General Education Philosophy
At Edgewood College, General Education is grounded in the College Mission and the Dominican Intellectual Tradition, to engage students within a community of learners committed to building a just and compassionate world and to educate them for meaningful personal and professional lives of ethical leadership, service, and a lifelong search for truth. Each set of goals in the Edgewood College general education program is connected with a specific element of student learning essential to the realization of the Edgewood College Mission.
Foundations
- Edgewood College 101 (1 credit)
- Written communication - ENG 110 (3 credits)
- Oral Communication - COMMS 100 (3 credits)
COR
- COR 1 - one 3-credit course
- COR 2 - one 3-credit course
- COR 3 - one course in the major of at least 3 credits
Liberal Arts: General education eligible courses with the following prefixes
- Create: Study of the Arts (3 credits consisting of one course of at least 3 credits, or two semesters of music ensembles of 1.5 credits per semester, providing a total of 3 credits)
- Art (ART)
- Music (MUS)
- Theatre (THA)
- Reflect: Reflection on the Human Experience (one course of at least 3 credits)
- History (HIST)
- English (ENG) Note: English 110 does not qualify
- Solve: Problem Solving (one course of at least 3 credits)
- Mathematics (MATH)
- Computer Science (CS)
- Search: Search for Truth (one course of at least 3 credits)
- Religious Studies (RS)
- Philosophy (PHIL)
- Understand: Engaged Citizenship (one course of at least 3 credits)
- Global Studies (GS)
- Ethnic Studies (ETHS)
- Environmental Studies (ENVS)
- Women and Gender Studies (WS)
- Foreign Language (FL)
- Analyze: Analysis of Human Behavior and Social Structure (one course of at least 3 credits)
- Economics (ECON)
- Criminal Justice (CJ)
- Psychology (PSY)
- Political Science (PS)
- Sociology (SOC)
- Geography (GEOG)
- Explore: Exploration of the Natural World (4 credits consisting of one 4-credit course with a laboratory component)
- Biology (BIO)
- Chemistry (CHEM)
- Physics (PHYS)
- Geoscience (GEOS)
- Natural Science (NATS)
COR
All students pursuing an undergraduate degree will take COR 1, COR 2, and COR 3 general education courses at Edgewood College. These requirements represent the integration of the College’s Dominican heritage, intellectual tradition, and values in the general education curriculum, and provide students with opportunities to connect learning, beliefs, and action while examining relevant human issues from multiple perspectives. Courses that meet the COR 1, COR 2, and COR 3 requirements link knowledge gained in classroom and community settings, and encourage students to consider their own answers to the “COR” questions through discussion, written work, and other forms of expression.
COR Questions
- Who am I and who can I become?
- What are the needs and opportunities of the world?
- What is my role in building a just and compassionate world?
The COR Program’s name comes from Edgewood’s Latin motto, cor ad cor loquitur, “heart speaks to heart.” In the Dominican tradition, the forging and nurturing of relationships is at the center of study, reflection and action for the common good. These components of the Dominican studium – study, reflect, and act - characterize students’ experiences in the COR Program.
Study
Many COR experiences emphasize interdisciplinary inquiry. Students explore social and human issues from the perspectives of different liberal arts disciplines, or ways of knowing, in order to understand the issues in a more complete and complex manner. At the same time, students develop the skills necessary to participate in building a more just and compassionate world, including skills related to civic discourse, cultural awareness, leadership development, and civic engagement.
Reflect
Self-knowledge and self-awareness are necessary components in the development of skills, habits of mind, and commitments that are foundational to rewarding lives of personal fulfillment, professional achievement, and public service. In COR experiences, students identify and reflect on their personal values, beliefs, spiritualities, and worldviews; explore the ethical dimensions of community involvement; and consider their own social responsibility in the world.
Act
COR experiences provide students with exploratory, more intensive, and major-related community engagement opportunities, which are integrated with study and reflection in course curricula. Whether the focus on “community” is local, global and/or professional, students connect personally with meaningful, real-life social issues, including those related to their chosen career paths.
COR 1: Introduction to a Dominican Liberal Arts Education
COR 1 Seminars are interdisciplinary, theme-focused academic courses taken during the first semester of students’ first year. Whether the community comes into the classroom through guest speakers and project-based work, or students go into the community individually or as an entire group, COR 1 classes connect this learning to reflection on identity, values, beliefs, worldviews, and spiritualities. COR 1 instructors also serve as faculty mentors for first-year students, and together with an advanced student who is a teaching assistant/peer leader for the class, provide support for the transition to college academic work and social life.
COR 199: Transfer Bridge to COR
Rather than a COR 1 seminar, most transfer students complete this 2.5 hour introduction to COR during the first semester of enrollment. Modeled on the Dominican studium, each section addresses Edgewood College’s Dominican tradition; connects students to the broader community through exploration of a section theme; and communicates expectations for out-of-class engagement in COR 2 courses. Readings, presentations by community partners, and class discussion integrate reflection on the COR questions and address COR 1 learning outcomes. All transfer students with 12 or more credits enroll in COR 199 during the first semester at Edgewood; those with sophomore or junior standing may enroll in a COR 2 course for the same semester. Students with fewer than 12 credits, including those with no prior college but significant life, military, or work experience, may seek an exception to enroll in COR 199 rather than a COR 1 seminar.
