BG Perspective (general education curriculum)

The BG Perspective curriculum provides a liberal studies foundation preparing BGSU students for self-reliant learning throughout life and effective participation in a democratic society. BG Perspective classes, taken by all students at BGSU, reflect a deep conviction by the BGSU learning community and leaders in all professions that successful, satisfying lives require a wide range of skills and knowledge. Ethical integrity, reflective thinking, and social responsibility are characteristics of a liberally educated person. Through active learning experiences, the BG Perspective curriculum provides students a solid foundation in both vital intellectual skills and breadth of knowledge to be successful in their major areas of study and, later, in their chosen professions. These intellectual skills include the ability to think critically and communicate effectively; the ability to understand different cultures and modes of thought; and the ability to investigate forces that shape the social, artistic, scientific, and technological complexities of our contemporary culture and society.

The BG Perspective curriculum is defined by particular intellectual skills integral to all courses: critical thinking and effective communication, investigating and problem solving, and participation and leadership through active learning and engagement. Achievement of these skills is central to all courses in five domains: social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, humanities and the arts, cultural diversity in the United States, and expanded perspectives, as well as general studies writing.

Intellectual Skills: Learning Outcomes for all BG Perspective courses

• Communicate effectively by gaining proficiency in reading, writing, and presenting.
• Think critically about values through investigating and creative problem solving.
• Participate and lead effectively through active engagement with diverse groups and teams of individuals.

All candidates for a baccalaureate degree at Bowling Green State University must take at least nine courses drawn from the BG Perspective curriculum, distributed as follows:

• GSW 1120 (and GSW 1100 or GSW 1110, if needed, as indicated by placement tests);
• Two from the natural sciences;
• Two from the social and behavioral sciences;
• Two from the humanities and the arts;
• One from cultural diversity in the United States;
• One additional course from any of the four knowledge domains listed above or from the expanded perspectives domain.

International Perspectives requirement
The BG Perspective program has an international perspectives requirement that facilitates student exploration of the significance of diverse international cultures on their own lives and promotes exploring the role of international issues and connections in an increasingly interconnected global society. Students are required to satisfactorily complete at least one approved course, generally from either the social and behavioral sciences or the humanities and the arts domains, that addresses an international perspective. Courses approved to satisfy this international perspective requirement are marked with an asterisk (*) in the general education course lists. An academic study abroad experience bearing three or more credits that achieves one or more of the International Perspective learning outcomes also may fulfill the international perspective requirement. Fulfilling the International Perspective requirement using a credit bearing study abroad experience must be documented by submission of a form to Registration and Records that includes signatures from the student, instructor, appropriate college office, and the International Programs office verifying that the experience has been completed and satisfactory evidence has been provided to document achievement of at least one of the International Perspective learning outcomes.

IP Learning Outcomes

Approved courses and/or appropriate study abroad experiences fulfill one or more of the following International Perspective learning outcomes:

• articulate the significance of diverse cultures and their modes of thought; and/or
• describe how world issues and international connections impact all our lives/ways of life; and/or
• identify problems and possibilities inherent in global economic, ecological, political, social, and technological systems.

Courses at the 3000 and 4000 level integrate two or more disciplinary perspectives on the topics, issues, or problems under consideration in the course and require extensive writing, reading, and research. It is suggested, although not required, that students complete at least one BG Perspective course at the 3000 or 4000 level.

BG Perspective Learning Outcomes for each Knowledge Domain

THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

• Identify issues and problems and formulate and frame these in ways that contribute to their solution.
• Learn how theory is applied to events to produce knowledge.
• Examine the nature of decision making in society from the perspectives of the social sciences and how values impact on that decision-making.
• Construct and present an argument, identifying the evidence that supports it and the reasoning process by which a conclusion is reached.
• Articulate the bases of evidence in this discipline, how it is used and the assumptions on which it rests.

