English and speaking courses to merge in newest core revamp

     Prospective changes in GCSU’s core curriculum requirements may sharpen future students writing and speaking skills. The General Education Implementation Committee proposed a plan to merge English composition seminars with thematic writing and speaking intensive courses.
     “A lot of faculty felt the core was not very distinctive and student’s skills were not well developed in writing and speaking, We want the students here to be able to take skills and apply them across the curriculum,” said Dr. Deborah Vess, chair of the General Education Implementation Committee.
But, first, the Board of Regents must approve the new core curriculum plan. Vess says the whole process will take several years.
     If the new core curriculum plan passes, “two semester English composition courses will phase out” and merge into thematic writing and speaking courses, with an emphasis on global and diversity issues.
     “Students could take a course on AIDS and then write about AIDS topics in the composition course,” Vess said.
Part of the liberal arts mission of GCSU is for students to be able to communicate effectively. However, public speaking classes are not required.
     “Oral communication is a very important skill,” Vess said.
The new core curriculum would require all students to take a public speaking course.
     According to Vess, only students who enter GCSU after the revision of the core curriculum will need to meet the new core requirements.
     Sherquita Bostick, GCSU junior business major, transferred to GCSU this fall and welcomes the core changes.
     “When I came from community college I forgot stuff. I think the changes would refresh student’s memories,” Bostick said.
     Currently, the committee is focusing on how to implement changes and considering the staffing requirements associated with a new core curriculum.
     “We want to develop courses that offer a better learning experience for students,” Vess said.
     Diana Martinez, GCSU senior psychology major, says that her class experiences in Spain don’t measure up to her class experiences at GCSU.
     “In general, classes are really active. In Spain, we don’t have a test each week and it makes it harder because we only have one big final at the end. Here, we have good support,” Martinez said.
     The General Education Implementation Committees efforts to create a new supportive core curriculum stretches several years back.
     According to the General Education Implementation Committees website, in 2004 the committee developed the mission: “to suggest revision to the core curriculum so that the revised core reflects the University’s liberal arts mission.”
In 2005, the committee proposed “The GC&SU Plan: A Proposal for a Revised Core Curriculum.”
     As of spring 2006, some of the core curriculum plan emphases are aesthetics, health and information literacy, and technology.
     Vess says in the future, the committee will continue to suggest revisions in the core curriculum to give students “a whole lot more variety and choice.”
     For more detailed information about prospective changes in the core curriculum visit the General Education Implementation Committee’s website. The committee’s website is http://info.gcsu.edu/intranet/genedreview/.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 14 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry