Constitution of the 1995 Core Curriculum
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Constitution of the 1995 Core Curriculum
Revision #7 for the Educational Policy Committee and the Core Curriculum Committee
Canisius College Buffalo, New York March 22, 1997 Preface The purpose of this document is to give an overview of the Core Curriculum as revised by the Faculty Senate in 1993-94 and taking effect for students entering the College in the fall of 1995. For a more complete view of how these decisions were reached, see "Revising the Core Curriculum," January 26, 1994 (second edition); much of the material in this document is excerpted from that report. The short story of core revision looks like this: ---- 22 required courses in 8 areas 1971 Adoption of the 1972 Core Curriculum: 5 General Studies Courses; 12 Area Studies Courses. 1974 Elimination of GS3, "The Spirit and Uses of Mathematics." 1980 Articulation of criteria for courses in Areas 1 to 6. Unanimous agreement by the EPC that the Core should be revised. 1989 First of four surveys of faculty concerning Core Revision. 1994 Adoption of the 1995 Core Curriculum: 4 General Studies Courses; 14 Area Studies Courses.
Most of the materials in this synopsis represent decisions of the Faculty Senate adopted in consultation with the Academic Vice President in 1993-94 and 1994-95. The Faculty Senate did not discuss or ratify the "Assumptions Governing this Revision," but the Educational Policy Committee of 1993-94 Senate provided these remarks as a context for understanding the proposals forwarded to the Senate. The Senate similarly has not discussed or ratified the "Criteria for the Writing Component in Core Courses." The Senate rationale for the Core and for writing across the Core is embedded in the various resolutions passed to structure the Core and to approve criteria for Area Studes and the International and Cultural Diversity requirement. The Mission Statement of the College is from the Board of Trustees and is introduced by the President Cooke's letter of August, 1995. The EPC report on core revision stressed the contrast between the 1972 core and the new proposals being made. This document attempts to bring together the final version of all of the Senate's decisions that have a bearing on the Core as well as other documents important for understanding the operation of the Core. In 1995-96, the EPC will review the Honors Program. A final version of the Constitution of the Core should include an overview of the relationship between the Honors Core and the rest of the College. Martin X. Moleski, SJ Chair, Educational Policy Committee May 2, 1996 Table of Contents
Preface i
Part One: General Principles 1. Mission Statement of Canisius College 2. Senate Responsibility for the Core 3. Assumptions Governing This Revision 4. Resolution on Writing in the Core 5. Resolution on Critical Thinking 6. Resolution on International and Cultural Diversity 7. Resolution on the Committee for the Core Curriculum 8. Overview of Core Requirements
Part Two: Description of the General Studies Courses 1. English 101 and 102 2. Philosophy 101 3. Religious Studies 101
Part Three: Criteria for Area Studies Courses & Other Requirements 1. Natural Sciences 2. Social and Behavioral Sciences 3. Art and Literature 4. History 5. Philosophy 6. Religious Studies 7. Mathematical Sciences 8. Foreign Languages 9. International and Cultural Diversity 10. Writing in the Core
Part Four: Constitution of the All-College Honors Program 1. Resolution on Administrative Structure of Honors Program 2. Resolution on Honors Curriculum
Part One: General Principles
1. Mission Statement of Canisius College
A. President Cooke's Letter of August, 1995
Dear members of the Canisius College community:
On the [next] page is the mission statement of Canisius College. This brief and concise statement was approved by our Board of Trustees on May 3, 1993 after lengthy consultation and debate among all the Canisius College constituencies. Every word, phrase, and sentence was subjected to careful critique and scrutiny. It is the official policy statement in terms of which all of us, administrators, faculty, and staff are bound to develop our own subordinate plans, programs, policies, and procedures. The mission statement describes what I have elsewhere referred to as an American Catholic Jesuit Comprehensive University. Mission statements are subject to regular review, and sometimes they are changed or modified. The Board of Trustees is the only body that can change or modify our mission statement.
The mission statement is published here with the hope that its wide dissemination and frequent review will help all of us work together to achieve our common objectives.
Sincerely,
Vincent M. Cooke, S.J. President B. Mission Statement
Founded by the Jesuits in 1870, Canisius College is an independent, co-educational, medium- sized, institution of higher education conducted in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition. It offers undergraduate programs built upon a liberal arts core curriculum, leading to associate and baccalaureate degrees, plus graduate programs in business, education, and other professional fields, leading to the master's degree. Canisius espouses the ideal of academic excellence along with a sense of responsibility to use one's gifts for the service of others and the benefit of society. It seeks to promote the intellectual and ethical life of its students, helping to prepare them for productive careers as well as for meaningful personal lives and positive contributions to human progress. Its curricular and co- curricular programs are designed to educate the whole person through development of intellectual, moral, spiritual, and social qualities. It aims to promote the contemporary Jesuit mission of the service of faith and the promotion of justice. As a Catholic institution which welcomes all who share in its quest, Canisius will:
● foster an atmosphere of understanding and respect in dialog with other intellectual and spiritual traditions;
● teach the responsible use of human freedom in a value-oriented curriculum and co-curriculum which incorporate concern for spiritual and human factors as well as more pragmatic ones;
● continue the Jesuit principle of care for individual persons;
● emphasize excellence in teaching, marked by intellectual vigor, close student-faculty relations, and an expectation of active rather than passive learning;
● prepare students to assume positions of leadership in church and society;
● foster a sense of community among its students and staff through personal interaction marked by friendliness, respect, openness and integrity;
● take advantage of its location in a major urban center on an international border to serve the community and the world, and to play a significant role in fashioning the world of the 21st century by contributing its own special blend of academic excellence, personal concern, and an optimistic commitment to the future. 2. Senate Responsibility for the Core The Constitution of the Faculty Senate at Canisius College declares in its Preamble that it is the duty of the Senate "to formulate the educational policy of the College in areas of instruction and curriculum." The Educational Policy Committee is a Permanent Committee established in Article V of the Constitution; its task "is to make a continuing study of the educational needs of the College clientele and community, of the educational philosophies of all areas of the academic world, of directions in subject matter emphasis and development, and continually to recommend to the Senate policies for improvement." The Second Amendment of the Bylaws of the Senate spells out the process that is to be used for revision of the Core. The amendment reads in full: The Faculty Senate has the responsibility and authority pertaining to Core Curriculum. This authority was delegated to the Faculty Senate by the Board of Trustees of Canisius College at its meeting of January 8, 1969. The procedures to be followed for making changes in the Core Curriculum are enumerated in a resolution passed by the Faculty Senate on November 21, 1968, and listed below: A. 1) The Faculty Senate shall have the continuing authority and responsibility to review and change the Core Curriculum of the College in all of its Schools and Divisions in accordance with the provisions stated below. 2) Revisions of the Core Curriculum shall be made only with the authorization of the Senate and its decisions will be binding. A change will become effective on the date specified at the time of the decision. B. Curriculum changes will be considered and authorized by the Senate subject to the following procedures: 1) The Senate shall accept written recommendations for changes in the Core Curriculum from the Academic Vice-President, the members of the Senate and its subcommittees, the members of the Faculty or the Student Government. 2) If a majority of the Senate votes to consider the recommendation, the Senate shall have it published and shall delegate an appropriate subcommittee or the Senate as a "Committee of the Whole" the responsibility to conduct hearings at which it will accept written or oral arguments of the interested parties. Notice of these hearings shall be given to Faculty and Administration at least two weeks in advance. 3) Upon receipt of a report and recommendation, the Senate shall have the report published. The Senate shall also publish the date of the regular or special meeting at which it proposes to consider the recommendation. Action of the Senate on the recommendation shall be deferred by at least four weeks from date of receipt of the report and recommendation. 4) A decision to revise the Core Curriculum shall require the affirmative vote of 60% of the Senate. a) Should a majority but less than 60% of the Senate approve the changes, the majority may request publication of the Senate's action and a tabling of the motion for curriculum change for reconsideration at the next meeting of the Senate. b) Should a majority be lacking on the motion to table or should 60% fail to approve when the motion is recovered from the table at the next meeting, the proposed change shall not be reconsidered by the Senate without subsequent resubmission and reconsideration as outlined above. 5) The Academic Vice President shall have the power to veto a curriculum change by notifying the Senate in writing of [the] action within one month of [. . .] receipt of the Senate authorization of such a change. a) The Senate shall, at its first regular or special meeting following a veto, entertain motions to override the veto. Such a motion will be accepted by majority vote and [be] tabled for at least four weeks. The Senate shall publish the nature of its action, the message of the Vice-President, and the date on which it will act on a motion to override. If the motion to override is not accepted by the majority, the veto will stand and the Vice-President's message and notice of Senate action will be published. b) Upon affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Senate, the motion to override the veto shall be carried and the curriculum change will become effective on the date specified by the Senate. c) By majority vote, the original motion may be amended as to effective date and the Senate's action shall be published. 6) The administrative supervision of the Core Curriculum shall be the continuing responsibility of the Academic Vice-President. 3. Assumptions Governing This Revision Please Note Well: The material in this section was forwarded to the Faculty Senate by the EPC, but was never discussed or approved by the Senate.
