2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog

Nov 23, 2024

2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

General Education

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A General Education program is a set of academic requirements common to all students, ranging across a spectrum of academic disciplines and subjects. At Malone University, the mission of general education is to develop wise and thoughtful students who are broadly educated in the liberal arts as well as in Christian scriptures and traditions to serve as faithful agents of transformation in the communities in which they live and work.

Malone University is committed to equipping graduates to put “Christ’s Kingdom First” in all of life. In part, this means cultivating in students the skills, knowledge, and dispositions that will equip them to serve effectively in the workplace. This goal is addressed both through specialized study in the major and throughout the general education program. In a day when most people will engage in multiple careers across a lifetime, our general education curriculum cultivates crucial abilities that transcend specialization, such as critical and creative thinking, interaction with knowledge and ideas, communication, and problem solving. Whatever their callings, we are committed to preparing students to serve faithfully and effectively.

This commitment also means that a Malone education is a preparation for life beyond the workplace, in such realms as church, family, local community, nation, and world. General education coursework provides a solid grounding in Christian scriptures and tradition, along with many additional opportunities for growth in self-knowledge, knowledge of God, and knowledge of the challenges, complexities, and opportunities of our changing world. We challenge students to cultivate a love of truth, life-long habits of thoughtful reflection, and a strong foundation of practical wisdom grounded in biblical faith, equipping them to live and thrive in the world as agents of Christ’s kingdom.

Coursework in our general education program progresses from Foundations courses that establish a strong framework for Christian higher education, to Engaging courses designed to deepen and expand our understanding of people, creation, our nation, and our world. In some components of the program all students take required courses in common; in other components students have opportunities to make choices. Students work closely with their academic advisors to shape the general education program to their own emerging interests.

Program Goals: As an academic institution in the Christian tradition of the Evangelical Friends Church, Malone is committed to intellectual enrichment in the context of Christian faith. We strive to provide an education that produces graduates with a love of truth and a vibrant, mature faith. Our intent is that students attain the wisdom, knowledge, and skills necessary to serve, engage, and transform the communities in which they live and work. To this end, we provide context in which to pursue the following educational goals:

To help students understand the challenges, complexities, and opportunities of our changing world
To help students cultivate critical and creative thinking, problem solving, and skillful interaction with knowledge and ideas
To help students communicate effectively in multiple contexts
To help students gain a grounding in Christian scriptures and tradition, to apply this understanding to serving the Church, community, and world, to apply Christian faith to ethical and social issues, and to provide them with additional opportunities for growth in self-knowledge and knowledge of God.

The specific outcomes of General Education at Malone University are the following:

Students will understand theories and cultural influences that have shaped the world.
For example, students will articulate significant social and intellectual traditions influencing American cultures and demonstrate the ability to engage constructively with diverse cultures.

Students will think critically and creatively.
For example, students will gather and assess the relevance of information, demonstrate the ability to use key methods of inquiry to gain understanding of content (scientific method, qualitative, quantitative), be able to integrate Christian faith with disciplinary knowledge, and develop multiple approaches to problems.

Students will communicate effectively in multiple contexts.
That is, students will be able to express ideas with clarity, read and listen to the ideas of others with understanding and discernment, and engage in rhetorically effective communication.

Students will understand the foundations of the Christian faith and the role of service to the church, community, and world and apply this knowledge to ethical and social issues.

Requirements (41-43 hours)

One course is required in each of the 15 components. Course descriptions for all general education courses are located in the appropriate academic sections of this catalog.

Foundations of Faith and Learning (10 hours)

First-Year Seminar

GEN 100 - The College Experience

Bible

BIBL 100 - Introduction to the Bible

Theology

THEO 211 - Introduction to Theology (Prerequisite(s): BIBL 100 or BIBL 111/121)

Philosophy (choose one from among)

Foundational Skills (9 hours)

*Prerequisite of MATH 130 or proficiency. See note #3 below.

