experiential learning (for example, service-learning, travel, internships, etc.);
- Collaborative learning.
Core Competencies
To determine the extent to which students have attained the Aims of General Education, Berea College will regularly asses student achievement in five areas:
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
- Research and Information Literacy
- Quantitative Literacy
- Intercultural Competence