I have placed it here as background to the legislation that took place in 1993-94.
Martin X. Moleski, SJ
One of the recurrent criticisms of the [1972] Core Curriculum at Canisius, as well as of current efforts to reform the Core, was that the rationale for the Core had not been sufficiently articulated. Such criticism was voiced not only by Robert Newton, the external evaluator for the Department of Education Title III Grant, but also by those who were involved in the review and revision of the Core itself. While it is true that the rationale for the Core has never been spelled out in any single document, it is also true that the implementation of the current Core in 1971-72, as well as past and present efforts to revise the Core, has been guided by a set of assumptions, the traces of which are to be found in the record of the deliberations that accompanied the implementation and revision of the current Core. Both the "Proposal for a Revision of the Core Curriculum" that the Educational Policy Committee of the Faculty Senate approved on September 8, 1970 (for the relevant excerpts, see Appendix F in "Revising the Core Curriculum") and the "1971 Plan for the General Studies Curriculum" (see Appendix G in "Revising the Core Curriculum") made implicit, if not explicit, reference to the assumptions that guided the implementation of the existing Core. Similarly, the lengthy document that the Structures Committee of the Educational Policy Committee prepared in 1991-92 also tried to articulate the objectives that informed its recommendations for a revision of the Core, though principally in the form of a general statement identifying the attributes of the ideal Canisius College graduate. By the same token, the deliberations of the Educational Policy Committee over the course of the past year and a half have been guided by a set of implicit assumptions about the purposes and goals of the Core Curriculum that can be gleaned from a careful reading of its minutes. The Educational Policy Committee discussed the question of a rationale for the Core Curriculum on a number of occasions during the past year and a half. In the fall of 1992 the committee decided not to formulate a statement articulating the rationale for the Core because this would have seriously delayed the preparation of recommendations for the revision of the Core. Having now completed this process, the committee is in a position to reflect back upon the work of the preceding three and a half years and to offer a statement of the assumptions that have guided its deliberations. A core curriculum at any institution always serves multiple purposes. The specific core curriculum that a college offers to its students is determined by the character of the college. Canisius College has described itself as a liberal arts college in the Jesuit tradition. That, in itself, has profound implications for the shape and purpose of the Core Curriculum at Canisius. The Jesuit tradition is committed to the full development of the individual's intellectual capacities and has always stressed this at the expense of specialization and professionalization. Moreover, the Jesuit tradition is firmly rooted in the perennial values of the Catholic faith and has always sought to inculcate in its students--non-Catholic as well as Catholic--a genuine appreciation of the role that religion plays in human life and in the realization of an individual's full human potential. Beyond this general goal, the Core Curriculum at Canisius College seeks to accomplish three specific objectives. In the first place, it aims to pass on a cultural and intellectual heritage to successive generations of Canisius students through the careful study of the great ideas and best minds of western civilization. This involves implicit recognition of the fact that Canisius students need a firmer grounding in their own culture and intellectual tradition before they can make intelligent and judicious comparisons of their own culture with other, non-western cultures. This particular goal is reflected in the prominence of philosophy, religious studies, history, and literature in the structure of the existing Core Curriculum at Canisius. At the same time, a firmer grounding in one's own culture and intellectual tradition is essential to the realization of the individual student's full human and intellectual potential. This does not mean, however, that students will not be asked to pass critical judgement on their own culture and intellectual tradition. For its only through the critical engagement with their own tradition that they can come to appreciate its limitations as well as its richness. The second objective of the Canisius College Core Curriculum is to expose Canisius students to different modes of intellectual inquiry. This particular goal is realized in the Area Studies component of the Core Curriculum, which, in its current form, is divided into seven areas according to methodological criteria. The primary purpose of the Area Studies component of the Core Curriculum, therefore, is to introduce the students to the different methodologies and modes of analysis by which the various disciplines approach the study of their particular topics of interest. The ultimate goal of the Area Studies component of the Core Curriculum is thus to promote the development of well-rounded students who are capable of making intelligent judgements in areas other than the one of their professional specialization. The third objective of the Canisius College Core Curriculum is to help Canisius students develop the skills that are necessary for success in the outside world. In fact, many of the recommendations the Educational Policy Committee is making for a revision of the Core Curriculum are specifically designed to facilitate this goal of the Core. This objective, in turn, has two specific components. First, it involves a strengthened commitment to the development of student skills in the areas of writing and critical thinking. This commitment is reflected in the resolutions on "Writing across the Curriculum" and "Critical Thinking" as well in the resolution on the reorganization of General Studies I and II (ENG 101 and 102). The underlying assumption here is that writing and critical thinking are not disembodied skills but abilities best developed in the context of specific academic disciplines. Secondly, if Canisius students are to succeed in the outside world, it is necessary for them to develop a better appreciation of the increasingly complex world in which they live. This conviction is reflected not only in the resolutions on "International and Cultural Diversity" and the reorganization of General Studies IV (RST 101) but, more importantly, in the resolution to divide Area VII into separate areas for mathematics and foreign languages. In this respect, the Educational Policy Committee agreed that the best way of encouraging students to expand their cultural and intellectual horizons was through the study of a foreign language. The creation of a separate area for foreign languages, therefore, is important to help Canisius students develop a genuine appreciation of cultures other than their own and to understand the demands of living in a world that is increasingly international and multi-cultural. In preparing its recommendations for a revision of the existing Core Curriculum, the Educational Policy Committee sought to develop a core that accomplished these three objectives. In practical terms, this meant placing greater emphasis on the development of student skills in the areas of writing and critical thinking and on the need to incorporate a stronger commitment to international and cultural diversity in the existing structure of the Core Curriculum. At the same time, the Educational Policy Committee realizes that the task of revising the Core Curriculum will not--and should not--end with the adoption of these recommendations. On the contrary, core revision is an on-going process that reflects the organic development of Canisius College as an institution of higher learning. What the committee proposes here should therefore only serve as the point of departure for further change in the future. 4. Resolutions on Writing Across the Core The following resolution was passed by the Faculty Senate on March 11, 1994, by a vote of 11 in favor, none opposed, with 4 abstentions. Resolved: That all courses in the core curriculum shall contain a significant writing component appropriate to the goals and content of the course. This could involve transactional writing (writing to communicate, essays, lab reports, exams and outlines, for example) or expressive writing (writing to learn, journals, for example). Responsibility for monitoring the writing component of the core curriculum shall lie with the Committee for the Core Curriculum. The articulation of what constitutes "a significant writing component" for a specific discipline shall be determined by both the Department and the Core Curriculum Committee working in close cooperation with each other.1 A Department may petition the Committee to exempt a particular course from this requirement on the grounds that the inclusion of a significant writing component is not appropriate to the goals and content of that course. The following resolution was passed by the Faculty Senate on April 14, 1994, by a vote of 11 in favor, none opposed, with 1 abstention.2 The Faculty Senate recommends that all departments adopt a strategy for improving the writing skills of their majors. This strategy should be appropriate to the needs of the individual major and may include creating a special writing course within the major, requiring majors to take courses such as business writing or writing in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, etc., or incorporating writing requirements into courses throughout the major. Responsibility for implementing this part of the recommendation does not lie with the Faculty Senate, but with the Academic Vice President, the appropriate academic deans, and the department chairs.
