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California State University, San Bernardino
Outcomes Assessment Goals and Objectives
for the General Education Breadth Areas:
Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences


The outcomes assessment goals and objectives for the three General Education Breadth areas (Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences) have been developed based on university-wide input from faculty, department chairs, and university, college and department GE, curriculum and outcomes assessment representatives over a two-year period under the guidance of three General Education Breadth Area Outcomes Assessment Committees.


General Education: The Breadth Areas

General education is central to a university education, and its goal is to enhance students’ awareness of themselves in a complex universe, drawing upon multiple points of view. As a result of general education experience, students will acquire knowledge of diverse disciplinary and cultural perspectives and skill in comparing, contrasting, applying, and communicating effectively these perspectives in tasks considered appropriate to particular courses.

In the last three centuries, and especially over the last 100 years, there has been an explosive expansion within the scientific and technological areas of human knowledge. These areas have grown to become an integral and essential part of our modern culture. The overall goal of General Education within the Natural Sciences is to assist the student in understanding the tools and methodologies of the natural sciences, in learning some of the most important results of scientific inquiry, and in becoming conversant with the major consequences of scientific and technological developments.

The principal of objectives of the Humanities courses are to expand students’ understanding and appreciation of the arts, literature, and philosophical inquiry as well as to cultivate imagination and nurture empathy.

The Social and Behavioral Sciences embrace a wide variety of disciplines. Collectively, therefore, the courses included in this area embrace a broad number of principal and secondary goals. The inter-wovenness of these fields and their uniquenesses are essential concerns that students need to understand as well as the relative usefulness of each discipline in analyzing and responding to individual, social, economic, political and cultural institutions and problems. Such breadth is viewed as indispensable knowledge for educated persons who will function within–and indeed provide the future leadership for–a society that continues to be increasingly technological, complex, racially and ethnically diverse, and evolving in terms of roles of men and women.

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Natural Sciences General Education Breadth Area (B)
Goals and Objectives

CNS GE Breadth Area (B) Outcomes Assessment Committee
David Polcyn, Biology Brett Stanley, Chemistry
Judy Cestaro, Computer Science Sally McGill, Geology
Cindy Paxton, Health Science Leo Connolly, Physics

Natural Sciences Breadth Area (B) Courses (20 units)
B1. Mathematics
NOTE: The goals and objectives for Math are included in the basic skills area of general education.

B2. Life Sciences. Five units chosen from
BIOL 100. Topics in Biology (5
BIOL 202. Biology of Populations (5)
HSCI 120. Health and Society: An Ecological Approach (5)

B3. Physical Sciences. A minimum of five units chosen from
CHEM 100. Chemistry in the Modern World (5)
CHEM 205. Fundamentals of Chemistry I: General Chemistry (5)
CHEM 215. General Chemistry I: Atomic Structure and Chemical Bonding (6)
GEOG 103. Physical Geography (5)
GEOL 101. Introductory Geology (5)
PHYS 100. Physics in the Modern World (5)
PHYS 103. Descriptive Astronomy (5)
PHYS 121. Basic Concepts of Physics I (5)
PHYS 221. General Physics I (5)

B4. Special Topics in Science and Technology. Two units chosen from
BIOL 216. Genetics and Society (2)
BIOL 217. Biology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (2)
CHEM 105. Chemicals in Our Environment (2)
CSCI 121. Computer Technology and People (2)
CSCI 124. Exploring the Information Superhighway (2)
GEOL 210. Earthquakes: Science and Public Policy (2)

B5. Integrative Capstone in the Natural Sciences. Four units chosen from
NSCI 300. Science and Technology (4)
NSCI 310. The Environment and Human Survival (4)
NSCI 314. Life in the Cosmos (4)
NSCI 320. Energy (4)
NSCI 325. Perspectives on Gender (also counts in category G) (4)
NSCI 351. Health and Human Ecology (4)
NSCI 360. Legacy of Life (4)
Note: Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses
HUM 325. Perspectives on Gender
NSCI 325. Perspectives on Gender
SSCI 325. Perspectives on Gender

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Goals and Objectives for Natural Sciences Breadth Area (B)

Goal 1: Students who complete the General Education Breadth Area B (Natural Sciences) will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method.