Engaging God’s World (22-24 hours)

Engaging the Created Order (3 hours)

Science (choose one from among)

Additional, more advanced options:

Engaging in Human Experience (9 hours)

Understanding Persons in Society (choose one from among)

Literature

ENG 200 - Literature in Society

Fine Arts (choose one from among)

Engaging in Cultures and Institutions (7-9 hours)

World History

HIST 112 - World History II: The Modern World

American Cultures and Institutions (choose one from among)

Global Encounters (choose one from among)

Capstone (3 hours)

Faith in the World Seminar

GEN 460 - Faith in the World Seminar

Note(s):

Completing the BIBL 111/121 sequence (as an Advanced General Education substitute) fulfills the BIBL 100 requirement.
Completing the THEO 201/331/332 sequence fulfills the THEO 211 requirement.
Completing the MUS 375/376/377 sequence fulfills the Fine Arts requirement.
All students must demonstrate math proficiency by a) an ACT math score ≥ 20 (SAT-Math ≥ 500), or b) by passing a proficiency exam offered by the Center for Student Success, or c) by passing MATH 130. Depending on ACT/SAT math score, enrollment in MATH 125 or 130 level is required each semester until this proficiency is met.
Incoming students with an ACT math score > 24 are exempt from MATH/PYSC 140 unless the course is required in their programs of study.
MATH/PSYC 140 can be satisfied by taking BUS 240 - Statistics for Business or MATH 150 - Precalculus if required by a major/minor program of study.
Students must be enrolled at the appropriate level of ENG 120 - Elements of English or ENG 145 - English Composition , and then ENG 200 - Literature in Society each semester until the sequence is completed. Students are placed into ENG 120 if the ACT English score < 15 and the overall high school gpa is below 3.0.
Credits can be secured by examination for some general education courses. Syllabi for these courses are available in the Office of the Provost. Arrangements for these examinations may be made through the Center for Student Success.
GEN 225-
Global Studies: (Topic)
applies to study trips sponsored by Malone University.

Credit for Off-Campus Study Experiences

Many Malone University students take advantage of opportunities for off-campus academic study, and in some cases such study can be used to fulfill general education requirements. Off-campus study experiences include those sponsored by Malone University as well as others not sponsored by Malone University (e.g., programs available through the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Brethren Colleges Abroad, etc., and independent study programs).

Some off-campus study experiences may include courses that have been pre-approved to fulfill Global Encounters, Engaging Cultures and Institutions, Faith in the World, or other general education requirements. The Office of the Registrar maintains a list of courses that have been pre-approved to fulfill specific general education requirements. Students are encouraged to consult this list when planning to participate in off-campus study experiences in order to assist them in meeting their academic requirements. Off-campus study experiences sponsored by Malone University will include information about whether or not they fulfill specific general education requirements in their course descriptions (if they are Malone courses). In many cases, off-campus study experiences that are not sponsored by Malone University may include courses that have been pre-approved to meet specific general education requirements. Information about off-campus study experiences is available from the Director of the Center for Cross-Cultural Engagement. Approvals for off-campus study experiences and any petitions seeking approval for general education requirements must be completed prior to the time at which the student engages in the off-campus study experience.

Note: With prior approval of the Cross-Cultural Experience Coordinator, a student may use an off-campus study experience as the basis for completing SOSC 212/213 to fulfill the Global Encounters component of the general education program. This may be accomplished by registering for SOSC 212/213 and fulfilling all related course requirements prior to, during, and after the experience. See SOSC 212 and SOSC 213 for additional information.

Writing Proficiency

A student’s proficiency in writing will be determined by successful completion (a grade of C or higher) of ENG 145, usually during the freshman year.

Although students evidence that they are capable of acceptable writing by completing ENG 145, they must show a continuing proficiency throughout their academic work.

Every paper should meet the following standards:

it must be legible, preferably typed or written in ink, and be neat in appearance, showing that the student takes pride in written work submitted;
it must issue from a clearly stated thesis, which is supported throughout in well-developed paragraphs;
it must show careful attention to grammar and mechanics. Fragments or run-on sentences may make a paper unacceptable mechanically (unless they are used intentionally for effect). An average of more than one spelling error or typographical error per page may also make a paper unacceptable;
it should conform to widely accepted standards of form and documentation. The final authority on matters of appropriate form in the preparation of papers is to be determined by the instructor of the course for which the paper is written or by the school or department in which the course is taken. This authority may be a published guide such as Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide by Lester.

When a student’s final grade in any course is affected by a deficiency in writing, the student must, on the recommendation of the course instructor, take a corrective program under the general supervision of the director of the campus writing center. This program may involve remedial coursework, the use of programmed materials and/or tutorial study.

Malone University - Christ’s Kingdom First

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