5. Resolution on Critical Thinking The following resolution was passed by the Faculty Senate on March 18, 1994, by a vote of 13 in favor, 1 opposed, with no abstentions. Resolved: Every course in the Core Curriculum shall strive to develop student skills in critical thinking. The way in which a particular course addresses this objective shall serve as an important criterion for the evaluation of courses currently in the core curriculum or proposed for inclusion in the core. Responsibility for defining what constitutes critical thinking in a particular discipline resides with the Department in question. Responsibility for determining whether a particular course sufficiently addresses the goal of improving student critical thinking skills resides with the Committee for the Core Curriculum. This requirement shall take effect at the beginning of the 1995-96 academic year. 6. Resolution on International and Cultural Diversity The following resolution was passed by the Faculty Senate on March 22, 1994, by a vote of 8 in favor, 1 opposed, with 5 abstentions. Whereas: A central goal of humanistic education is to lift students above the values and assumptions of their own culture and to introduce them to cultures which view and interpret the same world through a substantially different set of values and assumptions than their own, and Whereas: Students should therefore be encouraged to explore other cultural and national traditions not only through the study of foreign languages but also through the selection of appropriate courses in other areas of the Core Curriculum, Be it therefore Resolved: a) That, effective with the entering class of 1995-96, all students shall be required to take at least two courses in the Area Studies component of the Core Curriculum that have been designated by the Committee for the Core Curriculum as "international," "multi-cultural," or "cross-cultural"; and b) That, governed by the understanding that foreign language courses that focus primarily on the study of languages and that do not have a substantial cultural component do not satisfy this requirement, the Committee for the Core Curriculum will 1) develop and publish written guidelines, subject to Faculty Senate approval, for what constitutes an appropriate "international," "multi-cultural" or "cross-cultural" course;3 2) follow designation procedures similar to those currently employed in approving courses for the Area studies component of the Core Curriculum; and 3) encourage the development of new courses in the Area Studies component of the Core Curriculum that satisfy the requirement stipulated in these guidelines. 7. Resolution on the Committee for the Core Curriculum The following resolution was passed by a unanimous vote of the Faculty Senate on February 11, 1994, and amended on April 14, 1994, and September 8, 1995. I. The Committee for the Core Curriculum is established by the Faculty Senate, pursuant to the action of the Board of Trustees making the Faculty Senate responsible for matters of "Core Curriculum," to ensure that the aims of the Core Curriculum are carried out and that guidelines established by the Faculty Senate are observed. The Committee for the Core Curriculum is to be regarded as an extension of the Faculty Senate and is responsible for the development, approval, retention, deletion, quality, and review of all General Studies Courses and all Area Studies courses offered or proposed for inclusion in the approved areas of the Core Curriculum. Administration of the Core Curriculum, on the other hand, continues to be the responsibility of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the academic deans. The Committee for the Core Curriculum is thus accountable to the Faculty Senate and works in cooperation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and the Dean of Business. II. The primary function of the Committee for the Core Curriculum is to make certain that the intentions of the Faculty Senate regarding the Core Curriculum are carried out. Its primary responsibility will be to review, evaluate, and make recommendations for the revision of the Core Curriculum on an on-going basis. With respect to the Core Curriculum and specified Core Curriculum courses, the Committee's specific functions are: A. To interpret descriptions of the specified areas and courses stated in the Core Curriculum Plan. B. To publish criteria adopted by the Faculty Senate and to prepare and publish guidelines to be followed by the faculty members and departments in developing and proposing courses for inclusion in the Core Curriculum. C. To review on a regular three-year cycle the syllabi of all courses currently offered in the General Studies component of the Core Curriculum and to approve those that meet the objectives and satisfy the criteria that have been developed for those courses by the Faculty Senate. D. To review on a regular three-year cycle the syllabi of all courses currently offered in the Area Studies component of the Core Curriculum and to approve those that meet the objectives and satisfy the criteria that have been developed for each of these areas by the Faculty Senate. E. To encourage the more effective integration of the material offered in the General Studies component of the core curriculum and to create mechanisms for achieving this objective. F. To encourage the development of new courses for inclusion in the Area Studies component of the Core Curriculum and to evaluate, classify, and approve or reject proposals for new courses in the Core Curriculum. In performing this function, the Committee is expected to follow the criteria formulated by the Faculty Senate for the various areas of the core. G. To encourage interdepartmental planning for Core Curriculum courses and the development of interdisciplinary and team-taught courses in the Area Studies component of the Core Curriculum. H. To review and monitor the exemption and substitution policies for core curriculum courses by the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business. I. To evaluate and make recommendations pertaining to the staffing and scheduling of Core Curriculum courses to the academic deans. J. To publish the results of all Committee decisions and substantive actions relating to the Core Curriculum. K. To submit an annual written report on the status of the Core Curriculum to the Faculty Senate and Vice President for Academic Affairs. III. The Committee for the Core Curriculum will be composed of the following members: A. The Director of the Core Curriculum, who will serve as chair of the Committee for the Core Curriculum and will vote only in the case of ties. The director will be appointed to a three-year term from the tenured faculty by the Vice President for Academic Affairs from a list of acceptable candidates developed by the Educational Policy Committee and approved by the Faculty Senate. The Director of the Core Curriculum will receive a reduced teaching load in return for his or her services. The Director shall appear before the Faculty Senate at least once each semester to report on the activities of and the issues before the Committee for the Core Curriculum. B. Eight members elected to staggered three-year terms by the faculty as a whole. Candidates are to be nominated by their departments. No more than one member of any department may be elected to the committee. More than one member of a department, however, may be a candidate for the committee with the proviso that only the candidate receiving the most votes may be elected. The list of candidates is to be approved by the Faculty Senate. At least one member of the committee but no more than three should come from the School of Business. Only those faculty with at least three years of full-time teaching experience at Canisius are eligible to run for election to the committee. The elections will be administered by the teller of the Faculty Senate in accordance with the general procedures that govern the election of Faculty Senators. The principal qualification for election to the Committee for the Core Curriculum is advocacy of the core. Faculty members of the Committee for the Core Curriculum are not to be regarded as representatives of departmental interests or as representatives of the specific area of the core in which they may teach. C. The chair of the Educational Policy Committee as an ex officio voting member. D. The Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Dean of Education and Human Services,4 and the Dean of the Business School, or their designated representatives, as ex officio voting members. E. Two student members with full voting rights to be appointed by the student selections committee. IV. To expedite its work, the Committee for the Core Curriculum shall form an executive council consisting of the Director of the Core Curriculum, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Dean of the Business School, and two of the eight faculty members of the Committee to be elected by the Committee as a whole. The purpose of the executive council will be to organize and facilitate the work of the Committee for the Core Curriculum and to implement the decisions of the committee. All policy decisions, such as those governing the admission of courses into the various areas of the core or concerning the maintenance of standards within the core, will be made by the committee as a whole. 