Asian Studies—ASIA 1800*
Canadian Studies—CAST 2010*
Communication Disorders—CDIS 1230
Economics—ECON 2000, 2020, 2030
Environmental Health—ENVH 2100*
Environmental Studies—ENVS 1010, 2530*, 3010
Ethnic Studies—ETHN 4300*
Geography—GEOG 1210*, 1220*, 2250*, 2300*, 3250*, 3310*, 3490*, 4260
Gerontology—GERO 1010, 4050*
History—HIST 1510*, 1520*, 1800*, 2050, 2060, 3100*, 3110*, 3770*, 3820*, 4110*, 4290, 4700*
Honors—HNRS 2010, 2400
Human Development and Family Studies—HDFS 2020
International Studies—INST 2000*
Political Sciences—POLS 1100, 1710*, 1720*, 3010*, 3350, 3510*, 3720*, 4020, 4030
Psychology—PSYC 1010
Public Health—PUBH 3010*, 3200
Sociology—SOC 1010, 2020, 2310*, 3010, 3120, 3400, 3610
Technology—TECH 3020*

Online Course Descriptions: http://webapps.bgsu.edu/courses/search.php

THE NATURAL SCIENCES

• Develop the skills and practice of using quantitative and qualitative approaches to study scientific concepts.
• Learn to understand the nature of scientific evidence, how it is obtained, and how it is used in the scientific process.
• Solve problems using the logical approach of science.

Astronomy—ASTR 2010, 2120, 3050, 3070
Biology—BIOL 1010, 1040, 1080, 1090, 2040, 2050
Chemistry—CHEM 1000, 1090 & 1100, 1170, 1250, 1270 & 1280, 1350, 1370 & 1380, 1770
Environmental Health—ENVH 1050
Food and Nutrition—FN 2070
Geography—GEOG 1250
Geology—GEOL 1000, 1040, 1050, 1060, 1200, 2050, 2150, 2500, 2510, 3220
Honors—HNRS 2500
Materials Sciences—MATS 1000
Physics—PHYS 1000, 1010, 2010, 2020, 2110, 2120

Online Course Descriptions: http://webapps.bgsu.edu/courses/search.php

THE HUMANITIES AND ARTS

Depending on whether this is an art or humanities course you will learn the following:

• Utilize modes of inquiry appropriate to the disciplines in question and explore the subject's connection to human values.
• Develop fluency in verbal and/or non-verbal communication through reading, writing, and listening.
• Critically understand the role of language and media: their rhetorical, artistic, and symbolic expression and the ways in which these expressions both reflect and influence culture and society.
• Examine the social and cultural context of art works arising over a variety of historical periods.
  

Africana Studies—AFRS 2000*
American Culture Studies—ACS 2000, 3000
Architecture and Design—ARCH 2310*
Art—ART 1010
Art History—ARTH 1450, 1460, 4580*, 4590*, 4610*, 4620*, 4630*, 4660*, 4680*
Arts & Sciences—AS 1100, 2500
Chinese—CHIN 1010*, 1020*, 2010*, 2020*, 2160*
Classical Civilization—CLCV 2410, 2420, 3800
English—ENG 1500, 2000, 2010, 2610*, 2620*, 2640, 2650, 2690*, 2740, 2750, 2900
Ethnic Studies—ETHN 2200*, 3100*, 3400, 4250*, 4600*
French—FREN 1010*, 1020*, 2010*, 2020*, 2120*, 2220*
German—GERM 1010*, 1020*, 2010*, 2020*, 2600*
Greek—GRK 2010*, 2020*
Honors—HNRS 2020 (after 8/09), 2600
Humanities—HUM 1010
Italian—ITAL 1010*, 1020*, 2010*, 2020*
Japanese—JAPN 1010*, 1020*, 2010*, 2020*, 2150
Latin—LAT 2010*, 2020*
Musicology/Composition/History—MUCT 1010, 1250*, 2210, 2330*, 2340*, 2350*
Music Education—MUED 2220*
Philosophy—PHIL 1010, 1020, 1030, 1250, 2040, 2110, 2190, 2240, 2270, 2300, 2420, 2450, 3000, 3210*, 3320
Popular Culture—POPC 1600, 1650, 2200
Residential Community—RESC 2100
Romance and Classical Studies—ROCS 2200*
Russian—RUSN 1010*, 1020*, 2010*, 2020*, 2150*, 2160*
Spanish—SPAN 1010*, 1020*, 2010*, 2020*, 2120*
Theatre —THFM 1410, 1610, 2020, 3470, 3480

Online Course Descriptions: http://webapps.bgsu.edu/courses/search.php

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES

• Utilize modes of inquiry into the ways ethnic cultures have shaped American life.
• Identify issues and problems in cultural diversity from the perspectives of diverse cultures and locate yourself in your own culture.
• Engage in critical inquiry into the problems, challenges, and possibilities inherent in a multicultural democracy.
• Develop skills of communication, analysis, and problem solving in a format requiring active participation.
  

