Berea College

The new general education program accompanies your major over your four years at Berea College. The new program has four component parts:

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Click on each of the tabs below to learn more about the program and its various components.

For more information please visit the GEM (General Education Modification) website:

<a href="https://www.berea.edu/academics/departments-programs/general-studies/gst-department-pages/general-education-modification-gem-committee">https://www.berea.edu/academics/departments-programs/general-studies/gst-department-pages/general-education-modification-gem-committee</a>

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Four Core Courses
<ul>
 	<li>L&amp;I I: Explorations (1st term): Introduction to scholarly practices and interdisciplinary exploration within the Liberal Arts.</li>
 	<li>L&amp;I II: Discoveries (2nd term): Builds on L&amp;I I with an emphasis on research, analysis, argumentation, and discernment in selecting sources.</li>
 	<li>L&amp;I III: Intersectional Justice in the U.S. (taken within the first 4 terms): Centering Berea’s Great Commitments as a foundation to orient students towards a study of intersectional justice in the United States.</li>
 	<li>L&amp;I IV: Global Issues (taken at junior or senior standing): Research and team-based problem-solving course. Substantial Research Project that tackles current global issues from a multi-disciplinary lens.</li>
</ul>

Learning & Inquiry

Students take courses in seven disciplinary areas for a total of 8 courses. At least one course will apply within your major.
<ul>
 	<li>Applied Disciplines</li>
 	<li>Creative Arts</li>
 	<li>Cultural &amp; Ethnic Studies</li>
 	<li>Humanities</li>
 	<li>Natural Science (2)</li>
 	<li>Quantitative</li>
 	<li>Social Science</li>
</ul>

Ways of Knowing

May be taken in any Way of Knowing (only one Value may apply)
<ul>
 	<li>Beyond the Borders: Courses that promote a deeper understanding of the human world and encourage a sense of global citizenship by exploring the perspectives and ways of life of societies and cultures that extend beyond or transcend the national borders of the United States.</li>
 	<li>Holistic Wellness: Courses that center holistic personal development and understanding of dimensions of wellness.</li>
 	<li>Power &amp; Equity: Courses that emphasize thinking critically about the ways that structures of power have continued to shape the world around us, especially through their production of and reproduction of inequities. This value also invites students to explore the ways that marginalized communities across the world have resisted and dismantled such structures of power in the struggle for liberation, equity, and power.</li>
 	<li>Seeking Meaning: Courses intended to help students develop an appreciation for the variety of human values through the systematic study of the histories, traditions, institutions, ideas, or applications of ethical, religious, and spiritual systems.</li>
 	<li>Sustainability: Courses that consider how to achieve balance among environment, equity, and economy.  A major component of the class dedicated to our engagement as humans with the natural world.</li>
</ul>

Values

Courses overlay with Ways of Knowing and Values courses
<ul>
 	<li>Internationally Rich: Courses where 2/3 of the content is outside of the U.S. (May be a second Beyond the Borders class or any other Values and any Ways of Knowing.</li>
 	<li>Quantitative: Courses across the curriculum with a strong emphasis in quantitative analysis. These courses might be in Mathematics (beyond the Quantitative Focused course) or in any of the other Ways of Knowing.</li>
 	<li>Writing Rich (2): Courses across the curriculum with a rich and scaffolded experience with writing.  These courses could appear in any of the Values or Ways of Knowing.</li>
</ul>

Richnesses

Students may test out of these competencies:
<ul>
 	<li>Swimming Competency</li>
 	<li>Developmental Math Competency</li>
</ul>

Competencies

Experiences may overlay with Ways of Knowing courses

An opportunity to explore interconnections among various venues for learning – courses, labor, service, research, internships, etc.

Active Learning Experience

.25 credit (2)

One may apply to HHP Wellness course and may overlay with Ways of Knowing courses

Physical Activity

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Four Core Courses
<ul>
<li>L&amp;I I: Explorations (1st term): Introduction to scholarly practices and interdisciplinary exploration within the Liberal Arts.</li>
<li>L&amp;I II: Discoveries (2nd term): Builds on L&amp;I I with an emphasis on research, analysis, argumentation, and discernment in selecting sources.</li>
<li>L&amp;I III: Intersectional Justice in the U.S. (taken within the first 4 terms): Centering Berea’s Great Commitments as a foundation to orient students towards a study of intersectional justice in the United States.</li>
<li>L&amp;I IV: Global Issues (taken at junior or senior standing): Research and team-based problem-solving course. Substantial Research Project that tackles current global issues from a multi-disciplinary lens.</li>
</ul>

Students take courses in seven disciplinary areas for a total of 8 courses. At least one course will apply within your major.
<ul>
<li>Applied Disciplines</li>
<li>Creative Arts</li>
<li>Cultural &amp; Ethnic Studies</li>
<li>Humanities</li>
<li>Natural Science (2)</li>
<li>Quantitative</li>
<li>Social Science</li>
</ul>

May be taken in any Way of Knowing (only one Value may apply)
<ul>
<li>Beyond the Borders: Courses that promote a deeper understanding of the human world and encourage a sense of global citizenship by exploring the perspectives and ways of life of societies and cultures that extend beyond or transcend the national borders of the United States.</li>
<li>Holistic Wellness: Courses that center holistic personal development and understanding of dimensions of wellness.</li>
<li>Power &amp; Equity: Courses that emphasize thinking critically about the ways that structures of power have continued to shape the world around us, especially through their production of and reproduction of inequities. This value also invites students to explore the ways that marginalized communities across the world have resisted and dismantled such structures of power in the struggle for liberation, equity, and power.</li>
<li>Seeking Meaning: Courses intended to help students develop an appreciation for the variety of human values through the systematic study of the histories, traditions, institutions, ideas, or applications of ethical, religious, and spiritual systems.</li>
<li>Sustainability: Courses that consider how to achieve balance among environment, equity, and economy.  A major component of the class dedicated to our engagement as humans with the natural world.</li>
</ul>

Courses overlay with Ways of Knowing and Values courses
<ul>
<li>Internationally Rich: Courses where 2/3 of the content is outside of the U.S. (May be a second Beyond the Borders class or any other Values and any Ways of Knowing.</li>
<li>Quantitative: Courses across the curriculum with a strong emphasis in quantitative analysis. These courses might be in Mathematics (beyond the Quantitative Focused course) or in any of the other Ways of Knowing.</li>
<li>Writing Rich (2): Courses across the curriculum with a rich and scaffolded experience with writing.  These courses could appear in any of the Values or Ways of Knowing.</li>
</ul>

Students may test out of these competencies:
<ul>
<li>Swimming Competency</li>
<li>Developmental Math Competency</li>
</ul>

Experiences may overlay with Ways of Knowing courses
An opportunity to explore interconnections among various venues for learning – courses, labor, service, research, internships, etc.

.25 credit (2)
One may apply to HHP Wellness course and may overlay with Ways of Knowing courses

Berea College New General Education Program