8. Overview of Core Requirements Part One: Four General Studies Courses required of every student: ENG 101 -- English Seminar I (Freshman Year) ENG 102 -- English Seminar II (Freshman Year) RST 101 -- Introduction to Religious Studies (Freshman or Sophomore Year) PHI 101 -- Introduction to Philosophy (Freshman or Sophomore Year) Part Two: Fourteen Area Studies Courses A. Each student must select two courses from each of seven of the eight areas (excluding the area related to the major field). B. These courses should be spread out over the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior years. C. The total number of courses required in Area Studies is 14, or 42 credit hours. D. Each student must select two courses designated as international, multicultural, or cross- cultural. Area Title Majors: Each major is automatically excluded from the area after which it is listed, as follows: AS1 -- Natural Sciences Biology Medical Technology Biochemistry Pre-Engineering Chemistry Physics AS2 -- Social and Behavioral Sciences Business Physical Education Communication Political Science Economics Psychology Education Sociology / International Anthropology Relations Urban Studies AS3 -- Art and Literature Art History German English Spanish French AS4 -- History History AS5 -- Philosophy Philosophy AS6 -- Religious Studies Religious Studies AS7 -- Mathematical Sciences Computer Science Mathematics AS8 -- Foreign Language French Spanish German Part Two: Description of General Studies Courses The following resolution was passed by a unanimous vote of the Faculty Senate on March 22, 1994. The title of English 101 was modified by the Senate on December 3, 1995. Resolved: 1) That the General Studies Courses currently designated as GS1, GS2, GS4 and GS5 shall be renumbered as English 101, English 102, Religious Studies 101 and Philosophy 101, respectively; 2) That English 101 and English 102 shall be named and described as follows: English Seminar I This will be a course in writing and reading. Practice in writing of various kinds and modes will be carried on intensively. The course will stress writing instruction and will include some practice in research. Readings will be primarily discursive prose. English Seminar II This will be a course in reading and writing. The seminar will emphasize writing, this time of a more complex sort, including the carrying out of a research assignment. Particular attention will be paid to summary, analysis, and organizational skills. Readings will be selected primarily from literature. 3) That Religious Studies 101 shall be named and described as follows: Introduction to Religious Studies This course is concerned with the nature and role of religion in human life and society. It introduces students to religious viewpoints, values, and practices within the Judeo-Christian tradition and in the world at large. In addition, it introduces students to methodological tools, both scientific and theological, used in the academic study of religion. 4) That Philosophy 101 shall be named and described as follows: Introduction to Philosophy This course engages in a thoughtful examination of several representative philosophical issues; it emphasizes logical and critical analysis of claims and arguments proposed by some prominent classical and modern philosophers. 1. English 101 and 102 The following statements of goals were submitted to the Educational Policy Committee by the Curriculum Committee of the English Department. The EPC endorsed them as an example of how the Senate's definition of English 101 and 102 might be carried out in practice. Goals of English Seminar I 1. The Seminar will introduce students to the basic purposes of writing (e.g., to express oneself, to persuade others, to report information) and to the modes (e.g., narration, description, analysis, evaluation) through which those purposes are carried out. Assignments should be arranged in ascending order of difficulty (e.g., self-expression before persuasion, narration before evaluation). 2. The Seminar will emphasize the importance of the context in which a text is produced; specifically, it will help students to appreciate the needs and interests of different audiences and to show them how to write for a variety of audiences and situations. 3. The Seminar will give students intensive practice in the various phases of the writing process-- planning, writing, and rewriting. 4. The Seminar will develop students' critical reading and thinking skills--it will help them to analyze, to understand, and to evaluate texts; to recognize criteria for analysis and judgment, to understand the intellectual constraints of context, to question assumptions and conclusions, to defend judgments. To this end, readings are to be selected primarily from discursive prose. 5. The Seminar will help students to develop speaking skills through activities which may include one or more of the following: class discussion, small-group work, presentations. 6. The Seminar will teach students the fundamental aspects of college-level research. These include: locating, paraphrasing, and summarizing sources; evaluating sources; organizing and presenting researched materials for specific audiences and particular purposes; and giving proper credit to sources (controlling, commanding, and thus maintaining scholastic honesty). For this Seminar, these goals may be accomplished with research work that does not lead to or include a fully developed term paper. Goals of English Seminar II 1. The Seminar will help students to interpret and appreciate literary texts by examining a variety of works from different genres, periods and traditions. 2. The Seminar will continue to develop those writing skills addressed in ENG 101; it will provide further practice in the writing process; and it will help students organize and present longer and more complex writing tasks. 3. The Seminar will continue to develop students' research skills and techniques, teaching them to identify and evaluate sources, to summarize and paraphrase, to control the principles of organization and proper documentation, and the like. Students will complete a substantial research paper. 2. Philosophy 101 The following description was submitted to the Educational Policy Committee by the Philosophy Department. The EPC endorsed it as an example of how the Senate's definition of Philosophy 101 might be carried out in practice. PHI 101: An Introduction to Philosophy This course requires thoughtful examination of several representative philosophical issues; it emphasizes logical and critical analysis of claims and arguments proposed by some prominent classical and modern philosophers. Purpose of the Course: This course introduces the student to some prominent philosophers, traditions, issues and methods. As a result, the student will be culturally more literate. More especially, however, the student will learn to think more critically about a number of issues central to human life, and in that way will come to know from personal experience what it is like to examine an issue philosophically. The course should thus provide the student not only with some basis for an intelligent choice of further reading or courses in philosophy, but also with new or more highly developed skills for thinking through issues that every human being must come to grips with in some fashion. Content of the Course: While an introduction cannot be exhaustive and must be selective, its selection should be representative. This course should reflect the personal, historical, methodological, topical and substantive diversity of philosophy. The following guidelines seek to support the representative character of the course and also to establish what will be common across sections and instructors. At the same time, they aim to leave ample room for philosophical and pedagogical imagination and innovation on the part of the instructor. 1. The introduction will help students to think critically about at least one central issue in at least three of these five areas of philosophy: A) ethics B) philosophy of religion C) epistemology D) philosophical anthropology or philosophy of the mind E) metaphysics 2. In dealing with each of these areas, the course will examine critically the position of at least one historically prominent philosopher. 3. During the course, the students will examine positions of at least one philosopher from each of at least three of these four periods of the history of philosophy: ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary. 4. The course will emphasize logical and critical analysis of philosophical methods, arguments, and theories. 5. The course will engage the students in analysis and discussion of some original writings (selections or complete works) of prominent philosophers. 3. Religious Studies 101 The following description of Religious Studies 101 was submitted to the Educational Policy Committee by the Religious Studies Department. The EPC endorsed it as an example of how the Senate's definition of Religious Studies 101 might be carried out in practice. RST 101: Introduction to Religious Studies 1. RST 101 explores the definition of "religion." The field of Religious Studies is distinguished from other academic disciplines by the way in which it attends to the relationship between humans and Transcendent Reality.
