Goals of the General Education Curriculum and the First Year
Experience
The General Education Curriculum
Curricular
Areas of the General Education Curriculum
Goals of the General Education Curriculum
The First Year Experience
The General Education Curriculum
In designing the general education curriculum for
the College of Arts and Sciences, Trinity Washington University
endorses the development of the full intellectual capacities of women in
order to prepare those women for leadership in their personal and
professional lives. Honoring our tradition as a liberal arts Catholic
college for women, Trinity offers this curriculum in order to foster and
sustain in our students growth in the knowledge, skills, and values
inherent in the liberal arts.
Return to top
Curricular Areas of
the General Education Curriculum
The general education curriculum focuses on four different curricular
areas:
Foundational Skills
Knowledge and Inquiry
Values and Beliefs
Applications: Turning Knowledge into
Action
Return to top
Over the course of four years, students take courses within
each of these areas to achieve eight goals linked to the completion of the
general education curriculum. As a result of successfully completing Trinity’s
general education curriculum, students will be able to:
1.
Read, understand, and analyze texts
2.
Communicate effectively in speech and in writing
3.
Understand and use quantitative reasoning to solve problems
4.
Locate, evaluate, and synthesize information in the construction of
knowledge
5.
Explore and connect fields of knowledge in the liberal arts
6.
Apply diverse modes of inquiry to the study of human societies and the
natural world
7.
Develop facility for moral reasoning and examine the moral and religious
dimensions of human experience;
8.
Develop capacities for responsible citizenship and leadership in diverse
communities.
Return to top
Trinity is particularly committed to helping students
achieve goals during their first year at the University. These first year
experience goals are designed to support the goals and objectives for the
general education curriculum. The major goal of the first year experience
is that students will develop the skills needed for academic success, including the
ability to manage time efficiently, study effectively, and take responsibility
for their own learning.
As outlined below, each curricular area and the goals
associated with it foster the development of particular skills during the
student’s first year experience.
Goal 1: Read, understand, and analyze texts
First Year Experience Goal 1: Students will develop
their abilities to read, understand, and analyze texts.
Objectives: Students will demonstrate ability to
- Identify the text’s thesis or
themes, main points, and types and quality of evidence
- Paraphrase or summarize the
content and meaning of the text
- Identify the text’s purpose and
audience
- Identify the text's thesis or
themes, main points, and types and quality of evidence
- Identify the author’s
organizational and rhetorical strategies
- Recognize strengths, weaknesses,
and inconsistencies in the text
Goal 2: Communicate effectively in
speech and in writing
First Year Experience Goal 2: Students will develop
their abilities to communicate effectively in speech and in writing
Objectives: Students will demonstrate
ability to:
- Communicate clearly, coherently,
and grammatically
- Communicate using rational
argumentation
- Communicate using a variety of
rhetorical strategies
- Adapt writing and speaking to a
variety of purposes and audiences
- Adhere to standards and
principles of academic integrity
Goal 3: Understand and use
quantitative reasoning to solve problems
First Year Experience Goal 3: Students will develop
their abilities to understand and use quantitative reasoning to solve problems
Objectives: Students will demonstrate ability to
- Perform arithmetic and algebraic
operations
- Identify and apply mathematical
concepts in a variety of contexts
- Represent, interpret, and analyze
quantitative information
Goal 4: Locate, evaluate, and synthesize
information in the construction of knowledge
First Year Experience Goal 4: Students will develop
their abilities to locate, evaluate, and synthesize information in the
construction of knowledge.
Objectives: Students will demonstrate ability to
- Locate resources relevant to the
task
- Evaluate the quality,
credibility, and relevance of sources and the information contained in
sources
- Integrate and cite sources
according to standards of academic honesty
- Use common computer applications
in word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, email, and the internet
Goal 5: Explore and connect fields of
knowledge in the liberal arts
First Year Experience Goal 5: Students will begin to
explore and connect fields of knowledge in the liberal arts.
Objectives: Students will
- Acquire breadth of knowledge in
the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences
- Identify links and relationships
across disciplines
Goal 6: Apply diverse modes of inquiry to the study of
human societies and the natural world
First Year Experience Goal 6: Students will begin to apply
diverse modes of inquiry to their studies.
Objectives: Students will
- Pose questions, define problems,
and investigate possible solutions using multiple modes of inquiry
- Apply modes of inquiry to new
settings and questions
Goal 7: Develop facility for
moral reasoning and examine the moral and religious dimensions of human
experience
First Year Experience Goal 7: Students will
appreciate and adhere to the principles of academic honesty.
Objectives: Students will
- Gain understanding of diverse
human values and religious beliefs
- Demonstrate the ability to
understand, analyze, and articulate the moral and ethical dimensions of
issues
- Demonstrate the ability to
articulate and defend ethical judgments
- Apply modes of inquiry to new
settings and questions
Goal 8: Develop capacities for
responsible citizenship and leadership in diverse communities
First Year Experience Goal 8: Students will develop their
abilities to engage in civil discourse
Objectives: Students will
- Demonstrate the civic knowledge
needed for engagement
- Demonstrate understanding of
diverse identities and cultures
- Demonstrate ability for civil,
respectful discourse
- Deepen understanding of social
issues and social justice through experiential learning
- Demonstrate knowledge of, and
facility for, different forms of leadership
Return to top
| 
