Senate Document #23 1985-86 General Education Document #12 General Education Course Proposal from Sociology: Soc 240 Evolution, Revolution, and Social Change (3) Analysis of the processes of social change. Special attention is given to topical applications which illustrate the nature and consequences of social change and facilitate understanding of the various frames of reference and methodologies within the social science tradition. This course may be used to satisfy three hours of the General Education requirement for the Social Sciences. This particular course outline is being submitted because 1) it reflects the interests and ideas of the sociology faculty; 2) the course content lends itself to the interdisciplinary approach; 3) it contains substantive sociological content that is not systematically presented in any other course in the sociology curriculum and simultaneously complements courses that are offered; 4) it complements the humanities sequence. Importantly, this course seems most appropriate given the goals of the general education requirements. Analysis of social change, by definition and nature, is historical. It readily lends itself to cross-disciplinary comparisons within the general context of social science. A multifaceted approach will facilitate a better understanding and appreciation of the various frames of reference and methodologies which fall under the rubric of social science (e.g., to compare and contrast the political, sociological and economic interpretations of the emergence of the welfare state or to analyze the psychological versus the economic patterns of resistance to the social processes ofinnovation and/or diffusion). Reading original works and excerpts of both classical and contemporary theorists in social change will enable the student to recognize the interconnectedness of ideas as well as the continuity of social thought. Finally, to move beyond a discussion of the impersonal sources of change to an understanding of the personal nature of social change is to arm the student with the knowledge that the collective energy of the people can be mobilized and that an individual can and does have an impact on the society and culture in which s/he resides. General Education Document #13 Department of Psychology Proposal: A 3-hour Course for the General Education Requirement. The Department of Psychology would like to modify its three-hour introductory course, PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology, to make it suitable for application to the General Education Social Science Requirement. The current course is listed in the catalog as: PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology (3) Study of behavior and mental processes, including physiological factors, development, perception and thought, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, intelligence and personality, conflict and adjustment, abnormal behavior and mental health, and social influences and issues. Modify the above to read: PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology (3) Behavior and mental activity are studied from a variety of perspectives including human interactions, motivation, child development, thought processes and learning, the nervous system, and personality. These are examined in the context of the history of psychology and its influence on culture, as well as in its relationships to other disciplines. Recommended text for PSY 100: The department is presently reviewing texts, prior to selecting one with the appropriate emphasis on the historical and cultural context of the discipline. The course will approach the study of behavior and mental activity from a variety of perspectives, as indicated in the proposed course description. These will include: Human interaction and the social environment. Motivation and behavior. Child development. Cognitive processes and learning. The nervous system and behavior. The study of personality. The preceding will be developed within their cultural/historical contexts, pointing out connections to other disciplines. Specific subtopics will be approached in the contexts of the content areas indicated above, and will be at the discretion of the individual instructor. These, e.g., may include perception, abnormal behavior, psychotherapy, health psychology, intelligence testing, emotion, psycholinguistics, educational psychology, human factors, etc. General Education Document #14 PROPOSAL: Social Science Requirement for General Education Introduction There has been an ongoing debate within the discipline of Political Science as to the proper role of the standard introductory course in the field. One view stresses that students should become familiar with the current literature in the field by making them aware of the innovative research methodologies that have produced highly significant and sophisticated results. The class, in other words, should be oriented to teaching students how to think about Political Science by introducing them to concepts, theories and definitions that will enable them to explore more advanced topics in the field. The second view holds that students should be introduced to factual knowledge and some generally accepted theoretical principals primarily for the purpose of civic training. The proponents of this view argue that it is the participants in the university's responsibility to train citizens to become meaningful participants in the political system by becoming more aware of the benefits and requirements of political activity and self government. This second perspective has been given substantial support in recent years' studies published by the Ford and Carnegie Foundations and the National Endowment for the Humanities, all of which called for Universities to place increased emphasis on civic education and training. More recently, Chancellor Brown lent suport to this latter view in an article published in the Bulletin in which he stressed the need for the creation of "civic curriculum" by noting that in such curriculum students "learn about domestic and foreign culture, history, mathematics, science and technology." While these two views are not necessarily contradictory, they do pose a difficult practical problem. The Political Science Department has tried to integrate the two approached with mixed results. We have found that inevitably one theme must be given priority or the class loses its continuity. But, if we focus more on the professional aspect, we run the risk of overburdening 70 to 80 percent of the students who enroll for elective credit. Yet if we stress the civic training aspect, we short-change the majors who registered for the course. Thus, the Political Science Department proposes to take advantage of the new all-university requirement to solve a basic dilemma that we have faced for some time in our introductory classes. The modifications to our program that follow are designed to tailor our course offerings to the kind of students we expect to enroll in them. Proposed Program Changes I. Delete the following: 1. PS 100 "Introduction