Objectives:

  1. Explain the use of the scientific method, including observation, hypothesis, experimentation and deductive reasoning as applied within the natural sciences area.


  2. Discuss the history of development and philosophical presuppositions of the scientific method (e.g., that the world is comprehensible, that natural events follow basic, repeatable laws that can be deduced by observation and experimentation, and that one can (or will eventually be able to) explain all events as results of natural laws without reference to supernatural causes).

  3. Explain, with the use of one or more specific examples, how scientists establish, evaluate and modify theories through the use of the scientific method (e.g., plate tectonics, genetics, disease mechanisms, …).


  4. Utilize appropriate quantitative methods to analyze data and to test hypotheses (e.g., graphing and interpreting data, comparing experimental results with those predicted by theory, …).


  5. Apply scientific laws and/or theories to quantitatively solve problems using basic mathematical skills (e.g., solving word problems).

Goal 2: After completion of a course in the B2 area, students will be able to explain some of the most important results of scientific inquiry in the life sciences. Students will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge concerning a major area in the life sciences, which also incorporates supportive facts and concepts from other major areas in the life and/or physical sciences. In particular, students will

Objectives:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the life forms in nature and the rules governing their structure, function and ecology.


  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the experimental basis for current knowledge and future exploration in the Life Sciences area.


  3. Demonstrate familiarity with the usual techniques and apparatus of the life sciences (e.g, measurement techniques, sterile techniques, microscopy, …).


  4. Utilize the scientific method to design simple experiments and to collect, analyze and evaluate life science data in a lab or field setting.

Goal 3: After completion of a course in the B3 area, students will be able to explain some of the most important results of scientific inquiry in the physical sciences. Students will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge concerning a major area in the physical sciences, which also incorporates supportive facts and concepts from other major areas in the physical and/or life sciences. In particular, students will

Objectives:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental rules governing matter and energy in the universe (e.g., some but not necessarily all of the following conservation of mass, 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics, mass/energy equivalence, the atomic makeup of matter, the subatomic particles, the elements and periodic table of elements, the basic rules of electricity and the electrical nature of matter and energy, how the laws and theories of physics describe how atoms combine to make molecules, compounds, minerals, rocks, planets, etc. and the physical properties of these substances, how solid, liquid, and gaseous substances combine to form the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, or extraterrestrial objects, how physical materials are naturally recycled (the rock cycle, the hydrologic cycle), …).


  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the experimental basis for scientific inquiry in the physical sciences.


  3. Demonstrate familiarity with the usual techniques and apparatus of the physical sciences (e.g., measurement techniques, titration, …)


  4. Utilize the scientific method to design simple experiments and to collect, analyze and evaluate physical science data in a lab or field setting.

Goal 4: After completion of a course in the B4 area, students will be able to apply the principles, concepts and methods of the natural sciences to everyday life. Specifically, students will be able to examine, from a scientific perspective, an important current scientific, health-related, or technological issue and to relate scientific principles to the societal impact of the issue under examination. In particular, students will be able to

Objectives:

  1. Find and evaluate information relevant to the scientific understanding of a particular contemporary issue

  2. Identify the important principles in the natural sciences underlying that particular issue


  3. Recognize the limits of science when applied to problems in the natural world.


  4. Explain the societal impact and historical context of the issue


  5. Discuss the interdependence between science, technology and modern society, including the social, political and economic aspects of that society (e.g., how modern society and the economy depend on science and technology, and how the development of science and technology are influenced by social, economic and political forces; how technology is the result of scientific development, and how technology enables the further development of science).

Goal 5 : Upon completion of a course in the B5 (natural sciences capstone) area, students will be able to understand the interrelationships among disciplines (within and across breadth areas) and their applications to contemporary complex environments.

Objectives:

  1. Discuss the social and historical context of scientific developments within the physical and life sciences.


  2. Explain the place of the natural sciences breadth area within the broader context of human thought and social development.


  3. Integrate, develop and explore the implications of the skills and knowledge acquired in the lower-division general education courses.


  4. Engage in a higher level of analysis than in lower-division general education courses.

  5. Where appropriate, understand the impact of human behavior, gender roles, human sexuality, multicultural and/or international issues, and technological and organizational developments on a topic (or vice versa).


