News
Roberts Launches New Core Curriculum for Undergraduate Students
Program to Add a New Minor and Strengthen Students’ Academic Experience
Effective fall 2020, Roberts Wesleyan College will launch a new undergraduate Core Curriculum, building on Roberts’ strong academic offerings to provide innovative and flexible options for students seeking a variety of careers. With these changes, students will now earn a minor in critical analysis and social engagement as they complete the Core Curriculum. This minor will complement all students’ major fields of study. This integrated interdisciplinary program enhances the traditional general education and liberal arts models, training students as perceptive thinkers, creative problem-solvers and ethical thinkers in a world where social competence, vision and collaboration are more important than ever.
Through the new curriculum, students will have the opportunity to create a structured plan tailored to their unique interests, abilities and goals by selecting one of three focus areas that offer a variety of course offerings and experiential learning opportunities. Focus areas within the new curriculum include:
- The Examined Life and Human Experience: Explores how people create and discuss meaning, derive value from experience, understand themselves and others, and develop empathy and insight into the human condition.
- Faith and Culture: Assesses forms of cultural expression and societal trends, and examines the ways in which faith influences culture.
- Global Responsibility and Community Commitment: Analyzes the world from multiple perspectives to examine one’s role within global systems and the challenges related to justice and well-being in local and international communities.
In addition to selecting a focus area, students will take courses in personal finance and personal wellness, where they will learn skills relevant for healthy living and personal financial success beneficial to life beyond academia.
“The careful reimagining of our Core Curriculum adds a unique value proposition to Roberts’ longstanding tradition of providing high-quality education that prepares students for meaningful and impactful lives,” said Dr. David Basinger, chief academic officer at Roberts Wesleyan College. “The result will be an academic experience that allows students to see even more clearly the practical relevance of what they’re learning and, therefore, be better able to apply this learning in an ever-changing world.”
In an effort led by Basinger and a team of 19 faculty members from across the institution, the college solicited input from students, faculty, staff and business leaders within the community to identify the core competencies, skills and traits essential to strategic development and success upon graduation. The team also referenced key data points and studies from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Association of American Colleges & Universities to identify the important skills valued in today’s workforce. Drawing on these insights, the team developed a blueprint for the new Core Curriculum, which ensures all students develop essential communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills critical to adapting to the needs of the evolving workplace.
More details regarding the new Core Curriculum and course offerings can be found here.