2. RST 101 helps students develop skills in the critical and systematic examination of religion by acquainting them with the role religion has played and continues to play in the total development and life experience of humanity in cultures throughout the world; each section will pay attention to Judaism, Christianity (including the Jesuit tradition) and at least one other world religion or group of religious traditions: A. Eastern Religions: 1. Hinduism 2. Buddhism 3. Chinese Religions 4. Japanese Religions B. Other Western Religious Traditions: 1. Ancient Near-Eastern/Egyptian Religions 2. Classical Roman/Greek Religions; the Mystery Religions 3. Islam C. Tribal, Local, or Primordial Religions 6. African Religions 7. Native American Religions 8. Pacific Religions
3. RST 101 instills in students an appreciation for the diversity of religious phenomena; the course will highlight at least four of the following dimensions of religion: A. Religious experience (the numinous; sacred/profane; mysticism) B. Ritual C. Myth and Symbol D. (Sacred) Scripture E. Religious communities (natural or voluntary; cults, sects, denominations) F. Religious leadership (priestly, shamanistic, prophetic) G. Spirituality/prayer H. Belief/Doctrine/Ethics 4. RST 101 provides students with methodological tools for the academic study of religion; the course will highlight the contributions made to the academic study of religion by at least three of the following disciplines: A. Philosophy and Theology B. History C. Hermeneutics and Literary Criticism D. Phenomenology E. Social and Behavioral Sciences
5. RST 101 provides an understanding of the interrelationship of religion with other aspects of human experience and culture.
6. RST 101 is designed to enhance a critical appreciation of the role of religion in human life and should help foster the development of those skills of verbal comprehension and expression necessary for intelligent discourse on questions of religious substance. Part Three: A. Articulation of Criteria for Area Studies The following are descriptions of the criteria used by the Core Curriculum Committee to decide what courses are admitted to the eight Areas of the Core. These statements were originally developed by the Educational Policy Committee and approved by the Faculty Senate in late 1979 and 1980. They were updated in 1993-94 by the addition of criteria for Areas 7 and 8; the criteria for the first six Areas were reviewed and approved by the EPC and the Senate in 1994- 95. Part Three: B. Other Requirements The criteria for International and Cultural Diversity were jointly developed by the Educational Policy Committee and the Core Curriculum Committee, then approved by the Faculty Senate and the Academic Vice President in the Spring of 1995. The criteria for the writing component of the Core were developed by the Core Curriculum Committee in consultation with the Departments. AS1: Natural Sciences Approved by the Faculty Senate on April 4, 1995 The purpose of AS1 (Natural Sciences) is to provide non-science majors with a general introduction to the content, philosophy, and methodologies of natural science. The area deals specifically with the scientific study of nature and involves use of the scientific method as the only appropriate means for the scientific interpretation of natural phenomena. An appreciation of natural phenomena and their scientific investigation is essential to the development of a well- rounded intellect and therefore constitutes an integral part of the liberal arts curriculum at Canisius College. 1. Courses in AS1 should have as their primary goal the development of an interest in the natural sciences and should foster the ability to view scientific conclusions with a critical understanding. 2. Courses in AS1 should stress observation and the experimental method as the only appropriate means for collecting data for the analysis and interpretation of natural phenomena. The experimental method is distinct from a mere observation of nature, but involves an analysis of available information leading to the formulation of precise questions about nature whose answers can be arrived at through controlled manipulations called experiments. In this respect, a primary goal of AS1 courses is to develop an understanding of the process by which scientific judgments are made. 3. Courses in AS1 may also have as their principal focus the impact of science and the technologies which have resulted from them upon society at large. Such courses should be designed to broaden the students' intellectual horizon and to make them more fully cognizant of the increasingly complex technological world in which they live. 4. Courses in AS1 may also have as their principal focus the interaction of science with other fields of human endeavor. The content of such courses, however, must be science and the scientific study of natural phenomena. Courses that deal only in a general, non-specific way with questions of scientific content are not suitable for admission into AS1. 5. Courses in AS1 should be introductory courses and should carry no prerequisites except in the case of the second semester of a two-semester sequence. Students may also satisfy the AS1 requirement by taking any of the basic level science laboratory courses (BIO 101-02, CHM 111- 12, PHY 201-02), in which case it should first be determined that the student has the necessary background in mathematics and science to pursue the course successfully. AS2: Social Sciences Approved by the Faculty Senate on April 4, 1995 The purpose of AS2 (Social Sciences) is to provide a general introduction to the content, philosophy, and methodologies of social science. The area deals specifically with the social scientific study of human behavior and embraces those disciplines that are concerned with the study of human beings as they interact with each other within the context of specific social units. These disciplines also share a common methodological approach in so far as they employ systematic methods and standards in the study of human behavior and seek to formulate general hypotheses and theories of human behavior on the basis of the observation and analysis of empirical data. 1. Courses in AS2 should be broad in scope and should be designed to provide the non-specialist with a clearer general understanding of the way in which the social order operates. Courses which are too narrow in focus are not suitable for admission into AS2. Courses in AS2 should carry no prerequisites. 2. Courses in AS2 should have as their primary focus the behavior of human beings in social units and should strive to develop a clearer understanding of the patterns of social interaction that develop between human beings. While history and historical data may be used as the basis for understanding long-term social development, the proper time frame for courses in AS2 is the present. The specific objective of courses in AS2 should be to develop a theoretical rather than a purely historical or descriptive approach to the interpretation and analysis of social reality. 3. Courses in AS2 may also have as their principal focus the psychological development of the individual and the process by which the individual adapts to his or her social environment. Such courses should stress both the environmental and personal factors which influence the development of the individual personality and the way in which the individual behaves in society. 4. Courses in AS2 should employ systematic methods of analysis that involve such practices as the articulation of assumptions, the observation of empirical data and the advance explication of the procedures by which this data is to be collected, and the identification and explanation of the relationships that emerge from the analysis of this data. AS3: Art and Literature Approved by the Faculty Senate on February 10, 1995 The purpose of AS3 (Art and Literature) is to provide a general introduction to the aesthetic dimension of human existence. This area deals specifically with the study of art, literature, and music as a means of promoting students aesthetic sensibility and of enhancing their appreciation of those aesthetic values by which the artist seeks to order his personal experience. In terms of methodology, courses in AS3 involve the examination of primary texts and works of art with reference not only to content, but also to questions of technique, style, and artistic form. A further objective of courses in AS3 is to perfect the skills of verbal composition and expression that are essential to the development of a well-rounded intellect. 1. Courses in AS3 should be broad in content and scope and should be designed to provide the non-specialist with a general introduction to the study of art, literature and music. Courses which are too narrow in focus are not suitable for admission into AS3. While courses in AS3 should carry no prerequisites, it is nevertheless recommended that students taking AS3 courses in literature at the 200 level or above should have completed ENG 101 and ENG 102. 