  6. Students will broaden their knowledge of fundamental laws, theories and facts that comprise our understanding of the contemporary physical world, of the origins of scientific discovery, and the social and economic implications of scientific and technological developments.

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HUMANITIES GENERAL EDUCATION BREADTH AREA (C)
OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES


CAL GE Breadth Area (C) Outcomes Assessment Committee:
Salaam Yousif, English
William Peterson, Theater Arts
Larry McFatter, Music
Mirta Gonzalez, Foreign Languages
Susan Finsen, Philosophy
Kurt Collins, Art


Arts (C.1) Goals and Objectives

Courses:
1. Arts. Four units chosen from:
ART 200. Studies in Art (4)
HUM 180. The Art of Film (4)
MUS 180. Studies in Music (4)
TA 260. Introduction to Theatre (4)

Students who complete the arts breadth area C1 (Arts) will

GOAL 1: Demonstrate an awareness of the cultural and social value and contributions of the arts (visual, music, theatre, film, etc.) in sustaining life and nurturing human development.

Objectives:

  1. Articulate the value and contributions of the arts to society;


  2. Recognize and articulate the pervasiveness of the arts in the student's own community;

GOAL 2: Describe the mechanics of artistic production.

Objectives:

  1. Discuss and describe the basic techniques used in at least one form of artistic expression (i.e., formal structuring, artistic materials/media chosen, etc.);

  2. In the case of the collaborative arts, be able to identify and describe the contributions of key artistic collaborators (i.e., composer and lyricist, film writer and editor, etc.);


  3. Recognize the financial, political and social forces which impact and shape a particular art form;

GOAL 3: Reflect critically on significant works of the human intellect and imagination through exposure to major works of art emanating from more than one culture.

Objectives:

  1. Articulate the differences between various systems of cultural aesthetics (i.e., those of western European and Asian musics, for example);


  2. Objectively analyze artistic works from a cultural perspective that differs from a student's own;

GOAL 4: Gain an overview of the concepts, forms and historical development of a particular art form.

Objectives:

  1. Use appropriate critical vocabulary to describe artistic development over time in, for example, the history of stylistic periods and genres in art (i.e., cubism, impressionism, etc.);


  2. Describe and explain the historical context within which a body of work was created (i.e., the historical and cultural forces that shaped, for example, 18th century western art and music);

GOAL 5: Learn to formulate, articulate and defend aesthetic judgments based on an encounter with a work of art or particular performance.

Objectives:

  1. Understand some of the methods of studying, perceiving and criticizing artistic phenomena (i.e., do background preparation for writing a review of a performance of a play, art exhibition or concert);


  2. Write critical evaluations of works of art or particular performances taking into account their cultural contexts;

GOAL 6: Experience art firsthand.

Objectives:

  1. Attend plays or concerts, visit art galleries, participate in theatre productions as an usher or backstage crew, view assigned films, etc.


  2. Critically evaluate that experience either orally or in writing;
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Literature (C.2) Goals and Objectives

Courses:
ENG 110: World Literature I
ENG 111: World Literature II
ENG 160: World Drama
ENG 170: Studies in Literature
TA 160: World Drama
TA 212: Oral Interpretation of Literature

Students who complete Humanities Breadth Area C. 2 (Literature) will be able to:

Goal 1: Construct and articulate clear and informed interpretations of literary texts.

Objectives:

  1. Read with clear understanding a variety of literary texts from a range of cultures and time periods.


  2. Discuss, interpret, and reflect critically on literary works, using clear, coherent, and well-reasoned analysis and appropriate support and evidence.


  3. Understand that literary works can be analyzed from more than one critical approach, and that two or more critical approaches may be integrated to achieve a fuller understanding of the text.


  4. Find and make connections between literary works--thematic, stylistic, etc.

Goal 2: Demonstrate knowledge of the basic typology of the forms and genres of literature and of the standard critical terminologies for analyzing and describing these literary forms and genres.

Objectives:

  1. Identify the forms and genres of literature, both written and oral, such as fiction, drama, poetry, lyric, epic, novel, novella, short story, tragedy, comedy, etc.


