General Education Program

GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

Nethery Hall, Room 135
269-471-6157

Donald May, Director
may@andrews.edu

Philosophy of the General Education Program

The rapid expansion of knowledge in a global community requires those who would be truly educated citizens to adopt a philosophy of lifelong learning. One must engage the mind in the study of many fields, from the fine arts and humanities to the empirical, quantitative, and social sciences. This broad encounter with the varied perspectives of the liberal arts tradition forms the domain of General Education, one of the two pillars of American higher education. By contrast, the other pillar is one’s chosen major, usually a focused study of a specific discipline and the development of required skills. The university will provide a cohesive General Education Program, supported by faculty committed to an effective core curriculum.

The General Education Program aims to develop students notable for their culture, civility, integrity, and intellect within a Christian milieu.

Thus, the faculty seeks to prepare graduates who possess knowledge, the ethical values, interests, abilities, communication competence, quantitative skills, and analytical thinking for both leadership and service, so that they may contribute effectively to their homes, work places, communities, and churches. Transmitting this foundational heritage—along with an appropriate level of knowledge and skills—forms the essential purpose of the General Education Program at Andrews University. As a result, the General Education Program strives to foster an atmosphere in which each student is encouraged to meet the learning outcomes for the Andrews University General Education Program.

The Program provides a first-year curriculum that establishes initial expectations and basic academic skills foundational to the undergraduate experience. Anchored in four 100-level General Education courses, the First-year Experience at Andrews University provides first-year ‘native’ students with an introduction to academia and a balanced university life, further development of basic academic skills, and a sense of belonging to the Andrews University community.

General Education Learning Outcomes

Seek Knowledge

• Strengthen the ability to communicate effectively. Oral and Written.
• Develop the ability to think critically, observe accurately, analyze quantitatively, draw reasonable inferences, perceive relationships, and show the ability to discriminate among alternatives and design creative strategies to solve problems.
• Enjoy the cultural achievements of humanity and foster participation in creative and aesthetic activity.
• Master content knowledge across the academic disciplines identified in the General Education tables. By specifying courses to that end, Andrews University recognizes the learning outcomes foundational to developing thoughtful citizens of the world.

Affirm Faith

• Construct a thoughtfully conceived worldview that recognizes the roles of Scripture, nature, and human discovery as sources of truth.
• Consciously make Christian convictions explicit and apply them ethically, as well as articulate individual values from the viewpoint of one’s chosen profession.
• Understand the heritage and mission of Andrews University in furthering the teachings of Christ within the context of Seventh-day Adventist faith and practice with a view to the heritage and mission of Andrews University.
• Exhibit compassionate behavior towards other individuals and show respect for the dignity of all people, affirming the Biblical view of all persons being created in the image of God who in Christ wants all human beings to be one, independent of gender or ethnic background.

Change the World

• Enjoy camaraderie with many individuals and form enduring friendships within the diverse campus community.
• Evaluate one’s interpersonal effectiveness, including the ability to work in groups while maintaining the ability to think for oneself, and strive to enlarge the scope of all personal abilities.
• Understand one’s role and responsibilities as a citizen in a secular society and as a member of a religious community; and then, beyond understanding, to respond with thoughts, with emotion, and with action to the needs of one’s wider community. 

 Honors General Education (SAGES)

The Andrews Honors Program offers a series of interdisciplinary courses which apply to the General Education requirement. See Scholars Alternative General Education Studies  (SAGES).

General Education Program Requirements

General Education: BA & BS Degrees

The General Education Program requirements for BA & BS Degrees may also be viewed in a Printable Format .

Revised 4-10-2014

General Education: Professional Degrees

The General Education Requirements for Professional Degrees & Programs may also be viewed in a Printable Format .

See list below for programs and degrees eligible for the Professional General Education Requirements

General Education: Associate Degrees

Multiculturalism/Diversity in the General Education Curriculum

The General Education Program at Andrews University includes an explicit emphasis on multiculturalism and diversity. This emphasis recognizes the historical development of various cultures and groups in the United States, the global nature and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the diverse student body and faculty of the university with more than ninety countries from around the world represented on campus. The focus on multiculturalism and diversity includes specific emphasis in the following courses: COMM 104 - Communication Skills , BHSC 100 - Philosophy of Service , ENGL 115 - College Writing I , RELT 100 - God and Human Life , and HIST 117 - Civilizations and Ideas I  & HIST 118 - Civilizations and Ideas II .

General Education Mathematics

The Andrews General Education mathematics requirement consists of a skill requirement, which should be met first, and a reasoning requirement, which should be fulfilled no later than the second year of college.

