GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Goals of the General Education Curriculum

The Averett University curriculum seeks to develop students as lifelong learners with the appropriate skills and knowledge to become creative and critical thinkers, effective communicators, and positive contributors to society. Moreover, we encourage students to examine a variety of cultural expressions and values so that they may develop an appreciation of the contributions of others and acquire knowledge that may serve as a foundation for continuing development.

I. An Averett graduate can communicate effectively.
Students will demonstrate the ability to read with comprehension, and to write and speak in a clear and engaging manner.

II. An Averett graduate can discuss his or her relationship to society and other individuals.
Students will demonstrate the ability to explain interactions among cultural (to include religions and languages), social, political, and/or economic systems, how these systems vary across societies and through time, and how human relationships work within contexts.

III. An Averett graduate can discuss works of creative art.
Students will demonstrate an ability to explain terms, texts, and movements in such fields as music, literature, theatre, and the visual arts.

IV. An Averett graduate can apply scientific and mathematical reasoning.
Students will demonstrate the ability to address issues using a scientific approach and to use mathematical reasoning to solve problems.

V. An Averett graduate can think critically and independently.
Students will demonstrate the ability to identify appropriate questions or problems; locate and evaluate information; and analyze, synthesize, and apply the knowledge gained.

General Education Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree

* If English is not your native language, you must take ENG 111 and 112, as well as two semesters of 200+ level English literature.

Proficiency Requirements

The educated individual is expected to possess a number of skills and competencies. To ensure that Averett students have demonstrated a minimal level of proficiency in these areas, the faculty established methods of assessment and standards of achievement for written and oral communication.

1. Writing Competency

Students must take one course designated as writing-intensive. Writing-intensive courses:

a. must include instruction and feedback on writing.
b. must have a minimum of 15 pages of writing.
c. should contain one or more of the following types of writing required as the instructor deems appropriate: -research paper or essays -book reviews -critical analyses, case studies, and/or summaries of articles.
d. must be designed so that the student must pass the writing requirements in order to pass the course.
e. should have approximately half of the writing returned with suggestions for improvement. The student should then submit the revised writing (or new writing) reflecting these suggestions.

Students may transfer writing-intensive courses from another institution by submitting a syllabus to the Registrar. If the course can be judged to satisfy the requirements listed above, it can count towards the completion of the graduation requirement.

Students must take a writing proficiency exam administered through the Writing Center.

2. Oral Competency

Each student must take one course labeled oral-intensive and pass the oral requirements of the course to successfully fulfill requirements for graduation.

Courses labeled as oral-intensive must have a minimum requirement of ten minutes of oral presentations divided as each instructor deems appropriate for the objectives of the course. The presentations will be evaluated according to the university-approved rating scale.

The student will receive a grade of P or NP (No Pass) and the grade remains separate from the evaluation of the academic work accrued for credit in the course.

Students may transfer oral intensive courses from another institution by submitting a syllabus from the course they took to the Registrar. If the course can be judged to satisfy the requirements listed above, it can count towards the completion of the graduation requirement.