  2. Use analytical skills when reading literary texts; that is, show some familiarity with the techniques of various genres and the critical vocabulary appropriate for talking about those genres (e.g., point of view, setting, plot, climax, flashback, rhyme, rhythm, imagery, irony).


  3. Identify several of the various elements common to all literary texts, such as theme, style, figures of speech (metaphor, simile, paradox, hyperbole), tone, etc., and recognize how the elements of form and the various literary devices contribute to the meaning and to the overall aesthetic effect of a literary text.


  4. Recognize and value the new and unfamiliar in literature (e.g., epic theater, theater of the absurd, magical realism).

Goal 3: Place the literary “text” in its intellectual, cultural, social, and historical contexts, and take into account the contextual implications of the text.

Objectives:

  1. Identify and demonstrate some familiarity with a range of major authors (female and male) and major works from both Western and non-Western literatures and from various time periods.


  2. Recognize how literary works are related to the cultures and historical epochs from which they spring, understanding the ways in which literary differences may reflect cultural differences and the ways in which disparate works may share some common human elements.


  3. Understand why a particular literary text is important to its own culture and epoch and what can make it significant to us as well.


  4. Recognize how literature makes use of culturally-specific myths and symbols, and be able to identify such myths and symbols in a diverse array of literary texts.

Goal 4: Recognize literature’s capacity to cultivate imagination and growth in self-knowledge, to nurture empathy, and to provide insights into various fields of knowledge and aspects of life.

Objectives:

  1. Recognize literature’s capacity to illuminate and impact personal experience, understanding, and values.


  2. Describe how literature can enable one to identify with others by inhabiting fictional points of view and thereby affect the nature of one’s own empathy and knowledge of others.


  3. Employ literature to expand one’s understanding of contemporary society, past civilizations, and cultural traditions different from their own.


  4. Recognize and identify relationships between literature and other disciplines, such as the visual and performing arts, sociology, religion, law, history, or philosophy.
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Foreign Language or Literature in Translation (C.3) Goals Objectives

Courses:  
FLAN 102, Language Study II JAPN 102, College Japanese II
FLAN 150, Intermediate Language Study JAPN 150, Intermediate Japanese
FREN 102, College French II MAND 102, College Mandarin II
FREN 150, Intermediate French MAND 150, Intermediate Mandarin
FREN 200, Culture and Communication SPAN 102, College Spanish II
FREN 201, Conversation and Composition I SPAN 150, Intermediate Spanish
FREN 202, Conversation and Composition II SPAN 155, Interm. Span for Span Speakers
FREN 290, French Literature in English SPAN 212, Composition
GER 102, College German II SPAN 213, Composition for Span Speakers.
GER 150, Intermediate German SPAN 214, Conversation
GER 212, Composition SPAN 290, Span. & Latin Am. Lit. in English
GER 214, Conversation  
GER 216, Introduction to the Literary Text  
GER 290, German Literature in English  


Students completing the Humanities Breath Area C-3 will be able to do the following:

Goal 1. Communicate in the foreign language in a culturally appropriate manner.

Objectives:

  1. Engage in conversation, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions in the foreign language.


  2. Understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.


  3. Present information, concepts and ideas in the foreign language to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.


  4. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and English.

Goal 2. Enhance their critical thinking skills by constructing a perspective of culture(s) other than their own.

Objectives:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture(s) studied.


  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture(s) studied.


  3. Apply analytical skills in a language other than their own.


  4. Differentiate and integrate ways to appreciate similarities and differences between cultures, including gender and social issues.


  5. Acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints only available through the foreign language and its culture(s)


  6. Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of culture through comparison with U.S. culture(s)

Students completing the Literatures in Translation 290 in the Humanities Breath Area C-3 will be able to do the following:

Goal 1. Differentiate and integrate objective and subjective responses to literature and the arts of non-English speaking culture(s).

