General Education

General Education Mission

The General Education program provides students with a measurable, outcomes-based foundational education that not only integrates with and complements the chosen academic emphasis, but also transcends the major discipline. The General Education program prepares students to be competent and ethical problem solvers. They will be adept at demonstrating critical reasoning, scientific methodology, multidisciplinary inquiry, and communication skills that will enable them to make intellectually sound decisions that will embody a cultivated and deep appreciation for cultural diversity for the world in which they live.

General Education Philosophy

The General Education program prepares students to be responsible, informed, and ethical citizens, and to develop the dimensions of character needed to navigate, adapt, and succeed in an ever-changing complex world. The General Education curriculum challenges students to explore and analyze the dimensions of the human condition through an intellectually coherent, meaningful, and transformative foundational education. The General Education program is designed such that engagement in high-impact learning experiences, technology, and integrative learning will advance students’ knowledge and skills in written and oral communications, critical reasoning, cultural diversity, scientific reasoning and innovation, quantitative reasoning, and technological and informational literacy. The achievement of General Education core competencies affords students the foundation to grow personally, professionally, and socially, and seek opportunities for lifelong learning.

General Education Program Learning Outcomes

All undergraduate programs include a general education component. The learning outcomes for general education are:

Employ effective written communication skills
Employ effective oral communication skills
Interpret quantitative data using mathematical principles to effectively identify core issues and solve problems.
Locate disparate information through multiple sources demonstrating technological and informational literacy.
Demonstrate critical thinking skills by descriptively analyzing complex issues and interpreting diverse perspectives in order to make conclusive, ethical, and defensible decisions.

General Education Competencies

The General Education program has been designed to facilitate students’ acquisition and application of knowledge through intellectual stimulation, scientific methodology, information and computer literacy, and communication competencies. Students master the problem-solving abilities necessary for success in the core curriculum and with application to personal and professional growth and well-being beyond the curriculum.

This is achieved through the successful completion of courses in seven general education competency areas:

Area A	Written Communications
Area B	Oral and Interpersonal Communications
Area C	Critical Thinking & Ethical Reasoning
Area D	Quantitative Literacy
Area E	Social and Behavioral Sciences Awareness
Area F	Historical, Cultural, and Aesthetic Recognition
Area G	Scientific Reasoning

Competency Areas

Courses

Area A: Written Communications

Written communications skills are applicable in both the workplace and society. Proficiency in written communication helps students write effectively to ensure strong communication with a variety of audiences, using critical thinking skills, evaluation of sources, and appropriate syntax, mechanics, organization, and style.

WCU students completing Written Communications competency requirement courses will:

Write effectively using appropriate syntax, mechanics, organization, and style.
Integrate valid scholarly sources to support main ideas.

Online Program Course Offerings:
ENGL 130 College Composition I
ENGL 230 College Composition II
ENGL 250 Technical Writing

Ground Program Course Offerings:
ENGL 140 Written Communications I
ENGL 240 Written Communications II

Area B: Oral and Interpersonal Communications

Oral and interpersonal communication skills are necessary to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and in collaboration with teams. Proficiency in communication and teamwork allows students to critically evaluate communication to have knowledge and awareness of individuals’ perspectives in various contexts.

WCU students completing Oral and Interpersonal Communications competency requirement courses will:

Effectively communicate with a diverse audience utilizing applicable presentation skills, unity, clarity, and coherence.
Select and apply appropriate communication theory to varying environments utilizing skills necessary to collaborate successfully within a group with an awareness of team dynamics.

Online Program Course Offerings:
COMM 200 Interpersonal Communications
SPCH 140 Public Speaking

Ground Program Course Offerings:
SPCH 142 Oral Communications

Area C: Critical Thinking & Ethical Reasoning

Critical thinking skills allow students to rationally analyze the decision-making process and understand ethical issues. Students evaluate evidence, arguments, and theories to reason inductively and deductively and reach factual conclusions though the use of digital and or information literacy skills.

WCU students completing Critical Thinking and Ethical Reasoning competency requirement courses will:

Reach factual, ethical conclusions using appropriate decision-making processes that incorporate digital and or information literacy skills.
Evaluate sources, arguments, and theories appropriately and ethically.

