Goals Statements for Core Curriculum Divisions

Written Literacy Lower Division | Written Literacy Upper Division | Mathematics | Logic | Theology & Religious Studies/Philosophy | Second Language | Humanities | Natural Sciences | Social Sciences | Diversity

Written Literacy—Lower Division:

1. Write with clarity and cogency as inquiring and analytical readers of imaginative literature of various genres and from various periods;
2. Recognize and appreciate the wide diversity of values and traditions in the U.S. by reading, writing, and thinking critically about literatures that speak in a range of voices;
3. Appreciate the artistic choices an author makes in shaping a text in order to influence a reader’s response;
4. Articulate observations, express ideas, and formulate arguments.

Written Literacy—Upper Division:

1. Demonstrate significantly more advanced and sophisticated written literacy than that required at the lower-division level;
2. Write with clarity and cogency as inquiring and analytical readers of texts in the field of their major or other discipline;
3. Articulate observations, express ideas, and formulate arguments within the relevant discipline.

Mathematics:

1. Understand the notion of mathematical reasoning and apply it to solve problems;
2. Use abstraction in building and interpreting mathematical models;
3. Show familiarity with techniques of algebra and with manipulating numerical data to solve problems;
4. Appreciate the importance and applicability of mathematics in various fields of human endeavor as well as understand the influence of mathematical thought on technology and culture;
5. Appreciate the power and beauty of mathematics.

Logic:

1. Identify arguments in ordinary language, distinguish premises from conclusions, differentiate deductive arguments from inductive arguments and construct arguments of their own;
2. Evaluate deductive arguments in terms of validity and soundness, and inductive arguments in terms of strength and cogency;
3. Detect mistakes in reasons, including both formal and informal fallacies;
4. Translate sentences from ordinary language into standard form categorical propositions, translate ordinary language arguments into standard categorical syllogisms, and evaluate immediate inferences, and syllogisms using the traditional square of opposition and Venn diagrams;
5. Translate ordinary language sentences into the symbolic notation of propositional logic, and evaluate arguments expressed in the notation through truth tables and natural deduction techniques.

Theology & Religious Studies/Philosophy:

1. Analyze beliefs and assess moral problems, apply principles from ethical theories of historical and contemporary significance, giving attention to Catholic and Judeo-Christian intellectual and social justice traditions;
2. Comprehend a wider vision of the world and human condition/experience, including perceptions of the divine through reflection on classical and contemporary positions;
3. Recognize that there is a greater complexity to reality than appears to be the case;
4. Appreciate culturally and historically diverse traditions, including Christianity;
5. Read historical and contemporary texts and interpretations analytically.

Second Language:

1. Listen, converse, read and write in the target language with the sufficient basic skill, vocabulary, accuracy and cultural awareness to communicate needs in everyday situations in a culturally appropriate way and demonstrate the ability to acquire additional linguistic competence on their own;
2. Develop insight into their own language and culture by looking beyond their customary borders and by examining their own relationship to other cultures so as to be able to participate more fully in the global community and marketplace.

Humanities:

1. Comprehend the parameters and vocabularies of disciplines within the Humanities, and engage with the particularity of texts, histories, aesthetics, and creative or technical means of expression in the quest to understand human behavior;
2. Appreciate and value the diversity of human behavior;
3. Read, write, and think critically across disciplines in the humanities;
4. Appreciate contexts and traditions within the humanities.

Natural Sciences:

1. Understand the basic concepts of the natural sciences;
2. Appreciate the process by which knowledge in the natural sciences is advanced;
3. Distinguish between sound science and unsound pseudoscience;
4. Use rigorous reasoning and the scientific method to test hypotheses;
5. Show familiarity with tools, techniques and instrumentation used in the natural sciences;
6. Appreciate the power and beauty of the natural sciences.

Social Sciences:

1. Understand and apply basic concepts involving relationships among individuals, groups, and social structures;
2. Value the diversity and inclusiveness of social, cultural, and national identities in groups and communities;
3. Recognize the connections and interrelationships that exist across the social sciences;
4. Develop critical thinking in the application of social science methodologies and in the analysis, understanding, and interpretations of social and behavioral patterns; and
5. Understand and articulate the distinctions and the relationships between fact and theory and between opinion and argument.
6. Understand that the diverse nature of behavior reflects both biological and experiential processes.

Diversity:

1. Analyze and appreciate the variety of experiences and contributions of different individuals and social groups in U.S. society.
2. Understand and appreciate the needs for inclusion of groups traditionally underrepresented.
3. Identify issues, opportunities, challenges, and contending world views associated with living in a diverse society.

10-12-2005