The Andrews Mathematics Placement Examination (MPE) provides information essential to planning the college career. Students with ACT or SAT scores will have an MPE score assigned based on their performance on the math portion of the test.  If students believe this placement is inaccurate, then they should take the MPE as soon as possible. All other new students, including transfer students, must take the MPE during the first semester of residence and before taking any mathematics courses, subject to the exceptions listed below.

The MPE takes one hour, no calculators are allowed, and there is a fee which may be charged to the student’s account. It is given during Orientation Week and at other convenient times throughout the year. Retakes are recommended only after intense study equivalent to taking a math course. Three months must normally elapse between tests. The exam may not be taken more than three times without special permission of the Department of Mathematics. Similar tests taken elsewhere are not recognized. The MPE score is valid as a prerequisite for mathematics courses for three years after it is earned.

The skill requirement is met by an MPE score of at least P2, showing competence in arithmetic and high school algebra.

At a minimum, the entering student should be proficient in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, fractions, and decimals and should be able to handle percentage problems. The student should not need a calculator to find answers to problems no more difficult than 9x6=54, 13-21=-8, 2(3/14)=3/7, or 4/0.02=200.

Any student with an ACT math score of 17 or below, or an SAT math 450 or below, and many higher scoring students will need to do serious study and review to achieve a score of P2 on the MPE. Students should do everything possible to improve mathematics performance before coming to campus. A thorough review of algebra the summer before enrolling in college will pay great dividends even if the student places into the skill course.

Specific suggestions for self-evaluation and review including sample questions may be found on the Web site www.math.andrews.edu (click on “Math Placement Examination”).

The skill course, MATH 091  and MATH 092 . Students with MPE scores of E0, E1, M0, M1, P0, or P1 at the time of enrollment must enroll in MATH 091  Arithmetic and Algebra Review, or engage in other study to achieve a score of P2. Many students, including all who score E0 or M0, should plan to enroll first in MATH 091  and then in MATH 092  (for two successive semesters) to bring their skills up to the required level. Completion of the MATH 091 /MATH 092  Arithmetic and Algebra Review sequence fulfills the skill requirement and awards a P2 score.

The principal means of instruction in MATH 091 /MATH 092  is ALEKS, an on-line tutorial system developed at the University of California. Instruction is entirely individualized and students can advance as rapidly as their capacity will allow. The faculty instructor consults with students, tracks the student progress, and is available for individual assistance. Each student is assigned to a cluster of about 15 students supervised by a lab instructor, who provides one-on-one assistance during class time. At other times the student can work on any computer with a Web connection or use a computer in the Mathematics Center  and receive help from a tutor.

The reasoning course, MATH 145 . MATH 145 - Reasoning with Functions  is the course which most non-science students will find most appropriate for meeting the reasoning requirement. MATH 165 , MATH 166 ,  MATH 168 , MATH 182 , MATH 191 , and MATH 195  also meet the reasoning requirement.

Transfer policy. Courses transferred to meet the reasoning requirement must be broadly equivalent, both in content and level, to those offered at Andrews to meet the requirement. Andrews students who wish to take a course elsewhere to meet the reasoning requirement must first meet the skill requirement and must have the proposed course accepted by petition before enrolling in it. Courses titled Intermediate Algebra, Elementary Algebra, Basic Algebra, Pre-algebra, College Arithmetic, or Business Mathematics may prepare the student for the MPE but do not normally meet the reasoning or the skill requirement and do not apply toward graduation.

Exceptions

1. Students who at admission transfer College Algebra, College Algebra with Trigonometry, Precalculus, Precalculus Algebra, Precalculus Trigonometry, Calculus, a Cambridge “A Level” pass in Mathematics, or AP Calculus fulfill the mathematics reasoning requirement. They do not have to take the MPE and the math skill requirement is waived.
2. Some courses other than those listed in 1 above may be accepted for the reasoning requirement, provided they are presented at admission and the skill requirement is separately fulfilled. Current criteria will be applied case by case. Students wishing to have a course evaluated should bring a description to the Department of Mathematics.
3. Students who transfer from a four-year college into Physical Therapy or Medical Laboratory Sciences and are classified as seniors in their first year at Andrews are deemed to have met the mathematics requirement of the college or university from which they are transferring. The Andrews mathematics requirement is waived, and these students do not have to take the MPE.
4. Students enrolled in the Center for Intensive English Programs are not required to take the MPE until the first semester of enrollment in regular college-level courses.

Transfer Policy for General Education Credits

Transfer Students. To qualify as a transfer student, one must have earned credits prior to entering Andrews University from another college/university.

