Key characteristics: Definition of single components (i.e. disciplines)

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1 Definition Humanities The Humanities are a group of disciplines including but not limited to History, English, Foreign Language, Music, Art, Classics, Philosophy, Religious Studies that examine the ways in which culture has been defined over the course of human development. Courses so designated deal directly and substantively with one or more of these disciplines. Key characteristics: History (including Music and Art history), English, Classics, Philosophy and Religious Studies all share a common focus on original, primary texts. All are centrally concerned with the meaning of those texts, how to interpret them, and how they shed light always in context of how human beings change over time, interact with each other, wield power, organize themselves in groups, define the sacred, define beauty, and create systems of thought. Music, Foreign language, Creative/Journalistic Writing, studio art are centrally concerned with the production of a specific text, product, or skill. Definition of single components (i.e. disciplines) Classics is the study of the Greek and Roman worlds through the media of their languages and literatures, their art and architecture, and their other surviving physical artifacts. Classics explains how the West grew out of Greece and Rome, how it transmitted Hebrew and other near eastern cultures, and how it made possible the extraordinary flowering of subsequent European culture. The Discipline of English is concerned with the production and study of complex literary texts and with grammar and linguistics. Typically, literary scholars produce and study a range of genres including fiction, poetry, drama, essays, grammar and linguistics. Linguistics analyze and describe language in terms of syntax, phonology, morphology, semantics, and pragmatics, as well as exploring such areas of study as historical linguistics, language acquisition, sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics. In addition to producing and studying primary texts, English scholars conduct research, analyze and write commentary on works of criticism and literary theory, and engage in vigorous arguments with other literary scholars who seek to interpret and evaluate literary works. Through the discipline of English, scholars become familiar with literature that represents a wide variety of historical and cultural contexts. The study of foreign language fosters in students the development of various competencies necessary for communication in languages other than English. In the broadest sense, the discipline of history studies change over time, especially as it relates to human culture and society. Typically, History is differentiated from other disciplines both by the material it uses (most often written, printed, or visual sources), and its methodology (searching for patterns of behavior across time). The discipline can be either hypothesis-driven, theoretically-driven, or descriptive/analytical based on its sources. If analytical, empirical, or descriptive, the discipline of history relies on a critical analysis of many sources to build an inductive argument based on sources. 1

2 Philosophy, in its original meaning, was the pursuit of rational knowledge, or science, as such. In the course of modern history, however, philosophy has seen the emergence of the modern sciences and so has come to take on a new role. Following André Lalande s classic definition, philosophy now seeks to grasp the connections between and order of human activities, including the sciences, taken in their totality. This means that philosophy studies the values implicit within diverse activities in an attempt to overcome potential and actual conflicts by discovering a rational order for the basic values that guide human lives. Students of philosophy seek, therefore, to question current assumptions and beliefs in order to better grasp the meaning and value of different activities, understand their interrelation, and be able to resolve potential or actual conflicts. The discipline of Religious Studies seeks to understand how humans interact with each other and their environment, especially in the search for meaning outside of everyday experience. In contrast to Theology, from which is developed, Religious Studies neither assumes nor concludes that one sacred tradition is better than another. Instead, Religious Studies seeks to understand how and why human beings search for non-empirical elements that affect our lives. Over the last 30 years, the discipline has developed a tendency toward theoretically-driven hypotheses. Religious studies make use of data as diverse as poetry, ritual, and neuroscience. Music is a phenomenon that combines the elements of rhythm and pitch. Music can be simple or complex, intuitive or highly trained. It is common to all human cultures and, we believe, to some other animal species as well. According to historical record, music appears to have existed in human culture since its inception. Different study areas of music as a discipline include accompanying, chamber music, church music, musical composition, conducting, early music, jazz studies, music education, music history, music theory, musicology, ethnomusicology, music performance and literature, recording and orchestral studies. The key characteristic of a course that falls under the discipline of music is that the course deals mainly with understanding some aspect of music. Art Art History, a discipline valued for its humanistic focus, encompasses the study of artistic endeavors of peoples around the globe and includes study in three traditional areas -- the monumental arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture. The discipline deals with analysis of individual works of art, using a variety of approaches and perspectives in order to explore the factors that influence how these works look and are experienced. Studio-based art courses (such as drawing, painting, ceramics and photography) provide students with the valuable experience of understanding and producing original art under the direction of practitioners in their respective fields. Humanities (HU prefix) courses combine significant components of one or more of the specific disciplines, as determined by the department chair in consultation with the appropriate faculty. 2

