2009-11 Marian University Course Catalog, fall 2010 edition

General Education Program
A Marian University education is designed to prepare our
graduates to be:
• inquisitive in a broad, multi-dimensional and critical
way
• ethically informed and holistic in perspective
• spiritually mature
• professional and knowledgeable in their field
These institutional learning goals are achieved by completion
of the general education program and the major program.
The general education program provides a common
educational experience within the Catholic Franciscan
tradition.
To assist students in the pursuit of their education, the
faculty has identified five areas of competency that it believes
are central to intellectual, moral, social, physical, and spiritual
development. The courses, which support these areas of
competency, provide the base for exploration in new areas of
learning, for deeper understanding of previously acquired
learning, for recognition of one’s place in a global
environment, and for examination of social and spiritual
existence. This core educational program is infused with an
appreciation of the four Franciscan sponsorship values:
dignity of the individual, peace and justice, reconciliation, and
responsible stewardship. In essence, the program is a crucial
stage in a lifetime of learning, analysis, and contemplation.
General Education Program Goals and Objectives:
PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL REASONING
GE Goal #1: Within the context of a Catholic and Franciscan
university, to demonstrate a basic understanding of and
participation in theological and philosophical reflection on
questions of ultimate meaning and value.
Objectives:
1. to demonstrate knowledge of philosophical and
theological wisdom regarding what human beings are,
who one can be as a person, and who God is and the
ethical and moral implications thereof
2. to demonstrate an understanding of the historical and
contemporary impact of religion and philosophy
3. to demonstrate an engagement in the ongoing
synthesis of faith and reason
SCIENTIFIC AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING
GE Goal #2: to understand and apply the basic concepts of
science and mathematics and to explain their relationship to
contemporary life and work.
Objectives:
1. to demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method
and to apply it to problem-solving and research inquiry
2. to demonstrate an understanding of mathematical
concepts and language and to employ the tools of
mathematics
3. to demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental laws of
nature underlying the universe
4. to demonstrate an understanding of the factors and
choices involved in responsible stewardship of the
environment
INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL UNDERSTANDING
GE Goal #3: to understand the relationships between beliefs
and actions of individuals and groups in social, political, and
economic contexts.
Objectives:
1. to demonstrate an understanding of the interactions
among individual, group, political, and economic
factors in contemporary societies
2. to demonstrate an understanding of how people are
affected by the world—as it is and as they experience
it—in social, political, and economic contexts
3. to demonstrate an understanding of
the ways individuals and groups produce change in
personal, social, political, and economic environments
CULTURAL AWARENESS
GE Goal #4: to understand and appreciate the cultural life of
world communities, past and present.
Objectives:
1. to expand cultural perspectives by establishing a
foundational knowledge of world civilizations in their
historical contexts
2. to demonstrate an ability to analyze and interpret the
diverse heritage of the past in terms of its own ideas
and values
3. to establish a commitment to the life-long process of
understanding and participating in contemporary local
and global cultures
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