An undergraduate student whose enrollment in a curriculum occurs after May 15, 1996, must fulfill the general education requirements in the catalog in effect at the time. A student who withdraws from the University and subsequently returns after May 15, 1996, will be required to satisfy the general education requirements. Any variation in curricular or general education requirements shall be considered under the substitution procedure.

MISSION STATEMENT

Academic institutions exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the intellectual and ethical development of students, and the general well-being of society. Undergraduate students must be broadly educated and technically skilled to be informed and productive citizens. As citizens, they need to be able to think critically about significant issues. Students also need to be prepared to complete undergraduate work and a major course of study. The mission requires a high level of knowledge about and competence in the following areas: communication, computer use, mathematics, problem solving, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts. Thus the mission of general education is to provide Clemson undergraduate students with a structured base through which these needs can be met.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The general education requirements in some curricula are more restrictive than the general requirements shown below.

Courses approved for Oral Communication, Writing Intensive or Computer Skills credit are indicated in the Courses of Instruction in brackets (e.g. ENGL 314 3(3,0) [W.3]).

A. Communication and Speaking Skills, 12 hours
1. ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, 6 hours

2. Oral Communication, 3 hours

3. Writing Intensive, 3 hours

B. Computer Skills, 3 hours

C. Mathematical Sciences, 6 hours

*Exception: MTHSC 115 and 116 may be used by students graduating in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Special Education only.

D. Physical or Biological Science, 8 hours
A two semester sequence in the same physical or biological science, each including a laboratory

E. Humanities, 6 hours
1. Three hours selected from sophomore literature courses (200 level only) or foreign language literature (300 level or higher)

2. Three hours selected from the following:

F. Social Science, 6 hours

COMPETENCY GOALS

A.1. English 101 and English 102

Students completing English 101 with a passing grade should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:
1. An understanding of and ability to use the full range of the writing process including invention, drafting, revising, and editing.

2. The ability to write about fictional and/or non-fictional texts, using correct form in quoting and documentation.

3. The capacity to write a unified, coherent short essay (2­4 pages) with a suitable introduction and conclusion, well-organized and sufficiently developed paragraphs, and enough detail to support their generalizations.

4. A basic control over sentence structure including not only grammatical correctness but also
some evidence of syntactical maturity in terms of sentence length, complexity, and variety.

5. Basic competence in punctuation, spelling, and other mechanics.

Students completing English 102 with a passing grade should be able to demonstrate all the knowledge and skills required for English 101 plus the following:
1. The capacity to summarize, analyze, and evaluate college-level texts, including argumentative pieces expressing opinions different from their own.

2. The ability to use basic library resources including available databases to find sources.

3. The ability to incorporate existing research into their own writing, citing appropriate documentation.

4. The ability to organize and sustain the coherence of a longer (5­8 pages) expository or argumentative paper that avoids major logical fallacies, recognizes and responds to counter-arguments, and shows a rhetorical awareness of audience.

5. Skills at using varied sentence structure and length and appropriate sentence style and diction.

A.2. Oral Communication

1. Anonymous evaluators of student oral assignments from oral communication courses will report that at least 90% of students' oral communication samples (viewed on video tape) meet or exceed the criteria for oral communication competencies established by the national Speech Communication Association, as outlined in the SCA "Oral Competency" assessment instrument, and endorsed by teachers of those courses.

2. Students who have taken oral communication courses will report that receiving constructive feedback from teachers based on the "Oral Competency" assessment instrument and being given the opportunity to perform orally again after constructive feedback enabled them to improve their oral communication.

3. Teachers will report that student oral communication in "O"-designated courses improved in response to constructive feedback based on the "Oral Competency" assessments.

A.3. Writing Intensive Courses

1. Anonymous evaluators of student portfolios from W courses will report that at least 90% of students' writing samples meet or exceed the criteria for acceptable writing endorsed by teachers of those courses.

Students who have taken W courses will report the following:

2. That the writing assignments improved their learning of course material.

3. That receiving constructive feedback on their writing and being given the opportunity to revise their writing enabled them to improve their writing.

4. That they believe effective writing is important to success in their respective fields.

5. Increased confidence in their ability to meet the professional demands of writing in the work place.

Teachers will report the following:

6. That writing assignments in W courses improved student learning of course material.

7. That student writing in W courses improved in response to constructive feedback.

B. Computer Skills

The Computer Skills requirement is intended to achieve two goals. The first goal is to prepare students for the use of computer technology in their personal and professional lives. The second goal is to assist the students in developing a set of skills in using the computer in the areas of management and organization of data and the communication of ideas.

Following completion of the Computer Skills general education requirement, students will be competent in the operation of a number of standard computer tools, including word processors, spreadsheets, and communication tools (for example, electronic mail and remote file access). Students will be able to utilize these tools to present information in an organized and effective manner. Students will also be able to interpret and accommodate current capabilities and future advances in computer technology, in the context of legal, ethical, and moral guidelines, to support their decision making.

C. Mathematical Sciences

An education that reflects only the restricted mathematical needs of the distant past is not adequate for students who will live their professional lives in the twenty-first century. Therefore, the mathematical sciences requirement is designed to achieve the following competency goals:
1. To develop in students a high level of mathematical literacy in order that they be able to adequately cope with the demands of an information-based age. This basic literacy may assume different forms, depending upon the students' academic curricula. For example, developing skills in applying the methods of modern data analysis and statistical inference, mastering the more classical deterministic methods of calculus, or (for future teachers of elementary school children) to actively engage fundamental mathematical concepts in the ways that we would have them to teach: to explore, investigate, validate, discuss, represent and construct.

2. To enable students to become confident in their ability to do mathematics and to grasp the implications of the many mathematical concepts that permeate our lives, concepts such as chance, rates of change, logic, and graphs.

3. To develop in students the ability to communicate and to reason mathematically because mathematics today involves much more than calculation. Clarification of the problem, formulating alternatives, developing appropriate tools, and analyzing the consequences are all part of mathematical communication and reasoning.

D. Physical or Biological Science

Science is required of Clemson undergraduates to achieve two goals. The first goal is to expose students to the scientific philosophy that the natural world is mechanistic and largely predictable, and can be systematically studied using empirical methods. Mastery of these methods requires particular reasoning skills. Following successful completion of the physical/biological science requirement, students should have an understanding of the relationship among hypotheses, experiments, and theories. They should be able to use the methods of scientific inquiry such as framing a question precisely, developing hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions and making a defensible claim.

The second goal is to familiarize the students with the major principles and theories of a particular science, its historical development, and its significance for a broader world. This knowledge will give students the factual basis needed to practice the scientific method successfully in a particular discipline.

E. Humanities

The humanities is a broad category of study concerned with human nature, thought, emotion, values, interrelations, and culture. Unlike the sciences and the social sciences, the field of humanities is designed principally to insure that all students receive a balance of courses which generally are not applied or performance based. Specifically, the courses which fulfill the humanities general education requirement should build the following competencies: a reflective habit of mind, self and social awareness, a knowledge and appreciation of the development of our culture and those foreign to ours, a heightened aesthetic and ethical sensibility, an understanding of the diverse forms of expression, the ability to think critically, and good communication skills. Humanities courses should develop as many of these competencies as possible.

F. Social Science

The general education social science requirement will introduce students to human social and cultural diversity. The courses will provide students with a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of human actions, thereby increasing their awareness of global concerns. The social science courses will also reinforce communication skills and challenge students to enhance their critical thinking and intellectual development.