2.7.3 General Education
In each undergraduate degree program, the institution requires the successful completion of a general education component at the collegiate level that (1) is a substantial component of each undergraduate degree, (2) ensures breadth of knowledge, and (3) is based on a coherent rationale. For degree completion in associate programs, the component constitutes a minimum of 15 semester hours or the equivalent; for baccalaureate programs, a minimum of 30 semester hours or the equivalent. These credit hours are to be drawn from and include at least one course from each of the following areas: humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural science/mathematics. The courses do not narrowly focus on those skills, techniques, and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession. If an institution uses a unit other than semester credit hours, it provides an explanation for the equivalency. The institution also provides a justification if it allows for fewer than the required number of semester credit hours or its equivalent unit of general education courses.
Judgement of Compliance:
Compliance
Narrative:
Every undergraduate program offered by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) requires a minimum of 40 hours of general education coursework. The general education component comprises one-third of the total number of credit hours required for graduation; thus, it is considered a substantial component of the undergraduate degree. General education courses were selected to give students a breadth of knowledge in each of seven diverse academic areas. The general education committee continually reviews the content and delivery of these courses through a recertification process that ensures courses meet the standards set for inclusion in general education.
A prescribed number of credit hours are required from each area. The chart below details the categories and their requisite hours:
General Education Categories and Required Hours
Rhetoric and Composition I and II |
6 hours |
Cultures and Civilizations - Option A or B |
9 hours |
Humanities and Fine Arts |
6 hours (with at least 3 in Fine Arts) |
Behavioral and Social Sciences |
6 hours |
Natural Sciences |
7-8 hours (1 must include lab) |
Mathematics |
3 hours |
Statistics |
3 hours |
Coherent Rationale
The current General Education program was developed in 1998 by the General Education Committee, a standing committee of the Faculty Senate. The Undergraduate Catalog offers the following philosophy for general education requirements at UTC:
The UTC faculty believes that this curriculum can expand our students’ fundamental knowledge, abilities, and aesthetic sensibilities, leading to a social awareness essential for individual and societal development.
Graduates of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga should have the knowledge and ability to:
- Think analytically, logically, creatively, reflectively and sensitively about the human condition;
- Think analytically, logically, creatively, and reflectively about natural and abstract structures;
- Collect, process, interpret, and use quantitative and qualitative information, using up-to-date methods, to define and defend viewpoints, solve problems, and make decisions;
- Communicate effectively, especially in writing and speech; engage in civil debate; and collaborate on common tasks;
- Incorporate into their world views a comparative, historical, and global perspective on the diversity of the human experience, including the complex factors that shape individuals, societies, and civilizations as well as knowledge itself.
The curriculum . . . provides a reasoned plan to achieve this purpose. It is comprised of courses both outside and within students’ majors; includes the key disciplines developed by human beings to pursue knowledge of themselves and the universe; and maintains a balance between specific essential courses and sets of courses which provide flexibility for individual interests.
The courses included in the General Education curriculum have been consciously chosen to best equip students in their process of becoming knowledgeable and informed citizens of our global community. The recertification process noted above provides a vehicle for reviewing the general education requirements in light of the above rationale and ensures that revisions are made consistent with the rationale.
References
- General Education
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/GeneralEducation/ - Recertification Process
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/GeneralEducation/Recertification.php - General Education Committee
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/GeneralEducation/Committee/09_10Members.php - General Education Course List
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/gened04topresent.php