3 Contribution to GenEd program Classics Critical thinking, examination of primary texts, understanding of literature in historical context, unique focus on human experience before 500 CE. English All educated people should have some familiarity with literary texts as part of their culture and heritage. Such familiarity is available primarily through English classes, which offer students the opportunity to learn about the ideas and values that shape human thought through the examination of literary texts. The study of English also enhances one s understanding and appreciation of other societies, cultures, and heritages. The close examination and interpretation of literary texts and of the structure of language, and the writing of literary and journalistic texts, helps to develop students critical thinking skills, communication skills, both written and oral, ethical reasoning skills, and information literacy as well as enhancing their ability to think creatively and imaginatively. Since literary works are works of art, the study of such works heightens students aesthetic appreciation and response to art and beauty. The information and skills gained through the study of English provide a strong foundation for other courses taken in GenEd as well as in major and professional programs. Foreign Language courses at Usciences provide students with requisite knowledge and skills to communicate in a language other than their own and, in so doing, give them the ability to engage in and enhance their appreciation of the cultural experiences of other peoples. History offers student the opportunity to explore, analyze, and critique their world from many different perspectives. It helps them to develop critical reasoning, ethical, and communication skills. Finally, it gives our students an intellectual framework for the information and skills they learn in their major courses. Philosophy courses are important components not only for the skills in ethics, communication, information literacy, and critical thinking that students develop, but also because they ask students to think about their education, in all its components, as a whole. In this sense, philosophy is the pursuit of general education. Religious Studies offers students the opportunity to explore, analyze, and critique their world from many different perspectives. It helps them to develop critical reasoning, ethical, and communication skills. Finally, it gives our students an intellectual framework for the information and skills they learn in their major courses. Music What is to be gained in music courses varies according to the course, but some qualities and skills that music aptly helps develop include discipline, creativity, expressivity, teamwork, cultural empathy and understanding, the role of music and art in history, and aesthetic discernment. Music Theory enables students to see many systems operating at the same time and to think through the best solution to a problem. The various ensemble performance classes 3

4 require students to practice their parts, to learn not just the notes on the page but what it means to be expressive with the music, and to work as a team with their colleagues in the ensemble. The chamber groups that make up most of the ensemble program are also places for students to be creative in interpreting their parts. World Music gives students the opportunity to learn about cultures other than their own, and to appreciate both common threads and unique practices. Art Study in the history of art is essential to producing well-rounded and culturally aware individuals. By its nature, and particularly because of the discipline's varying unifying themes -- e.g. patronage/commissioning, the technical aspects of image making, the status of the art, classicism, changing concepts of beauty, humanism, and the avant-garde -- there is considerable intersection with other disciplines (e.g. history, literature, philosophy, gender studies, economics, and the applied sciences). Through hands-on experience, studio art courses deepen students understanding of art, its production, and its connection to concepts from a broad range of disciplines. In addition, the skills acquired and honed in the complex, creative process of art production parallel those that contribute to success in a myriad of other professions. Art production (particularly of three-dimensional objects) is documented as being innately therapeutic and thus contributes to a student s overall sense of well-being. Outcomes Classics o Some mastery of two or three pieces of Greek and Latin literature. o An understanding of the impact of that literature on comparable pieces of English and American literature. o An ability to write about classical texts with rhetorical precision. o A basic understanding of the history of the West. English o An ability to analyze and critically evaluate works of literature and other primary source documents from a wide range of methodologies, worldviews, religious ideas, and scholarly approaches. o An ability to write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications/academic/ creative professions, audiences and purposes they serve. o Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness. Students studying linguistic will demonstrate: o Knowledge of the structure of language and how it is acquired. o Knowledge of how different groups use language. o Knowledge of how language developed over time. Foreign Language Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to communicate in the target language at various levels of competency. These include: o Grammatical structures and rules necessary for comprehending and communicating in the target language. 4

