MAKING CONNECTIONS - MAKING A DIFFERENCE a rich and coherent curriculum that promotes active inquiry, intellectual development, and civic engagement

We believe that you can make the excellence of the Meredith academic experience an enduring part of your life. One way for you to accomplish this goal is through our General Education program. General Education at Meredith is designed to offer you a grounding in knowledge of the liberal arts and sciences, and to help you practice the academic skills necessary for success in our globally connected, rapidly changing world. Your work in General Education is designed to encourage you to undertake the obligations of an educated woman—to lead a life of active and positive involvement in the greater world. At the heart of our "Gen Ed" program are the 3 levels of our CORE curriculum: CORE 100, CORE 200, and CORE 400. Each is being offered in Summer 2008.

CORE 100 The Context of Culture

1st 6-week session. Instructor: Shannon Johnstone, MFA. No pre-requisites. CORE 100 is a general education requirement. It may include class meetings led by student reflection leaders--3 cr. hrs.

This course is designed to broaden your knowledge of the complex culture of the United States. We will explore the political, social, economic, and cultural systems we all can have a voice in shaping. We will take in the stories of people – as individuals and within communities – their struggles, conflicts, and triumphs. We will learn about the histories and unique cultures of the people who make up our society. We will see how we are all shaped by region, class, ethnicity, race, religious practice, gender, and the less emphasized aspects of culture such as sexual orientation, ability, and age.

We will explore the question, "How do we achieve unity within our diversity?"

CORE 200 Cultural Connections

CORE 200 builds on what students learned about social and cultural diversity in CORE 100. The emphasis will not be on diverse cultural experiences but on diverse cultural values. The locus of this exploration will not be the USA but another part of the globe. Inevitably, however, CORE 200 will foster cultural comparison, inviting students to reflect on what they learned in their foundation course as they come to understand another country or region.

CORE 200 may be fulfilled in a number of ways. One way is through participating in and successfully completing a Meredith faculty-led summer abroad program. All of the Meredith faculty-led summer programs, regardless of location or length, have incorporated CORE 200 into their curriculum.  Locations vary each summer but this summer Meredith students are studying in Austria, Costa Rica, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Program lengths range from 3 to 11 weeks and students can earn anywhere from 3 to 12 credit hours while abroad. Additionally, the courses offered on Meredith faculty-led summer programs can help students fulfill some of their other General Education requirements. Some of the types of course credit students are receiving this summer include Arts and Aesthetics, Cultural Perspectives, English elective, Human and Behavioral Science elective, and Science in Society.

Students who want to complete their CORE 200 requirement while abroad are not limited to Meredith faculty-led summer programs. It is possible for students to fulfill the CORE 200 requirement while abroad on any approved study abroad program during a summer, semester, or academic year. Students have a few project options to choose from that involve independent readings and assignments. Kevin Morrison works with these students to give them feedback throughout their experience.

To find out more about study abroad options and CORE 200, please check out the Office of International Programs’ website: www.meredith.edu/abroad, contact Kevin Morrison (Morissok@meredith.edu) or Amanda Beasley (beasleya@meredith.edu) or stop by 124 Joyner and make an appointment.

Other summer 2007 CORE 200 offerings are:

CORE 203 Latin America: History, Religion, Culture combines HIS 200 A History of Latin America (3 cr.) and REL 287 A Latin American Liberation Theology (3 cr.). 1st 6-week session.

CORE 206 Shelter and Home combines ID 245 Housing Issues (3 cr.) and SOC 271 Home and Housing in Mexico (1 cr.).  1st 3-week session.

CORE 208 Oppressed Groups and Culture combines SWK 240 Populations at Risk and Social Justice (3 cr.) and SOC 272 Culture and Family in Mexico (1 cr.). 1st 3-week session

CORE 400 Global Questions

The purpose of CORE 400 is to examine a contemporary issue of global importance in the context of the question "How might we – as individuals and as societies – relate to each other and to the earth on which we live?" The course extends the discussion begun in CORE 100 and CORE 200 and broadens it to include "the world," both as a construct and as a physical entity.

In these courses students will engage in action research or cooperative problem-solving to address one of the global issues they have studied. The project they develop from their study must have impact beyond the Meredith community. It is expected that students will bring to bear on the course and on the cooperative problem-solving the knowledge they have acquired and modes of inquiry they have come to value in their major.

For Summer 2008 we offer:

CORE 402 Narratives of Cultural Identity

Stories help us to understand ourselves, our communities, and our cultures. But who writes these stories, and what power do they hold over our lives? In this course we will examine what happens to a culture when stories come into conflict during times of political dominance of one government or culture over another. Our readings will address different countries or cultural regions in different semesters. Overall the course is designed to investigate three regions or cultures including Latin America, India, the Middle East and various portions of Africa. Application toward general education requirements as CORE 400 and Ethics Intensive thread. Prerequisite: 75 credit hours completed upon course enrollment (3 cr.). 3rd 3-week session.

CORE 404 Global Questions: The Needs of Families

This course will analyze the needs of families from a global perspective. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the family will be examined in various cultures. Major trends that affect families worldwide will be applied to other cultures and to families in the US. Students will use action research and/or cooperative problem solving to address one of the development goals of families. Prerequisites: Must have 75 hours completed before course begins (3 cr.) 1st 3-week session.

Courses in the Core General Education Curriculum:

 

English

ENG 200: 1st 6-week session

ENG 200: 1st 6-week session

Western Civilization or The World in the 20th Century

HIS 102: 1st 6-week session

HIS 103: 3rd 3-week session

 

Religion

REL 104: 1st 3-week session

REL 105: 3rd 3-week session

Schedule: download the schedule (.doc)

Term	Section Name	Title	Cred	Building	Room	Days	Start Time	End Time
First Six Week	CORE-100-A	The Context of Culture	3	LED	301	MTWH	2:30 PM	4:00 PM
First Six Week	CORE-203-A	REGISTER-REL 287 A/ HIS 200 A	6
First Three Week	CORE-206-A	Shelter and Home	4
First Three Week	CORE-208-A	Oppressed Groups and Culture	4
First Three Week	CORE-404-A	Global Ques: Needs of Families	3	JOY	105	MTWHF	8:30 AM	11:20 AM
Third Three Week	CORE-402-A	Narratives: Cultural Identity	3	MAR	113	MTWHF	8:30 AM	11:20 AM

Visit the General Education Web site at: http://www.meredith.edu/academics/gened/