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Drury: Our Context. Small college (1,600) in SW Missouri; founded by Congregational church Liberal arts heritage, now with professional & master’s programs 40% growth in campus-wide enrollment over the last decade Globally-oriented, common core General Education program introduced in 1995.
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Drury: Our Context • Small college (1,600) in SW Missouri; founded by Congregational church • Liberal arts heritage, now with professional & master’s programs • 40% growth in campus-wide enrollment over the last decade • Globally-oriented, common core General Education program introduced in 1995
Our Curriculum: Global Perspectives 21 • Goal: prepare students for responsible & productive lives in 21st century • 57 hours focused on Global Studies • Each student earns a minor in Global Studies by completing the curriculum
Why an Interdisciplinary Approach? • Real-world problems • Modeling for our students • Addressing open-ended questions • Creating faculty connections and community • Shared responsibility for general education
The ‘Core’: 15 hours • Alpha Seminar: The American Experience • Year-long, common first-year experience • Taught by faculty across the university • Values Analysis (2nd year) • Global Awareness/Cultural Diversity (2nd yr) • Global Futures (capstone) • Connect general education & major field in addressing the nature & issues of the future
Other efforts • Theme Year Convocation Program • Connecting core with themed events, speakers, readings and assignments • Arts Administration Program • Joint effort between business, art • Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship • Study abroad support, Arts Administration • Connecting Science classes with service • ‘Drury Science Day’ at middle school; all classes taught by teams from General Education science classes
Other efforts • Forum on Animal Rights • Supported by DU alum B. Barker • Interdisciplinary team of 10 faculty from biology, philosophy, psychology, languages,… • First course offering: Animal Ethics (Fall 2008) • Multi-team-taught course examining interactions of humans and animals from a variety of intersecting perspectives • Study and preparation for this course has already produced changes in the faculty’s personal choices
Drury’s SIFE Team • Chapter of Students in Free Enterprise, a global non-profit • Develop projects locally, nationally and internationally that serve others through entrepreneurship • Working with elementary schools kids in Laredo, TX to develop and market class calendars • Developing strategy for bio-sand water purification in villages in Mexico, Zambia, and India • 40 students from 15 majors across campus • National and international recognition through SIFE competitions (World Cup champions 2001, 2003)
Next Step: Pathways • Student desire for choice, coherence in GP21 experience • Solution in progress: Offer sets of linked core courses around a common theme • Grew from existing options: • Science & Inquiry with sustainability focus • Environmental Ethics for Values Analysis • Global Futures section focusing on ecological challenges • Create linked sets of existing or modified courses, providing a pathway through GP21 • Six working teams preparing proposals • Latin America and Latina/o Studies, Gender Studies, Global Health, Asian Studies, Middle Eastern Studies
Conclusion • Growing prominence of community connection, service in our core courses • Student desire for seeing how their education matters on and beyond campus • In professional programs, in traditional liberal arts majors, and in programs and projects outside those departments