Definition of General Education
General Education
The University of South Alabama defines general education as that part of the curriculum shared by all students (AACU 2005, p.25). For USA students this includes:
- Completion of the program requirements for the University’s core curriculum,
- Completion of two designated writing intensive courses, and
- Demonstration of competency in oral communication by completing program-specific course requirements.
Core Curriculum
Alabama General Studies Curriculum (AGSC) includes four areas:
- Area I: Written Composition
- Area II: Humanities and Fine Arts
- Area III: Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- Area IV: History, Social, & Behavioral Sciences
General Education Student Learning Outcomes
Written Communication
- Students will apply correct linguistic conventions (including grammar, diction, punctuation, and spelling.
- Students will apply appropriate conventions associated with genres of communication.
- Students will respond effectively to the rhetorical situation (audience, purpose, argument, and form).
- Students will perform research necessary to satisfy information needed.
Aesthetic and Critical Interpretations
- Students will relate creative or analytical works to their genre or their cultural, logical, social, or historical contexts.
Oral Communication
- Students will deliver messages with attention to audience, vocal variety, articulation, and nonverbal signals.
- Students will appropriately deliver ideas with a compelling central message, clear organization (introduction, body, and conclusion), and appropriate supporting evidence.
Scientific Reasoning
- Students will explore issues in the natural sciences and collect relevant data.
- Students will analyze data based on natural phenomena that result in informed conclusions/judgments.
Quantitative Reasoning
- Students will demonstrate mathematical literacy through interpretation of mathematical forms and performing calculations.
Historical Interpretations
- Students will read critically and evaluate primary and secondary sources concerning historical issues and problems.
- Students will organize and synthesize evidence to reveal an understanding of the complexity of human experience across time and/or space.
Social Scientific Literacy
- Students will evaluate a claim using social scientific knowledge.