Online Program Course Offerings:
DIG 101 Digital Literacy
PHIL 251 Survey of Contemporary Ethics
PHIL 340 Critical Thinking
PHIL 435 Methods of Conflict Resolution

Ground Program Course Offerings:
PHIL 341 Critical Reasoning
PHIL 434 Medical Ethics and Issues

Area D: Quantitative Literacy

Quantitative literacy and reasoning skills are necessary to apply mathematical reasoning skills to interpret the world around us. Quantitative reasoning skills help students understand data and mathematical information, solve applied mathematical problems, and function in a mathematical world.

WCU students completing Quantitative literacy competency requirement courses will:

Apply mathematical concepts and calculations to solve a problem or support a claim.
Evaluate and interpret data using models, problem-solving, mathematical formulas, and or quantitative evidence.

Online Program Course Offerings:
MATH 102 Applied Mathematics
MATH 107 Intermediate Algebra
MATH 207 Elementary Statistics

Ground Program Course Offerings:
MATH 108 College Mathematics I
MATH 211 Statistics

Area E: Social and Behavioral Sciences Awareness

The scientific study of societal relations and human behavior provides students the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the world, people, and relationships around them with an awareness of the impact human behavior has on relationships.

WCU students completing social and behavioral sciences awareness competency requirement courses will:

Analyze thoughts, ideas, relationships, and or social norms to apply to social and or behavioral sciences.
Evaluate the impact of social and behavioral sciences on society.

Online Program Course Offerings:
PSYC 160 Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 200 Emotional Intelligence
SOC 270 Principles of Sociology

Ground Program Course Offerings:
PSYC 160 Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 290 Life Span Psychology
SOC 280 Sociology

Area F: Historical, Cultural, and Aesthetic Recognition

Cultural recognition, historical knowledge, and aesthetic awareness provides students an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the world, people, and relationships around them with a respect for diversity, and an understanding of equity, bias, norms and inclusion.

WCU students completing social responsibility, cultural recognition, and aesthetic awareness competency requirement courses will:

Analyze thoughts, ideas, creative expressions, relationships, and or social norms to apply to art, philosophy, history, and or humanities theories.
Evaluate the impact of culture, diversity, art, and or history on society.

Online Program Course Offerings:
HIST 100 US History
HUM 360 Cultural Diversity

Ground Program Course Offerings:
HUM 370 Cultural Pluralism

Area G: Scientific Reasoning

Proficiency in life and physical sciences allows students to solve problems using critical thinking in a scientific framework. This allows students to have a deeper understanding of the problems in front of them to develop a justifiable solution grounded in science.

WCU students completing Life and Physical Science competency requirement courses will:

Analyze theories, problems, ideas, and solutions using a scientific framework
Develop evidence-based solutions grounded in science

Online Program Course Offerings:
BIO 250 General Human Biology
SCI 210 Survey of Science and Technology

Ground Program Course Offerings:
ANAT 260 Human Anatomy
CHEM 280 Chemistry
CHEM 285 Biochemistry, DH
MICR 290 Microbiology
PATH 370 Pathophysiology
PHYS 261 Human Physiology

WCYou Experience Requirement (FYS 001, FYS 002, FHE100 or FHE 102)

The WCYou Experience (FYS 001, FYS 002, FHE100 or FHE 102) is designed to support students as they transition to West Coast University, by introducing and connecting them to the culture and expectations of the University through curricular and co-curricular topics created to build a foundation for student success. Within the FYS/FHE course, students will be provided information about campus services, resources, academic support, student life, and the WCU culture.

Students are required to successfully complete WCYou Experience FYS 001, FYS 002, FHE 100 or FHE 102 in the first term at West Coast University. If a student does not successfully complete FYS 001, FYS 002, FHE 100 or FHE 102 due to drop, withdrawal or failure, the student will be enrolled in the course in their second term and must successfully complete the course at that time. Students who do not successfully complete FYS 001, FYS 002, FHE 100 or FHE 102 by the end of their second term may be subject to dismissal from WCU.