Senate Doc #4789S Approved 4/27/89 APC Document #29 Catalog changes in Sociology Effective date: Fall 1989 I. Senior Demonstration of Competency A. Effective Date: Fall 1989 B. Delete the section under each program description titled III. Other Departmental Requirements. C. Add under III. Other Departmental Requirements - for each program (i.e. General, Criminal Justice, Social Welfare and Gerontology). A grade of C or better in Sociology 451 satisfies the senior demonstration of competency requirement. D. Rationale: Sociology 451 requires the student to analyze through participant observation, the use of available data, interviews, etc., some important aspects of the processes or structure of an agency, organization or institution. This analysis is presented in a lengthy paper and is more than adequate to indicate a students' knowledge of important sociological principles and concepts as well as a variety of research techniques and procedures. II. General Education Status for Sociology 100 and 210. A. Effective Date: Fall 1989 B. Add: To catalog copy beginning on page 43, 1988-89; Discussion of General Education and the Social Science requirement. Soc 100: Introduction to Sociology 3 semester hours Soc 210: Modern Social Problems 3 semester hours Rationale: In the spirit of the general education reform adopted by the Faculty Senate in April 1985, the department of sociology developed a new course, Soc 240: Evolution, Revolution, and Social Change. We are pleased with the interdisciplinary nature of this course, but have been able to offer only one section each semester. Our review of the Social Science general education offerings suggest to us that the above two courses, though not designed specifically for general education (as was our intention with Soc 240), meet the following criteria. (It was our recollection that the following criteria were critical in the general education Page 2 discussion.) 1. Students should be aware of the social sciences as ways of understanding distinct from those of other fields of inquiry. The "sociological perspective" is introduced in both of these courses, with comparison/contrast via psychology, economics, and political science; in turn, the empirical basis of social science is contrasted with literary and journalistic approaches. 2. Social science for general education means preparing students to confront the world around them, as opposed to training students for technical applications in sociology. Both of these courses are thematic, offering perspectives for the layperson. 3. Critical thinking, to the extent that such thinking is fostered by discussion and writing, is a central element in these courses. These are more than text-book courses; the syllabus in each includes study of significant texts relevant to particular themes and issues. 4. A comparative perspective, emphasizing American/ western patterns vs. international/non-western patterns, is an integral element of these courses. Additionally, the crunch UNCA is experiencing in offering general education courses to incoming students would be diminished by the addition of these courses. Moreover, our ability to accept transfer equivalents for these courses would further help control the demand for the social science sections that are offered.