Mission

The mission of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences is to help students develop critical thinking skills, aesthetic awareness, and ethical perspectives, to provide them with the tools and expertise necessary to function as responsible citizens and professionals and to engage in intellectual and artistic pursuits. Faculty members are committed to high quality teaching, theoretical and applied research, scholarship, creativity, to effective service to the University, the profession, and the region, and to the innovative use of technology in these endeavors. The college strives to be a community of learners, teachers, and scholars responsive to the challenges of a diverse society, a vulnerable environment, and an increasingly technological and interdependent world.

Graduation Requirements

In addition to other graduation requirements listed in the catalog, students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences must complete 18 hours of coursework not counted toward the major field of study or general education.

ART DEPARTMENT

Department Chair: Sonnema
Faculty: Aviña, Dalton, R. Hansen, V. Hansen, Jensen, Johnson

The art curriculum is designed to increase the student’s understanding of art and its relationship to society. The art major prepares the student to be a practicing artist, to enter graduate school for further professional education or to enter the job market in art-related careers. Students also may select art courses as a means of achieving a greater sense of personal creativity and accomplishment. Students, faculty, and invited professional artists display works in the CSU-Pueblo Art Gallery. An active visiting artist program provides contact with successful regional and national professionals.

The major in art leads to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). A minor in art is also available.

Students will need to contact the Art Department for specific major requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree.

Department Goals

The art major prepares students to be visually creative individuals with skills in studio processes, knowledgeable in art history, and with experience to enter art-related careers in the job market.

Expected Student Outcomes

General Requirements

• The art faculty firmly believes that a quality undergraduate art program must be built from the strong foundation of basic concepts and techniques provided by the required ART CORE courses. Art history, drawing and design combined with an introduction to the basic art processes, provide the necessary background of information and skills for individual artistic growth and maturity. A strong grounding in the fundamentals of art, as provided in the ART CORE, indicates the department’s insistence upon respect for and commitment to the academic discipline of art as a professional career.
   
• Art majors must complete the required courses known as the ART CORE, except Art 410, before proceeding into the beginning courses.
   
• No grade lower than a C will count toward either an art major or minor.
   
• Students are required to take 30 hours of major courses in residency

Specific Requirements for the Art Major

ART CORE

Specific Requirements for K-12 Art Education

Specific Requirements for the BFA Degree

Students will need to contact the Art Department for specific major requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree.

Specific Requirements for the Art Minor

Co-curricular requirements

The faculty supports and encourages the involvement of art majors and minors in the Art Club and related activities specific to each studio and actively encourages student participation in such organizations.

Outcomes Assessment Activities

• Art majors will successfully demonstrate competencies required by the department. Competencies will be evaluated through a portfolio review.
   
• Each art major is required to produce and maintain a portfolio of work done at CSU-Pueblo as a record of achievement. The contents and objectives of the portfolio will be described, discussed and planned in the career orientation class (Art 110). Final evaluation of the progressive portfolio will take place during the student's last semester as part of the senior orientation class (Art 410).
   
• The format of the portfolio may vary according to subject matter and content but in general the presentation materials will consist of 35mm color slides, prints, graphic design samples, electronic files, and/or videotapes, as appropriate.
   
• As a competency indicator of achievements in the area of art history, part of the portfolio should contain samples of a student’s written material as related to art history, analysis and criticism.
   
• The intent of the portfolio is to faithfully reflect the ability and competency level of the art student as he or she progresses in the program. The makeup of the portfolio will reflect the personal accomplishments of each individual.
   
• A complete set of course outlines and examination examples for each course will be maintained and updated by faculty members and made available to the student upon request. Class objectives and skills attained during the class will be denoted clearly in these materials.

CHICANO/A STUDIES PROGRAM

The Chicano/a studies minor complements majors and careers in law, sociology, social work, languages, education, government, business and other disciplines. Courses offer unique undergraduate preparation for those who seek entrance to graduate studies in law, humanities or the social sciences.

Students who plan to live and work in the American Southwest or aspire to careers that involve relations in the American continents are likely to be well served by Chicano/a Studies courses. The interdisciplinary approach emphasizes history and cultural studies, and selected courses provide the student with in-depth knowledge of specific aspects of the Chicano/a community.

Program Goals

• To provide individual courses as well as a minor to fulfill the unique role and mission of Colorado State University-Pueblo.
   
• To offer an individually designed minor in support of students’ majors.

Expected Student Outcomes

General Requirements

• Students in Chicano/a studies courses will display an adequate and measurable knowledge of the subject matter within the course.
   
• Students in Chicano/a studies courses will develop an understanding of the relationships of ethnic groups within American society by viewing the academic study of Chicanos/as as a paradigm for the study of other ethnic groups.
   
• Students must earn a C- or better in all courses applicable to the minor.

Specific Requirements for the Chicano/a Studies Minor

Twenty-four hours: 15 required, 9 elective. The following five courses are required.