COR 2: Perspectives on Community Engagement
At the sophomore or junior level, students select a COR 2 experience from many possibilities, including short-term study abroad and other options for exploring contemporary social issues. Community-based learning is integrated with study, analysis, and reflection, including reflection on ethical considerations and personal values.
COR 3: Integrating for the Common Good
Most COR 3 experiences are situated within students’ chosen majors, and are designed to encourage substantive integration of learning from both general education and major coursework with issues of personal and professional identity and values. Students demonstrate acquired skills and apply knowledge to relevant social and professional concerns, while engaging audiences connected to their major fields.
Fulfilling the Requirements: For all three levels of COR, the current Timetable provides the names of seminars, courses, and experiences available in a given semester.
Edgewood College’s curriculum aims to prepare students for lifelong learning and personal development, fulfilling careers, and growth in responsibility for the wider community.
FOUNDATIONS
Edgewood College 101
This course introduces first year students to the resources at Edgewood that will help them navigate their first year and beyond. Students will build foundational skills within a community of learners to help begin their academic career from a position of knowledge and confidence.
Written Communication
ENG 110 - College Writing, integrates critical reading and writing skills. Course topics will vary, but every section will emphasize academic writing. Students will develop competence in finding and using source materials, and in writing research papers. Individual conferences, peer reading, and revision are some of the essential elements in this process-oriented approach to college writing.
Oral Communication
COMMS 100 – Introduction to Communication, will introduce students to concepts in interpersonal, organizational, public and mediated communication, and will focus primarily on developing applied communication competencies in the following areas: personal relationships, conflict management, careers, small groups, public presentations, basic media literacy and civic engagement.
LIBERAL ARTS
CREATE: Study of the Arts
The visual, and performing arts engage the intellect, emotions, and senses and contribute to the development of human wholeness. Engagement in artistic endeavors and study of the arts promotes aesthetic understanding and appreciation of imaginative responses to human experience.
REFLECT: Reflection of the Human Experience
The study of the human condition is directed to a recognition of and familiarity with fundamental questions about the meaning of life, approached intellectually, spiritually, mythically, and metaphorically. Analyzing historical accounts and artifacts by means of examination, reading, writing, and discussion helps students acquire knowledge, sympathetic understanding, and critical thinking skills.
SOLVE: Problem Solving
The quantitative reasoning requirement will help students to develop mathematical, quantitative, and/or analogical reasoning skills. The requirement will be fulfilled by taking a course in either Mathematics or Computing & Information Sciences that emphasizes quantitative and algorithmic thinking.
SEARCH: Search for Truth
The Dominican Catholic intellectual tradition involves an ongoing search for truth through a dialogue between faith and reason, Scripture and tradition, nature and grace, the learning of the past and the discoveries of the present – all in service of pursuing a fuller life and contributing to the common good.
UNDERSTAND: Engaged Citizenship
In order to build a more just and compassionate world, students must understand the complexity of that world and to engage with it, approaching issues and problems from multiple perspectives, learning about the world through its languages and cultures, and being aware of how their decisions and actions affect the environment in which they live.
ANALYZE: Analysis of Human Behavior and Social Structure
The study of human society explores the nature and behavior of individuals, groups, institutions, and societies. The social sciences seek to understand how humans shape and are shaped by economic, social, political and cultural institutions. This analysis requires an understanding of mental processes, social interactions, and complex social organization.
EXPLORE: Exploration of the Natural World
Exploring the natural world requires the interplay of observation and inquiry. The goal of science is understanding nature: life, the properties of matter, the history and composition of the universe, and the interaction of matter, energy, and motion. The practice of science occurs within particular philosophical, historical, and cultural contexts that shape its work.
The following criteria must be met for a student to qualify for this program:
- Students must have already completed an applied associate degree in one of the Edgewood College-approved associate degree programs to be eligible for the general education curriculum. See the Registrar’s Office website (registrar.edgewood.edu) for the list of approved programs. Students can earn the associate degree at any of the Wisconsin Technical Colleges, not only Madison College.
- Students must declare a major in the corresponding program at Edgewood College, following an established “transfer pathway.”
- Guaranteed admission is available for some transfer pathways, but not all. This will be decided by each individual program.
Only students in approved major/concentrations will be permitted to take advantage of this program. Students would not be eligible if they choose a major that is not in an approved transfer pathway. For example, a student with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology who decided to be a Music major would have to complete the normal general education requirements.
Only students who have completed approved associate degrees are eligible to take advantage of this program. Each of the programs listed above has been carefully vetted and it has been determined that there is sufficient academic content to merit transfer to a four-year institution. We recognize that not all degrees offered by the technical colleges meet this requirement.
Students who wish to matriculate at Edgewood before completing their associate degree will be admitted under the normal general education requirements. Upon completion of the associate degree, they can petition to qualify for the Applied Associate to Bachelor Completion program.
General Education Requirements for Applied Associate to Bachelor Completion Degree
COR Program
- COR 199
- COR 2
- COR 3
See Edgewood College General Education for specific general education requirements.
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