Revised 4.08

 

Application for Exploration Designation

Core Curriculum: Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World

Core Committee

 

S: Social Sciences

 

Submit 8 copies of the proposal and the syllabus to the chair of the Core Committee. 

 

I.     BASIC INFORMATION

 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_____________    _________       __________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT    NUMBER          TITLE

 

 

INSTRUCTOR(S) :________________________________________     ­

    

                                ________________________________________       

 

Is this is a new or modified course? ___________ If so, has it been approved by the Curriculum Committee? _________ When? _______________

                                                                       

II.     SIGNATURES

 

____________            _________________________________________

      date                        signature of Department Chair, or Program Director

Signature indicates the proposal has the support of the Department Chair, or Program Director

 

____________            _________________________________________

       date                       signature of Division Chair

Signature indicates curricular, budgeting and staffing issues have been approved.

 

 

III.     FULFILLMENT OF CORE EXPECTATION

 

1.   Please explain how this course will enable students to achieve the Learning Outcomes, using the criteria identified for this Core area. (See attached Application Guidelines)

 

2.   How will this course meet the Writing-Across-the-Core requirements as identified for your department? (Please attach a copy of the current departmental Statement on Writing.)

 

3.   How will this course prepare students for responsible engagement in the world?

 

IV.     SYLLABUS

 

     Please attach a syllabus to this application.

 

Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World

Application Guidelines for Exploration Designation in Social Sciences

Core Committee

 

INTRODUCTION

 

In an increasingly complex and global world, being responsibly engaged requires a basic conceptual understanding of how different social worlds operate. Exposure to social science courses as part of the core curriculum is important for understanding, generating and evaluating information about the social worlds which humans create and in which they function. Responsible decision makers use their understanding of social science research, theory, and topics in their personal, professional and civic lives.  Each of the specific criteria for a social science course directly relates to Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World, as articulated below. 

 

An Exploration Course in the Social Sciences will meet the following criteria relative to Concordia’s Goals for Liberal Learning:

 

  1. A social science course addresses scientific methodology, including quantitative and/or qualitative research methods (GLL 1,2,3).
  2. A social science course emphasizes major theories, and engages students in critical thinking about issues confronted in the world, utilizing social science research and theory (GLL 1,2,3,4).
  3. A social science course encourages increased self-understanding and incorporates issues of diverse influences on human behavior including race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, (dis)ability, and/or culture (GLL 3,4,5).

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

  1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of scientific methods, including qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
  2. Students will describe and apply major theories utilized by social scientists, be able to critically analyze social science concepts and/or theories, and be able to utilize social science knowledge in responsible (personal, professional, and civic) ways.
  3. Students will analyze how diversity (including race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, (dis)ability, and/or culture) shapes human behavior and interaction, and will be able to examine themselves and their relationships to other persons, organizations, and institutions using a social science framework.

 

A 300-level exploration course in the Social Sciences will additionally meet the following Learning Outcomes:

  1. Students will demonstrate the ability to recognize that disciplinary boundaries are politically and socially fluid, and recognize that problems are not always confined within disciplinary boundaries.
  2. Students will apply social science methodology and/or concepts through experiential learning, which can be accomplished in a variety of ways such as data collection and analysis, research proposals, argumentative term papers, case study analyses, and service learning.