5 o Sufficient vocabulary and idiomatic expressions necessary for proper communication at the desired level of competence. o Awareness, through language of differences in cultures other than one s own. History o An ability to recognize the value and limitations of primary sources. o An ability to recognize the value and limitations of secondary sources. o An ability to formulate a clear thesis in written work. o An ability to gather and sort evidence. o A basic familiarity with the chronology of the period under study. o A basic understanding of different methodological and ideological approaches. Philosophy o An understanding of basic philosophical problems at a particular place and time in human history. o An understanding of enduring issues associated with some area of philosophical study, such as ethics or epistemology. o An ability to pay careful attention to the meaning of words. o An ability to examine arguments in detail. o Some basic mastery of the technical language of philosophy. o An ability to apply philosophical discussion to assumptions & problems arising in their own lives. Music Students will demonstrate an appropriate combination of: o Greater skill in playing an instrument or singing. o An understanding of basic music terminology. o More highly developed preparation and coping skills to render a more confident and polished performance. o A basic understanding of the functions and forms of music in different cultures. o A basic understanding of the political, social, religious, and/or medicinal aspects of music history. Art o A basic familiarity with a corpus of some of the most important, recognizable, and valued works in Western art. o An ability to recognize of the relevance of art history to other knowledge or disciplines. o An ability to relate course content to real-life experience. o An ability to analyze and contextualize works of art. Students in studio art courses will demonstrate: o An understanding of artists extensive decision-making processes. 5

6 o Basic facility with using and manipulating artists tools (e.g. pencil, paint, clay, the camera). o Basic facility in using sight and reasoning to access and solve problems implicit in art production. Religious Studies Students will demonstrate an appropriate combination of: o An understanding of one or more religious community. o An understanding of major themes and vocabulary specific to religious studies. o An understanding of how a religious community produces its sacred literature and arts. o An understanding of the practices of ritual and rites of passage. o An understanding of the variety of primary texts in the discipline. o An understanding of how, when appropriate, Religious Studies borrows from anthropological, psychological, sociological, historical, literary and media studies. o An ability to describe and apply a variety of religious studies methodologies to visual and textual material. Minimum qualifications to teach Classics Typically, instructors have a minimum of an M.A. degree in Classics. English Typically, instructors have a minimum of an M.A. degree in English. Foreign Language A Masters degree in the target language and experience in teaching it at the college level. History Typically, instructors have a master degree, and are possibly all-butdissertation. Philosophy Minimum qualifications should be Master s degree in philosophy or equivalent experience teaching philosophy (TBD by Department Chair). Religious studies Typically, instructors have a master degree in Religious Studies, and are possibly all-but-dissertation. Music Faculty members who teach music classes should first of all have some degree in a field of music. It is optimal for teachers of performance-based classes to have a performing degree. Generally, a masters or doctoral degree is preferred, but depending on the other experiences of the instructor and the class to be taught, a bachelor s degree may be acceptable. For other classes, such as history and theory, the masters or doctoral degrees are more commonly accepted as minimum qualifications. Art A Masters degree. Area of specialty and teaching experience are also highly important in determining a faculty member's qualifications. An MFA is the usual requirement for teaching studio art, though because proficiency is often gained through apprentice training and work experience, equal consideration should be given to artists with a BFA or in the instance that an 6

7 artist s CV amply documents experience and proficiency -- even no formal degree. Additional characteristics to be a GenEd course All faculty teaching at USciences need to fulfill the requirements stated in the Faculty Service Information (FSI) document Section II A and D. Additional requirements included in this General Education discipline document by the disciplinary units are intended to be additional qualifications which do not supersede those defined in the FSI. None 7