2. Courses in AS3 should have as their principal focus the study of art, literature and music with specific reference not only to content, but also to technique, style, and artistic form. Courses that fail to deal with the formal aspects of the aesthetic experience are not suitable for admission into AS3. 3. Courses in AS3 should employ the examination, interpretation, and analysis of primary texts and works of art as the only appropriate means for developing a critical appreciation of the aesthetic dimension. Courses which rely primarily on secondary works of critical studies are not suitable for admission into AS3. 4. Courses in AS3 may be A) historical survey courses, B) major figure survey courses, C) genre survey courses, or D) theme survey courses. Interdisciplinary courses which focus upon the interaction of the fine arts with each other or with other dimensions of the human experience are also suitable for admission into AS3. Courses which provide an in-depth study of a singe figure are suitable for admission into AS3 only if they deal with a figure of truly major status. 5. Courses in AS3 should be designed to improve the students' general verbal skills. AS4: History Approved by the Senate on January 27, 1995 The purpose of AS4 (History) is to provide a general introduction to the study of the processes of historical change. Courses in AS4 should be designed to provide a critical knowledge of the past and should demonstrate that there can be no awareness of the past without careful grounding in specific historical realities. These courses should strive to emphasize the uniqueness of individuals, ideas, institutions, and events in terms of their relation to general trends that have developed over time. The ultimate objective of AS4 should be to liberate students from the tyranny of present-mindedness and to provide them with an appreciation of the richness of the human historical experience. 1. Courses in AS4 should be introductory courses with survey orientations intended primarily to be taken in the freshman or sophomore years. Courses that are too narrow in focus are not suitable for admission into AS4. Courses in AS4 should carry no prerequisites. 2. Courses in AS4 should concern themselves with long-range chronological development and should have as their principal focus the role of change in human experience and the impact of time upon human affairs, ideas, and institutions. Courses that are limited in terms of their chronological scope and fail to deal with long-range chronological development are not suitable for admission into AS4. 3. Courses in AS4, including those that focus on a single aspect of the historical experience, should be broad in scope and content and should emphasize the inter-relatedness of the social, political, economic, intellectual, and diplomatic dimensions of historical reality. Courses that fail to demonstrate the interrelated and multi-faceted character of historical reality are not suitable for admission into AS4. 4. Courses in AS4 should place the national historical development under consideration in an international, multi-cultural, or cross-cultural context. Courses that deal exclusively with the history of particular nations or national cultures, except for the traditional American history survey courses, are not suitable for admission into AS4. 5. Courses in AS4 should provide a general introduction to the methodology of the historian, which combines a humanist's concern for the uniqueness of individuals, ideas, and institutions with the techniques for making generalization and long-term trend analysis employed by the social scientist. 6. Courses in AS4 should be designed to develop the students' faculties of critical thinking, to improve their verbal skills, and to enhance techniques of research and analysis. Special attention will be accorded, therefore, to students' ability to learn through substantial reading and writing assignments. AS5: Philosophy Approved by the Faculty Senate on February 10, 1995 The purpose of AS5 (Philosophy) is to permit students to advance from the representative introductory sampling of philosophy provided by PHI 101 (Introduction to Philosophy) to a more sustained and intensive examination of philosophical ideas and issues. Courses in AS5 should be designed to foster understanding of the central position which philosophical thought occupies in the western intellectual tradition. Faithful to the Jesuit educational heritage of Canisius College, the ultimate objective of courses in AS5 is to help students conduct an articulate, informed and reasoned examination of concepts, claims, values and arguments fundamental to their own private, public and professional lives. 1. Courses in AS5 should be courses in which philosophy is the primary focus, both in content and method. Courses in which philosophy is merely a secondary concern are not suitable for admission into AS5. 2. Courses in AS5 may be general courses in the major fields of philosophical investigation such as epistemology, metaphysics, logic and ethics. Courses in AS5 may also be general courses covering broad and historically significant periods in the history of philosophy. 3. Courses in AS5 may also have as their primary focus the study of prominent classical and contemporary schools of philosophy or the study of individual philosophers of the first rank. Narrowly specialized courses or courses that deal with philosophers of secondary rank or with schools of lesser significance are not suitable for admission into AS5. 4. Courses in AS5 may also be courses in applied philosophy such as business ethics or the philosophy of law, or courses with dual primary foci such as philosophy and literature. Such courses should be broad in both scope and content and should not deal with philosophy in a secondary or peripheral manner. 5. Courses in AS5 should be designed to develop the students' ability to articulate and evaluate critically the claims, arguments, and ideas presented in the course. A primary objective of courses in AS5 is to develop the skills of verbal comprehension and abstract expression essential to reasoned philosophical argument and analysis to informed philosophical judgment. 6. Courses in AS5 are designed to be taken in the sophomore, junior and senior years and carry PHI 101 (Introduction to Philosophy) as a prerequisite. Courses in AS5 should therefore be offered at the 200, 300 or 400 level. In order to assure a proper breadth of focus, it is highly recommended that students complete an AS5 course at the 200 or 300 level before enrolling in an AS5 course at the 400 level. AS6: Religious Studies Approved by the Senate on January 27, 1995 The purpose of AS6 (Religious Studies) is to provide a deeper understanding of the religious dimension of human existence. Courses in AS6 are designed to foster a clearer understanding of the role which religion plays in human life through a careful and systematic examination of religious ideas, institutions, values, and patterns of belief and practice. The study of religious phenomena involves a number of different methodological approaches, including textual exegesis, historical criticism, and hermeneutic analysis. A primary objective of courses in AS6 is to develop a critical appreciation of religious traditions and to enable students to conduct a careful and reasoned inquiry into the role which religion will play in their professional, public and private lives. 1. Courses in AS6 should have as their principal focus the study of religion and the role which religion plays in human life. Courses in which religion serves as a merely secondary concern are not suitable for admission into AS6. 2. Courses in AS6 should deal with one of the following five areas of study: Judeo-Christian origins, the history of Christianity, systematic theology, contemporary issues, and world religions. These courses should be designed specifically for the non-specialist. Courses of a highly specialized character are not suitable for admission into AS6. 3. Courses in AS6 may also be interdisciplinary courses designed to demonstrate the relationship between religion and other academic disciplines. The principal focus of such courses must be the study of religion and its relation to the other dimensions of human life. 4. Courses in AS6 may approach the study of religious phenomena from a variety of methodological perspectives. Courses in AS6 may be either topical, historical, or comparative in nature. Courses in AS6 may also approach the study of religion in terms of its relationship to specific areas of human life. 5. Courses in AS6 should be designed to enhance a critical appreciation of the role of religion in human life and should help foster the development of those skills of verbal comprehension and expression necessary for intelligent discourse on questions of religious substance. 