Electives may be selected from Chicano/a studies courses, several of which are cross-listed with other departments, or by approval of the Chicano/a studies coordinator, from courses in such areas as Spanish, history, psychology, sociology, and social work, among others.

Chicano Studies is also available as an emphasis area within the Spanish major. Please refer to the Spanish Major with Emphasis in Chicano Studies section listed under the Foreign Language section in this Catalog.

Outcomes Assessment Activities

• Upon identification of a Chicano/a studies minor, the Chicano/a studies coordinator will initiate a “Chicano/a studies program” file on the student, with the student’s permission. The file will contain the program of design, the student’s orientation (research interest, general interest, personal interest, employment interest, etc.), a history of the student’s academic progress, the substantive research paper completed in CS 493, a record of meetings with the coordinator, and other examples of the student’s academic performance.
   
• At three- seven- and 10-year intervals, the graduate will be contacted and asked to evaluate the program’s influence.
   
• In addition to course syllabi, the Chicano/a studies coordinator will retain a copy of examinations administered in Chicano/a studies courses for a 10-year period. At five-year intervals, the coordinator and the faculty will determine if consistency and academic integrity are being maintained by reviewing instruments of cognitive measurement, student perception forms and trends, alumni comments, and comparative analysis of grade distribution patterns.

ENGLISH/FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT

Department Chair: Sheidley
Faculty: Barber, Cobián, Covi, Frank, Griffin, Kartchner, Keplinger, Rodríguez-Arenas, C. Taylor, T. Taylor

ENGLISH PROGRAM

The major in English leads to a degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) and provides graduates with an understanding of language and literature as a basis for aesthetic, ethical, social, and academic ways of thinking, creating, and researching. Critical, analytic, and composing skills, which provide excellent preparation for professional careers such as teaching, editing and publishing, business, media, public service, and the arts are emphasized.

Program Goals

Students will become familiar with significant traditions and historical and cultural contexts of literature.

• Students will become familiar with various theories of literature and various techniques in the analysis and understanding of literature.
   
• Students will gain aesthetic appreciation of literary works.
   
• Students will become familiar with the structure, history and functions of language.
   
• Students will gain proficiency in writing and thinking with clarity, creativity, and accuracy and in analyzing and synthesizing information and ideas.

Expected Student Outcomes

The English faculty believes that grades are valid indicators of a student’s progress and performance; therefore, students must complete, with a grade of C- or better, all courses counting toward the major or minors.

Requirements for the English Major

• Specific requirements for the English major are listed below. Students should consult with an advisor in English before registration.
   
• Students must fulfill the University language requirements for the BA degree, first year foreign language (6-10 credit hours) OR English 106 (3 credit hours) and Foreign Language 100 (3 credit hours). For International students, English 101 and 102 fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement.

Requirements for the English Minor

Minor requirements are 20 or more semester credit hours of course work in English numbered 106 or above, of which 12 must be upper division. Courses must be chosen in consultation with an advisor in English.

For teaching endorsement requirements, see the Teacher Education Program section.

Co-curricular Requirements

The English faculty supports and encourages English majors’ involvement in student organizations and participation in tutoring activities in the community and on campus.

Outcomes Assessment Activities

Assessment of the English program is the responsibility of the English Program Assessment Committee, consisting of the chair of English and Foreign Languages and three other faculty members. The committee's annual reports evaluating the program and proposing any needed changes are compiled from the following information:

• A central file of course syllabi with representative assignments is maintained by the department for inspection by the committee and other qualified persons.
   
• Faculty advisors monitor each student's progress toward completing major requirements and meeting the Program Goals listed in the catalog. Advisors report any problems or deficiencies in the program encountered by their students to the Program Assessment Committee through the department chair.
   
• All English majors take a senior-year seminar (English 493) emphasizing professional standards and synthesizing the writing and analytical skills students have acquired in other English classes. All students in English 493 write a senior research paper, one copy of which is submitted to the Program Assessment Committee for review. In order to pass English 493, students must demonstrate satisfactory levels of achievement in the five areas of the program goals.
   
• The Program Assessment Committee reviews or has reviewed the papers from English 493 on an annual basis and prepares an analysis of what they reveal about the program's success.
   
• The Program Assessment Committee administers a student-satisfaction questionnaire to all senior English majors each year. A similar questionnaire is sent to recent graduates on a periodic basis.
   
• The Program Assessment Committee monitors the English curricula at leading comparable institutions and apprises the department of innovations worthy of consideration.

English Major

• Faculty advisors meet individually with each of their students on a regular basis to help plan schedules and discuss educational and career goals. Advisors maintain an accurate and up-to-date record of each student’s progress towards completion of the requirements for the major.
   
• All English majors will participate in a senior-year seminar in which all of the writing and analytical skills acquired in other English classes will be synthesized. Students in the class will be expected to complete a senior research project.