to American Politics" 2. PS 105 "Introduction to Global Politics" II. Add the following courses: 1. PS 100 "The Individual and American Politics" 2. PS 105 "War, Peace and World Politics" 3. PS 220 "Principals of American Political Behavior" 4. PS 281 "Principals of International Relations" III. Make the following changes: 1. PS 226 "Elections in America" to PS 323 2. PS 280 "American Foreign Policy" to PS 381 3. PS 266 "The Politics of the Third World" to PS 363 4. All references to PS 100 for graduation requirements and prerequisite to PS 220 5. All references to PS 105 for graduation requirements and prerequisite to PS 281 Rationale: I. The Department will no longer offer the standard political sciences that were required for the Political Science major. II. PS 100 and 105 will be offered for the General Education Curriculum; PS 220 and 281 will be the new requirements for students planning to major in Political Science. III. These changes are necessary to allow majors to take 300 level courses to satisfy major requirements. Political Science 100 "The Individual in American Politics" Examines how America's political system affects the individual's personal well being. Special emphasis is given the origins of the United States government, its role in society, the learning of political values, and the different forces which shape a person's everyday life. Comments This course is designed to respond to the argument that the introductory course ought to emphasize civic education. Its guiding premise is that students who enroll in it will never take another course in American Politics. Thus, its primary purpose is to make students aware of the political aspects of their lives and the ramifications of their actions and choices. Much of the course's emphasis will be on clearing misconceptions about American politics. I. The Foundation of Politics What politics is and why it exists. Its prevalence in life. II. The Historical Context of American Politics The foundation of American Democracy and the concept of liberty. III. Thinking about Politics The social, economic, and psychological forces which shape American political attitudes and values. IV. The Role of Government Examine the concept of public goods and different ideological interpretations of what government ought to do. Special emphasis on what government actually provides citizens. V. American Politics and You Examines the institutions of everyday life that influence political behavior. General Education Document #15 I. Economics proposal for a lower division General Education Course The Department of Economics proposes Economics 201 to meet the General Education Social Science requirements. Economics 201: Principles of Economics - Macro Approach A study of economic aggregates, including interaction of household, business, banking, and government sectors; problems of unemployment and inflation; and an introduction to monetary and fiscal policy. As this course is currently taught it fulfills all the criteria of the Social Science requirement. For example, by its very nature the course emphasizes the cultural and historical roots of the discipline, as well as the inextricable relationship between Economics and the other social sciences. In order to properly study Macroeconomics, even at the introductory level, the student is required to learn and apply the basic techniques of economic analysis to a consideration of the various theories of the macroeconomy (e.g., those of the Keynesians and the monetarists, at the very least) as well as their implications for the conduct of economic policy. To adequately consider these theories it is customary to consider them in terms of the historical and institutional contexts in which they were formulated: Ricardo's theory of comparative advantage being developed as a response to the problems of the Napoleonic Wars; Keynes' ideas as developed in the 1930's can only be seen in the context of the Great Depression; the ideas of the monetarists, and their ancestry in the ideas of Hume, achieving dominance following the first OPEC shock, etc. It is not possible to conduct a discussion of monetary and fiscal policy without considering the political framework that surrounds and often limits the implementation of that policy. Both political and social implications of economic policy have to be considered for a well-rounded view of the material. In addition to the basic Keynesians versus monetarists debate, many professors additionally cover newer mainstream schools of thought such as those of the "supply-siders" and the "Rational Expectationists", as well as the more radical political economy of Marx and his disciples. This necessarily entails a more philosophical approach. Proposal for Upper Division Courses: II. The Economics Department also proposes two existing courses as meeting the General Education Social Science requirements. These courses are: 1) Economics 261 U.S. Economic History 2) Economics 415 Comparative Economic Systems A brief course description, outline, statement of objectives and course syllabus is attached for both 261 and 415. Economics 261, U.S. Economic History, appears to meet all the criteria for a general education course. The department would like to request approval of this course as a general education course in the social sciences division. Economics 261 was approved by APC in Spring 1985. The following description appeared in the 1985-86 Catalog Supplement. ECON 261 U.S. Economic History (3) An examination of the process of economic change in the United States. Course emphasis is on the causes and consequences of economic growth. Topics include the economic causes of the Revolution, the economics of slavery, the changing role of government, and the depression of the 1930's. Prerequisite: 200 or 201 or permission of the instructor. The course was taught as a Special Topics course in Spring 1984. It is scheduled to be offered in Spring 1986. The course outline for Spring 1986 is attached. The course is interdisciplinary by it's very nature. The causes and consequences of economic growth cannot be confined to a narrow economic analysis. In examining the various topics presented, the political and cultural aspects are considered as well as the economic aspects. Economics 415 Comparitive Economic Systems 3 Semester Hours. Prerequisites: Economics 200 or 201 or Permission of the Instructor. Course Objectives: This course will examine variations of Capitalism and Socialism. The student will learn how to compare and evaluate the performance of alternative systems; the historical record of the economies studies; the relationships between the economic and political systems of particular societies; and the consequences of interaction between different economies. This course would serve as an elective for Economics Majors, and other programs which desire their students to study such topics, e.g., International Relations, Political Economy, etc. (The course also satisfies three semester hours of the six semester hour requirment in Social Sciences. (This assumes approval).