6. Courses in AS6 are designed to be taken in the sophomore, junior and senior years and carry RST 101 (Introduction to Religious Studies) as a prerequisite. Courses in AS6 should therefore be offered at the 200, 300 or 400 level. Since in some cases courses may be sequential in nature, courses offered at the 300 or 400 levels may carry prerequisites. AS7: Mathematical Sciences Approved by the Faculty Senate on May 5, 1995 The purpose of AS7 is to provide students with a fundamental grounding in the skills, methods and concepts of the mathematical sciences. The mathematical sciences have in common their use of logical analysis, quantitative or spatial reasoning, and abstraction as methods for designing and producing solutions to practical and theoretical problems. A primary objective of courses in AS7 is to provide our students with a degree of mathematical understanding and competence that will prepare them for an increasingly technological and computerized world. 1. Courses in AS7 should have the analysis, understanding and solving of problems as a primary goal. As a means of achieving this goal, courses should develop appropriate skills, techniques, and theoretical explanations which students can then apply to problem analysis and solution. 2. An important component of AS7 courses is the design and production of organized, structured solutions to problems. Students should learn to explain and communicate effectively their solutions to an intelligent reader. 3. Courses should stress logical analysis of arguments and criticism of problem solutions. All courses, whether "mathematics courses" per se or not, should have significant mathematical content. 4. Courses in AS7 may be interdisciplinary in their approach. For example, a course might have a historical perspective, or stress applications chosen primarily from some other discipline. 5. Courses whose primary goal is training or the development of skills are not appropriate for this area. The concepts and methods developed in AS7 courses should have general applicability beyond the specific subject matter of the courses. AS8: Foreign Languages Approved by the Faculty Senate on May 5, 1994 The purpose of AS8 is to encourage students to expand their cultural and intellectual horizons by a close study of foreign language. Such study involves the discernment of and familiarity with the lexical, phonological, morphological and syntactical elements of a specific foreign language, and will mainly consist of direct contact with its written and/or oral forms. A primary objective of courses in AS8 should be to help students appreciate the diversity of another culture and look more objectively and critically at their own language, writing and thinking. 1. Courses in AS8 should have as their principal focus the direct study of the essential elements of a foreign language, i.e., its lexical, phonological, morphological and syntactical elements as these function within larger cultural contexts. 2. Courses in AS8 include the study of either contemporary or historically significant foreign languages, e.g., modern or classical languages. 3. Courses in AS8 include those that stress in different proportions the communicative skills required in foreign language proficiency, i.e., speaking, listening, reading, and writing. These courses may include audio/visual work in a laboratory setting. 4. Courses in AS8 include foreign language courses at various levels of proficiency, i.e., elementary, intermediate and advanced. 5. Courses in AS8 include foreign language courses that focus on a particular historical period, a significant figure, an important theme or literary genre, as long as the development of foreign language skills is the principal concern. 6. Courses in AS8 may be devoted to developing an understanding and appreciation of a foreign culture as long as this is achieved mainly through the direct study of authentic materials in a foreign language and not through translations and/or secondary sources. 7. Courses in AS8 should stress the precise and effective use of language. Intensive work with language (both foreign and native) should also seek to increase the students' awareness of the critical importance of language as the primary means for expressing human thought and experience. Criteria for International and Cultural Diversity Approved by Senate on January 27, 1995
The purpose of this requirement is to expose students to values and assumptions other than those of mainstream American culture. "Culture" is here understood as a complex combination of symbols, knowledge, rules, habits, life styles, and attitudes that link and give a common identity to a particular group of people at a particular time. 1. Courses which satisfy this requirement fall into at least one of the following classifications: A. International: Courses which have as their primary focus the study of regions which are geographically distinct from the United States and concern themselves with topics and themes such as art, literature, history, business, politics, economics and religion. B. Multi-cultural: Courses which have as their primary focus the study of the history and/or culture of the various ethnic groups that make up the diversity of American life. C. Cross-cultural: Courses which have as their primary focus the comparative study of different cultures and which may or may not include mainstream America as one of their points of reference. 2. Courses which deal with culture exclusively from a theoretical or abstract perspective and do not focus sufficiently on institutions, customs, and/or cultures of particular geographical regions and ethnic groups do not meet this requirement. 3. Foreign language courses that focus primarily on the study of languages and do not have a substantial cultural component do not satisfy this requirement. Courses which meet this requirement must also meet all the criteria for inclusion in a particular Area of the Core. Criteria for the Writing Component of Core Courses Developed by the 1994-95 Core Curriculum Committee
1. The course contains written assignments. The kind of writing assignments may vary according to the nature of the discipline and the particular purposes of the course. No style of writing is excluded in principle. Various purposes might be served by assignments which would require formal, informal, creative, expressive, transactional, descriptive, analytic or synthetic writing.
2. Teachers clearly communicate their expectations about writing to the students. In most cases, this will involve spending some class time addressing the art of writing. The "communication of expectations" also implies a process by which students receive feedback, so that they will learn from the experience of having their work read by an expert in the field. No one method of evaluating and responding to papers is mandated, however.
3. Writing assignments play a role in determining the students' grades. It is assumed that the role of written work in determining students' grades will vary from course to course and from one discipline to another.
4. Assignments serve the particular purposes of the course.
5. Both assignments and the structure of the course are designed to help students to think critically and to express their judgments, both orally and in writing, in a responsible, logical, and persuasive fashion. Part Four: Constitution of the Honors Program 1. Administrative Structure of the All-College Honors Program5 I. Objectives of the All-College Honors Program The Faculty Senate recommends to the Academic Vice President the following as a statement of the objectives of the All-College Honors Program. Whereas the objectives of the Honors Program at Canisius College correspond to the objectives of education in general and to Canisius College education in particular, the College Honors Program seeks to develop to the point of excellence a full range of human qualities, including, but not limited to those honorable qualities essential to the intellectual, moral, and social dimensions of life. This includes the development of the skills of critical thinking and effective expression and a comprehensive understanding of human values. The one objective of the Honors Program that distinguishes it from the College Core Curriculum is that the Honors Program is designed to be one means to recognize and to fulfill the needs of those students who, through past performance, have demonstrated the promise of superior academic achievement and to whom a sustained and high degree of academic challenge in the liberal arts and sciences is essential. II. Administrative Structure The Faculty Senate recommends to the Academic Vice President the following as a statement of the administrative structure for the All-College Honors Program. The administrative instrument for the All-College Honors Program will consist of two parts: The All-College Honors Committee and the Director of the Honors Program. All-College Honors Committee: There will be established, on a permanent basis, an All-College Honors Committee. The committee will be composed of:
● The Director of the College Honors Program (ex officio chair).
● Vice Chairperson of the Faculty Senate.
● Two representatives from the faculty at large elected for staggered two-year terms by the Faculty Senate.
● One representative from the Faculty appointed by the Dean of Arts and Sciences to a one- year term.
● One representative from the Faculty appointed by the Dean of the Business School to a one- year term.
● One representative from the Faculty appointed by the Dean of the School of Education.