Transient Students. Students who begin at Andrews University and wish to take and transfer credit from another college/university are, by definition, transient students. The below guidelines do not apply for these students; they are required to fill out a petition form prior to attending the other institution.

Andrews University views the general education curriculum in two distinct ways when working with transfer students.

Mathematics and English Composition II should be recognized as core foundation skills needed for all degrees, thus these two disciplines should continue to carry extra weight and should be at least equal to Andrews University course expectations.

All other General Education transfer courses should be treated generously upon credit articulation. The following guidelines will be used when reviewing transfer student courses.

Transfer Student Credit Articulation Guidelines for BA/BS General Education

Religion—Independent of transferring from a Seventh-day Adventist or non-Seventh-day Adventist college/university.

English—2 courses

• English Composition
  
  • English Composition I: An introduction to written composition. A general freshman composition course.
  • English Composition II: An introduction to general research and/or critical writing from sources using documentation.

Communication—1 course

• A speech course:
  
  • Public Speaking
  • Interpersonal Communications

History—2 courses

• 1 Ancient World History course
• 1 Modern World History course
  
  • May substitute American History course

Fine Arts/Humanities—2 courses

• Any fine arts course
  
  • Art History or Appreciation
  • Music History or Appreciation
  • Literature History or Appreciation, 200-level or higher literature
  • Philosophy
• Applied art for a minimum of 3 credits

Life/Physical Sciences—2 courses with labs

• 1 Life Science course
  
  • Biology, Environmental or Nutrition
• 1 Physical Science course
  
  • Chemistry or Physics

Mathematics—1 course

• The course must be clearly equivalent to MATH145 Reasoning with Functions.
  
  • Courses that will be accepted include: College Algebra, College Algebra with Trigonometry, Precalculus, Precalculus Algebra, Precalculus Trigonometry, Calculus, a Cambridge “A Level” pass in Mathematics, or AP Calculus.

Computer Literacy—1 course

• A lab-based course covering multiple computer skills necessary for college success, e.g. a working knowledge in word processing, spreadsheets and PowerPoint (a course taken for a computer-related major, by petition approval only)

Service—1 course

• Course relating to service and/or service fieldwork upon petition approval

Social Sciences—2 courses

• Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Marriage and Family, Geography

Fitness Education—4 courses

• 1 course in concepts of health/wellness
• 3 activity courses

Transfer Student Credit Articulation Guidelines for Professional Degrees General Education

Religion—Independent of transferring from a Seventh-day Adventist or non-Seventh-day Adventist college/university.

English—2 courses

• English Composition
  
  • English Composition I: An introduction to written composition. A general freshman composition course.
  • English Composition II: An introduction to general research and/or critical writing from sources using ocumentation.

Communication—1 course

• A speech course:
  
  • Public Speaking
  • Interpersonal Communications

History—1 course

• Ancient World History
• Modern World History
• American History, Canadian History (for Canadian students)

Fine Arts/Humanities—1 course

• Any fine arts course
  
  • Art History or Appreciation
  • Music History or Appreciation, ensemble music (for a minimum of 3 credits)
  • Literature History or Appreciation, 200-level or higher literature
  • Philosophy
  • Applied art for a minimum of 3 credits

Life/Physical Sciences—1 course with lab

• 1 Life Science course
  • Biology, Environmental or Nutrition
    or
• 1 Physical Science course
  • Chemistry or Physics

Mathematics—1 course

• College-level math, including statistics

Computer Literacy—per department

• Check with your department program for requirements

Service—1 course

• Check with your department program for requirements

Social Sciences—1 course

• Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Marriage and Family, Geography

Fitness Education—2 courses

Service-Learning Requirements

Service to others is a central emphasis of the Andrews University Mission Statement. The General Education Program, therefore, includes an emphasis on service so that all graduates will understand the importance and rewards of service activities.

The service-learning component consists of two requirements: (1) BHSC 100 - Philosophy of Service , and (2) Fieldwork (0–2 credits).* The fieldwork requirement can be met in three ways: by registering for BHSC 300 - Philosophy of Service Fieldwork , by taking an “S” course (service-learning course) in the student’s major or minor (such courses are marked with the symbol “S” in the Bulletin), or by waiving the requirement based on the steps outlined in the “Service Learning Packet,” available in the Behavioral Science Department. Larry Ulery supervises the waiver process for the fieldwork requirement.

A student in a degree program which includes Service/ Fieldwork who does not complete the program will need to complete the Service/Fieldwork requirement as specified.

* Transfer students with two years of course work elsewhere choose to take either BHSC 100  or Fieldwork.