Objectives:

  1. Comprehend a variety of literary texts translated in English from other cultures;


  2. Interpret meaning in literary texts translated from other languages and cultures;


  3. Situate literary texts as productions emanating from specific social, historical, intellectual and cultural settings;


  4. Appraise the significance of the literary text to contemporary life in the U.S.A.;


  5. Differentiate and integrate ways to appreciate similarities and differences between cultures, including gender and social issues.
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Philosophy (C.4) Goals and Objectives

Courses:
Phil 190: Introduction to Philosophical Issues
Phil 191: Introduction to Ethics
Phil 192: Introduction to Philosophy of Religion
Phil. 193: Introduction to Eastern Philosophy
Phil. 194: Introduction to Knowledge and Reality

Students who complete Humanities Breadth Area C4 (Philosophy) will be able to:

Goal 1: Develop the ability to reason and argue philosophically; develop in students the skills and dispositions of analysis and argument

Objectives:

  1. Apply the basic skills of critical thinking, and in particular argument analysis, to fundamental problems in philosophy

  2. Be able to write a coherent essay analyzing, assessing and constructing cogent arguments for and/or against philosophical positions.

  3. Apply the basic skills of oral communication through active well-reasoned philosophical dialogue in classroom discussion.

Goal 2: Challenge students to question deeply held assumptions and beliefs regarding the fundamental philosophical issues of knowledge, reality and /or values;

Objectives:

  1. Recognize assumptions and beliefs which determine one's own philosophical perspective

  2. Recognize and accurately describe the underlying assumptions and beliefs inherent in some central philosophical traditions

  3. Distinguish questions of knowledge (epistemology) from questions of reality (metaphysics);

  4. Distinguish issues of faith from knowledge claims;

  5. Distinguish questions of fact or theory from questions of values

Goal 3: Introduce students to some of the major traditions of philosophical ideas and analysis from either western or nonwestern philosophy, from the ancient, modern or contemporary period

Objectives:

  1. Accurately describe the theories and arguments of some major philosophers and philosophical traditions

  2. Be able to locate these traditions within the wider context of the history of ideas (Describe how a philosophical tradition developed within the context of a particular historical period)

  3. Cogently compare and discuss contrasting views in some area(s) of philosophy
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Integrative Capstone in the Humanities (C.5) Goals Objectives

Courses:
C5. Integrative Capstone in the Humanities. Four units chosen from:
HUM 319. Myth, Metaphor and Symbol (4)
HUM 325. Perspectives on Gender (also counts in category G) (4)
HUM 330. Arts and Ideas (4)
HUM 335. The Origin and Contemporary Role of Latino Culture (also counts in category G) (4) HUM 340. Interpretation and Values (4)
HUM 344. Ideas in American Culture (4)
HUM 370. African Heritage in the Arts (also counts in category G) (4)
HUM 380. Comparative Studies in the Arts: East and West (also counts in category G) (4)
HUM 385. A Cultural History of Fashion (4)

Upon completion of the Integrative Capstone Requirement in Humanities (C5), students will be able to:
Goal 1: Understand the interrelationships among disciplines and their applications to contemporary complex environments.

Objectives:

  1. Recognize the relationships and dependencies between two (or more) disciplines, such as the relationship between developments in science and those in the arts; developments in biology or psychology and those in literature or philosophy;

  2. Demonstrate an ability to apply knowledge of the discipline(s) in question to contemporary problems and issues (for example: recognize the social and moral implications of our current understanding of global warming)


Goal 2: Extend, apply and integrate basic skills such as critical thinking, composition, oral communication, and mathematics.

Objectives:

  1. Critically reason about the interrelationships among the disciplines and their applications to contemporary environments;

  2. Construct well-reasoned essays discussing the interrelations among the disciplines and applications of the disciplines to contemporary problems and environments;

  3. Where appropriate, use mathematical skills (numerical, graphical, symbolic) to support or criticize arguments;

Goal 3: Consider timely (important) issues and subject matter not encountered within lower division courses or within the confines of upper division courses within specific disciplines;

Objectives:

  1. Recognize and be able to summarize and discuss the issues presented;

Goal 4: Where appropriate to the specific theme of the course, incorporate multicultural and/or international issues from a comparative perspective that goes beyond a single country, culture or social system;

Objectives:

  1. Be able to identify and describe cultural and social perspectives from those cultures and societies discussed in the course;

Goal 5: Where appropriate to the specific theme of the course, include perspectives on human behavior, gender roles, and human sexuality as they relate to the theme topic.