American Culture Studies—ACS 2500, 2520
Educational Foundations and Inquiry—EDFI 4080
English—ENG 2110, 2120
Ethnic Studies—ETHN 1010, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1600 (after 8/09), 2010 (after 8/09), 2110, 2600, 3010, 3050, 3120, 3300 (after 8/09), 4100, 4500 (after 8/09)
Geography—GEOG 3370, 3420
Gerontology—GERO 3010
History—HIST 3190, 4320
Human Development and Family Studies—HDFS 1070, 4080
Musicology/Composition/Theory—MUCT 2370, 4310
Popular Culture—POPC 1700
Sociology—SOC 3160
Telecommunication—TCOM 2700, 4670
Theatre—THFM 2150
Women's Studies—WS 2000, 4670

Note: ACS 2520, ENVS 2530, and GEOL 2500 and 2510 are corequisite and are taught together in a field experience program.

Online Course Descriptions: http://webapps.bgsu.edu/courses/search.php

EXPANDED PERSPECTIVES (e.g., interdisciplinary, engagement, community-based and service learning, quantitative or information literacy courses)

Bowling Green State University—BGSU 1000 (after 8/09)
Business Administration—BA 1500 (after 8/09)
Finance—FIN 2000
University Libraries—LIB 2250
Technology—TECH 4210

WRITING PROFICIENCY

Recognizing that the ability to communicate in writing is a valuable skill and a hallmark of an educated person, each student enrolled in a baccalaureate or associate degree program must complete satisfactorily GSW 1120 or give evidence of proficiency in written expression equivalent to that attained by the student who completes this course. No student can be excused from meeting this requirement, nor can the requirement be postponed.

The courses and services designed to aid students in meeting the writing requirement are coordinated through the General Studies Writing Program. The English Placement Test, administered through this program, assesses the writing skills of entering students. On the basis of this test, students are placed in GSW 1100 (Intensive Introduction to Academic Writing), GSW 1110 (Introduction to Academic Writing), or GSW 1120 (Academic Writing). A student may be required to take two or three of these courses, but no more than six hours of credit earned in these courses may be applied toward graduation. The writing proficiency of students is evaluated at the end of each course until students have reached the University proficiency requirement expected upon completion of GSW 1120. Students who receive transfer credit for English composition and communication courses taken elsewhere may be tested for writing proficiency if it is not clear that they have completed a course equivalent to GSW 1120. Students who wish to be exempted altogether from English composition are also tested for writing proficiency.

Special courses and services designed to aid international students in improving their English proficiency are coordinated through the program in English as a Second Language. Upon reporting to the University and before registering for classes, all entering international students admitted through the Office of International Programs and the Office of Admissions, except those whose native language is English, are required to take on-campus proficiency tests; international students transferring from other colleges and universities in the United States as well as students from Puerto Rico are also required to take these tests. On the basis of these tests, the University reserves the right to place students in ENG 1000 (English as a Foreign Language I), ENG 1010 (English as a Foreign Language II) or courses designed to develop the students' oral skills in English. A student may be required to take one or both of these courses, but no more than four semester hours of credit may be applied toward graduation. The English proficiency of students is evaluated at the end of each course until the students have reached the level of English language proficiency expected for admission into GSW 1100. The University also reserves the right to require enrollment in the special section for international students of GSW 1100 if the student has no transfer credit for the course.

To encourage all students to pass GSW 1120 prior to the beginning of the junior year, three credit hours are added to the graduation requirements of students who pass GSW 1120 after accumulating 60 credit hours; four hours to the graduation requirements of those with 90 or more credit hours.

The following are exempt from this penalty:

1. Students transferring to BGSU with 31 or more credit hours, provided that GSW 1120 is passed within the first 30 credit hours earned at BGSU after the transfer, and
2. International students who transfer to BGSU with 21 or more credit hours and for whom English is a second language. Exemption from the penalty must be recommended by the director of international programs, and GSW 1120 must be passed within the first 40 credit hours earned at BGSU.