● One student in the Honors Program annually elected by the Honors students. No more than one faculty representative, not including the director, is to be elected or appointed from the same academic department. Responsibilities of the Honors Committee: The Honors Committee will, in co-operation with the Director,
● act to review and adopt course proposals for the College Honors Program (in a manner similar to the General Studies Committee);
● promote contact and communication between faculty and students;
● within bounds set by this document, rule on other aspects of the Program germane to its vitality (e.g., Honors Library, student prerequisites, etc.); ● will report to the Faculty Senate at least twice each year, once during the Fall and once during the Spring Semesters;
● within the general guidelines of the Core Curriculum, will have the flexibility to make appropriate alterations in the Honors Curriculum which will strengthen the program and/or enhance the education of individual students. Director of the Honors Program: The Director of the College Honors Program will be a faculty member selected by the Academic Vice President. The Director will report to the Dean of Arts and Sciences. Responsibilities of the director:
● The selection and recruitment of College Honors students, including the recruitment of new freshman students to the All-College Honors Program, in conjunction with the Dean's Office and the Office of Admissions.
● The reception, evaluation, and judgment of student petitions to enter the Program.
● The establishment of a vehicle for admission of qualified students (e.g., from the Dean's List) to the Program after initial recruitment.
● Liaison between participating departments (through the appropriate Chairs), the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Faculty Senate (through its representative on the All-College Honors Committee).
● Scheduling of the courses to be taught in the Honors curriculum for each semester.
● Coordination of the staffing of Honors courses (in cooperation with the Dean of Arts and Sciences and Department Chairs), including the active recruitment of Faculty members to serve the Program.
● With the advice of the Honors Committee, responsibility for overseeing and administering the Honors curriculum.
● The promotion of cultural and other extra-curricular activities for Honors students.
● The promotion of extra-curricular contact between Faculty and students ("mentoring").
● Facilitate communication among Faculty participating in the Honors Program.
● Solicitation of grant money to enhance the Honors Program.
● The administration of a continuous and systematic survey of what those in the Program think of the Program and why some students drop out (exit interviews, student evaluation of the Program). III. Recruitment and Retention The Faculty Senate recommends to the Academic Vice President the following as a statement of guidelines on recruitment and retention in the All-College Honors Program to be followed by the Director and the College Honors Committee. (1) There are two main concerns that come under recruitment of students into the Honors Program. The first is designation of students to participate in the Program; the second is retention of those students in the Program. (2) The Honors Program should try to exand its pool of prospective students by encouraging [first year students] and transfer students who have demonstrated academic excellece to petition to enter the Honors Program. The Program should also attract good students to Canisius through the more aggressive recruitment of prospective honosrs students to the College. The possibility of using Honors students themselves in the recruitment process should be investigated. (3) Some factors that might be considered in making the Program attractive to good students include offering the Honors students additional "orientation" that would include a workshop in the Apple Lab, a social event that would introduce all the freshman participants to each other, another event of academic interest that would introduce all four classes to each other, a big brother-sister contact, a rigorous introduction to the facilities of the library and library research. (4) Another possibility that should be developed is a mentoring system. For the Honors Program it might be feasible to request volunteer Faculty to be responsible for contacting a small group of Honors students once or twice a semester to listen to them, perhaps over lunch or a cup of coffee. The mentoring system might overlap the freshman advising system now in place or be separate from it. (5) To enhance the recruitment and retention of honors students from the fields of science and mathematics, special efforts should be made to involve science and mathematics faculty in Honors through participation in a mentoring program and/or teaching in the Honors program. (6) Retention of good students in the program can be encouraged by attending to several suggestions the students themselves have made which could make the program more attractive to them. These suggestions include: increase flexibility in course scheduling, provide more choice in courses offered, designate some space for an Honors Library. IV. Curriculum [See "Resolution on Honors Curriculum," p.] V. Review According to the Resolution of the Faculty Senate (1983-84), the Honors Program will be reviewed every five years by an Honors Committee of the Faculty Senate.
● Composition and Literature I and II
● Religious Studies
● Philosophy Second Year
● History
● Social Science
● Religious Studies
● Philosophy Courses for the first and second years of the Honors Program will be approved by the Honors Committee according to the spirit of the Core Curriculum. Third and Fourth Years Each student is required to take at least one Honors course in four of the following areas at any time during their last four semesters. One of these courses must be in the area of Science/Technology.
● Science / Technology
● Social Sciences
● Art and Literature
● History
● Philosophy
● Religious Studies Proposals for the courses in these areas would be submitted to the Honors Committee and approved according to the spirit of the Core Curriculum. The submission and approval of well- designed interdisciplinary seminars should be encouraged.
Senior Project The Senior Project will be expanded to encompass two semesters. The first semester will consist of a course of independent study under the direction of a mentor chosen by the student. The Director of the Honors Program will meet with the students on a regular and timely basis throughout the semester in order to monitor their progress. The second semester will be reserved for the writing and presentation of a Senior Honors thesis. There will be a public defense of the thesis with a three-person panel responsible for conducting the defense and assigning the final grade. The panel will consist of the mentor, the Program Director, and a third Faculty member selected by the Director and mentor during the first semester. Each Honors student would also be required to take at least two courses in either Mathematics or Foreign Languages. Comparison of College and Honors Core Curricula -- May 2, 1996 The College Core requires 18 courses: 4 in General Studies and 14 in Area Studies. The Honors Core requires 18 courses: 4 in First Year, 4 in Second Year, 4 in Third and Fourth Year, 4 in Mathematics and Foreign Languages, and 2 for the Senior Project/Capstone Seminar.
College Core Honors Core
General Studies
ENG 101 & 102 Composition and Literature I and II 4 courses
RST 101 Honors Intro to Religious Studies
PHI 101 Honors Intro to Philosophy
Area Studies
Each student must take two Five further Honors courses are required along with two 9 courses courses in each Area outside courses in Mathematics and two in Foreign Languages. their major Area:
AS1: Natural Sciences Honors Science & Technology--Third or Fourth Year Honors Social Science--Second Year AS2: Social Sciences
AS3: Art and Literature Honors History--Second Year Honors Philosophy--Second Year AS4: History Honors Religious Studies--Second Year AS5: Philosophy Two Math courses of any kind required.
AS6: Religious Studies Two Foreign Language courses of any kind required.
AS7: Mathematical Sciences
AS8: Foreign Languages
College Core: Three other Honors courses must be chosen from among the 3 courses following Areas during Third and Fourth year: 4 courses in General Studies AS1: Science/Technology 14 courses in Area Studies
18 courses AS2: Social Sciences Honors Core: AS3: Art and Literature 4 like General Studies AS4: History 9 from 7 Area Studies AS5: Philosophy 3 from 6 Area Studies AS6: Religious Studies 2 for Senior Project
18 courses Senior Thesis and Capstone Seminar or 2 courses two-semester Senior Project. 11.See "Criteria for the Writing Component of Core Courses" below, page .
22.The published version of the Senate minutes seems to be lacking a record of the vote. The Senate Secretary provided this information to the Editor of this report after consulting his handwritten record of the meeting.
33.This task was completed by the Senate on January 27, 1995. See "Criteria for International and Cultural Diversity Requirement" (page ).
44.On September 8, 1995, the Faculty Senate voted to include the Dean of Education and Human Services on the Core Curriculum Committee.
55.This resolution was passed in 1984-85. It was amended by the Senate on March 4, 1996.