Objectives:

  1. Recognize the diversity of perspectives and behaviors as regards gender roles and human sexuality in relation to the topics discussed in the course;

  2. Demonstrate ability to cogently and rationally discuss the moral and social issues surrounding gender and human sexuality

Goal 6: Where appropriate to the theme of the course, consider cultural, technological and organizational developments in relation to the theme topic.

Objectives:

  1. Accurately describe technological and organizational aspects of the topics covered in the course;

  2. Cogently discuss the ethical and practical implications of the implementation of technological developments in relation to the topic.

Note: These goals and objectives are written to express the intent of the GE document (p. 22). As written, the criteria suggest reinforcement of all basic skills, which include writing, critical thinking and oral communication. Courses taught in the large lecture format pose an interesting dilemma for those who wish to genuinely reinforce these skills. Thus, for those reading these goals and objectives, it is important to think carefully about what we believe these courses are to accomplish. How can courses taught in this format achieve these goals? (C.2 Revised 11-02)
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SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES GENERAL
EDUCATION BREADTH AREA (D)
OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES


CSBS GE Breadth Area (D) Outcomes Assessment Committee
Lanny Fields American History and Civilization (D1)
Scot Zentner American Institutions (D2)
Jeff Hackel World Cultures (D3)
Carolyn Aldana Discipline Perspectives (D4)
Michael Lewin Integrative Capstone (D5)


American History and Civilization (D.1) Goals and Objectives

Courses
D1. American History and Civilization. Four units chosen from
HIST 146. American Civilization (4)
HIST 200. United States History to 1877 (4)
HIST 201. United States History, 1877 to the Present (4)

After the completion of the American history and civilization requirement (D1), students will be able to

Goal 1. Understand key social, economic, cultural, and political themes in American history.

Objectives

  1. Describe a significant social, economic, cultural, or political theme in a two- decade or longer period of American history.

  2. Name three key figures in American cultural history.

  3. List three social consequences of industrialization in American history. 4. List two causes and two consequences of either the American Civil War, the War for Independence, or World War I.

Goal 2. Understand the various contributions of ethnic and gender groups in American history.

Objectives

  1. Name two leaders of an ethnic minority group in American history.

  2. Describe the contributions of women to either the abolition of slavery movement or the women's suffrage movement in American history.

  3. Compare two civil rights movements and their political or constitutional issues in American history.

Goal 3. Understand the historical contexts of contemporary issues and conditions in America.

Objectives

  1. Describe two foreign policy issues that echo a current foreign policy issue.

  2. Describe two domestic policy issues that echo a current domestic issue.

  3. Compare immigration policies in an earlier era with immigration policies today.

  4. Name two people who helped develop a particular cultural movement or genre (jazz, blues, impressionism, modernism, romanticism …).
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American Institutions (D.2) Goals and Objectives

Courses
D2. American Institutions
PSCI 203. American Government (4)
Note: The American history, constitution, state and local government requirement may be met by taking
PSCI 203. American Government and one of the following
HIST 146. American Civilization
HIST 200. United States History to 1877
HIST 201. United States History, 1877 to the Present

After the completion of the American Institutions requirement (D2), students will be able to
Goal 1. Understand the foundation and development of American political principles.

Objectives

  1. Identify the key elements of the Declaration of Independence and to evaluate the principles of the American Revolution.

  2. Identify the main parts of the U.S. Constitution and to evaluate the principles of the American Founding.

Goal 2. Understand the elements of democratic-republican government and politics under the U.S. Constitution.

Objectives

  1. Assess American national government institutions (i.e., Congress, the president, and the federal courts and bureaucracies).

  2. Evaluate American national political institutions (i.e., political parties, interest groups, and the media).

  3. Identify the rights and obligations of citizens in the democratic-republican system established under the U.S. Constitution.

  4. Recognize the issues of race, religion, ethnicity, and sex and their place within the development of American political institutions and the understanding of American political principles.

Goal 3. Understand the elements of California state and local government.

Objectives

  1. Assess the law- and policy-making process under the California Constitution.

  2. Evaluate the principal institutions of California government, including state, county, and city governments, and special districts.

  3. Recognize the relationships between governments and the resolution of conflicts in the American federal system.
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World Cultures (D.3) Goals and Objectives

Courses
D3. World Cultures. Four units chosen from
ANTH 140. World Civilizations I, the Rise of Civilization (4)
HIST 140. World Civilizations I, the Rise of Civilization (4)
HIST 142. World Civilizations II, the Civilizations of the East and West (4)
HIST 144. World Civilizations III, the Expansion of Europe (4)
SSCI 165. Regions and Peoples of the World (4)

After the completion of the World Cultures requirement (D3), students will be able to

Goal 1. Understand the concepts of culture and civilization.

Objectives

  1. Define the terms culture and civilization.

  2. Compare and contrast the concepts of culture and civilization.

Goal 2. Understand the process of cultural change.

Objectives

  1. Name and discuss the contribution of important individuals who played key roles in the development of a selected culture or civilization.

  2. List possible consequences of cultural interaction.

  3. Discuss why civilizations might rise or fall.

Goal 3. To recognize cultural variation.

Objectives

    1. Describe how the "cultural landscape" of two countries differ based on a selected factor (e.g., history, architecture, agricultural, economic population density)

    2. Discuss the role of art and artists in a selected culture.

    3. Examine class structure, gender and/or ethnic roles in a selected culture.
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Discipline Perspectives (D.4) Goals and Objectives

Courses
D4. Discipline Perspectives. Four units chosen from
ANTH 100. Introduction to AnthropologyHuman Evolution (4)
ANTH 102. Introduction to AnthropologyCulture and Society (4)
ECON 104. Economics of Social Issues (4)
ES 100. Ethnicity and Race in America (4)
GEOG 100. Introduction to Human Geography (4)
PSCI 100. Introduction to Political Science (4)
PSYC 100. Introduction to Psychology (4)
SOC 100. The Study of Society (4)
WSTD 200. Introduction to Women's Studies (4)

Upon completion of the discipline perspectives requirement (D4), students will be able to

Goal 1. Identify prevailing theories, areas, principles, and methods of inquiry of social science in one of the disciplines (Anthropology, Economics, Ethnic Studies, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology).

Objectives
  1. Describe the basic approaches used in the chosen discipline.

  2. Identify the principle areas of the chosen discipline.

  3. Restate the basic terms and concepts used in the major theoretical approaches of that discipline.

Goal 2. Understand the approaches within the chosen discipline to analyze social issues and evaluate solutions.

Objectives

  1. Describe aspects of social issues that are analyzed within the context of the various theories.

  2. Evaluate aspects of social issues within the contexts of the various theories.

  3. Identify the factors related to the relevant issues of race, ethnicity, or gender within the context of the chosen discipline.
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Social Science Integrated Capstone (D.5) Goals and Objectives

Courses
D5. Integrative Capstone in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Four units chosen from
SSCI 300. Nonwestern World (4)
SSCI 304. Contemporary Latin America (4)
SSCI 315. Cultural Adaptation: The Quest for Survival (4)
SSCI 316. Race and Racism (also counts in category G) (4)
SSCI 320. Understanding Capitalism (4)
SSCI 321. Urbanization and the Urban Environment (4)
SSCI 325. Perspectives on Gender (also counts in category G) (4)
SSCI 343. Understanding Socialism (4)
SSCI 345. Religious Expression in America (4)
SSCI 350. Roots of Modern Racism in America (also counts in category G) (4)

After the completion of the Social Science Integrated Capstone (D5) requirement, students will be able to

Goal 1. Develop an understanding of the effects of societal/inter-societal factors from the social sciences (e.g., anthropology, criminal justice, economics, geography, history, psychology, political science, sociology) as they affect contemporary social issues.

Objectives

  1. Identify specific factors from the social sciences (e.g., anthropology, criminal justice, economics, geography, history, psychology, political science, or sociology) as they relate to contemporary social issues.

  2. Analyze a specific social science issue from a multidisciplinary perspective.

  3. Identify key historical sociopolitical events that have influenced past and contemporary social issues.

Goal 2. Develop an understanding of how cultural, economic, religious, political, and social structures/practices affect the standing of various groups in the United States or in countries/cultures abroad.

Objectives

  1. Identify key factors of social class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or gender that have affected access in the opportunity structure of the United States or countries/cultures abroad over time.

  2. Analyze how these factors social class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or gender have affected access in the opportunity structure of the United States or countries/cultures abroad over time.


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