Specific Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in English

A total of 45 credits in English beyond 101 and 102 (FL 100 and ENG 106 may be counted, but not double counted for Foreign Language), distributed as follows:

Specific Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in English with Creative Writing Emphasis

A total of 45 credits in English beyond 101 and 102 (FL 100 and ENG 106 may be counted, but not double counted for Foreign Language), distributed as follows:

Courses in Writing as follows:

Specific Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in English with Secondary Teaching Endorsement

A total of 41 credits in English beyond 101 and 102 (FL 100 and ENG 106 may be counted, but not double counted for Foreign Language), distributed as follows:

CREATIVE WRITING MINOR

The English department coordinates a minor in creative writing, designed for students who are considering pursuing an MFA in creative writing upon graduation. Since, at the graduate level, the MFA degree specializes in either poetry, playwriting, creative non-fiction, or fiction, students are encouraged to focus on one of the genres. The Creative Writing Minor is also useful for students who intend to continue their creative activity after graduation.

Specific Requirements for the Creative Writing Minor

PROFESSIONAL WRITING MINOR

The English department coordinates a minor in professional writing, designed to prepare students for work in freelance writing and in editing and publishing, including Web-based publications. The interdisciplinary minor acquaints students with commercial writing markets, desktop publishing, corporate and technical communications, photojournalism, and Web-site design.

Specific Requirements for the Professional Writing Minor

FOREIGN LANGUAGES PROGRAM

The Foreign Languages Program offers a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish (BA) intended to prepare students for public school teaching and certification, for admission to graduate school, and for careers in international organizations, government, and business.

Minors in French, Italian, and Spanish complement a wide variety of majors in other disciplines to enhance the students’ ability to compete for jobs where knowledge of a foreign language is desirable.

Courses in German, Russian, and Comparative Linguistics (listed under FL) are offered as permitted by enrollment. Student exchanges with foreign universities are encouraged.

Program Goals for Spanish Majors

Spanish Majors will achieve a level of proficiency in Spanish communication skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and in the understanding of Hispanic cultures sufficient to allow them to function effectively in careers in teaching, business, the media, government, the arts, etc.

These goals will be achieved by showing proficiency in the 5 C’s:

1. Communication: The communication standard stresses the use of Spanish for communication in “real life” situations. It emphasizes “what students can do with language” rather than “what they know about language.” Students are asked to communicate in oral and written form, to interpret oral and written messages, to show cultural understanding when they communicate, and to present oral and written information to various audiences for a variety of purposes.
    
2. Cultures: Cultural understanding is an important part of Spanish language education. Experiencing other cultures develops a better understanding and appreciation of the relationship between languages and other cultures, as well as the student’s native culture. Students become better able to understand other people’s points of view, ways of life, and contributions to the world.
    
3. Connections: Spanish-language instruction must be connected with other subject areas. Content from other subject areas is integrated with Spanish-language instruction through lessons or courses that are developed around themes common to other subject areas.
    
4. Comparisons: Students are encouraged to compare and contrast Spanish language and cultures with their own. They discover patterns, make predictions, and analyze similarities and differences across languages and cultures. Students often come to understand their native language and culture better through such comparisons.
    
5. Communities: Extending learning experiences from the Spanish-language classroom to the home and multilingual and multicultural community emphasizes living in a global society. Activities may include: field trips; use of e-mail and the Internet; participation in clubs, exchange or study-abroad programs, and cultural activities; school-to-work opportunities; and opportunities to hear speakers of Spanish at the University and in the classroom.

Program Goals for Minors in Spanish, French and Italian

Students minoring in French, Italian, and Spanish will be required to demonstrate a level of proficiency sufficient to converse comfortably on everyday topics as well as intermediate levels of proficiency in writing, reading, and culture.

NOTE:

Majors or minors who fail to complete a course with a grade of C- or better are required to repeat the course with a satisfactory grade before proceeding to more advanced offerings.

Placement in the Spanish course sequence:

1. Students who have taken no Spanish in high school or at another institution of higher learning begin with SPN 101.
    
2. Students who have taken Spanish in high school, but not at another institution of higher learning, must take a placement exam to determine their proper placement.
    
3. Heritage Spanish speakers (that is, students who speak Spanish at home to a greater or lesser extent), students with significant Spanish immersion experience, and students who have taken Spanish courses at other institutions of higher learning must meet with a Spanish advisor in order to determine correct placement. The advisor will place the student based on any of the following or a combination thereof: an oral interview, the placement exam, a written composition.

Specific Requirements for the Spanish Major

In addition to the courses listed below, Spanish majors must also meet the following requirements:

1. A senior project in conjunction with a 400-level SPN course.
    
2. A second major, minor, or teacher education program.
    
3. Successful completion of the proficiency exams.
    
4. At least one upper-division SPN course must emphasize Latin America, one Spain.

Study abroad is strongly encouraged, especially for students planning to teach.

Specific Requirements for the Spanish Minor

Specific Requirements for the French Minor

Specific Requirements for the Italian Minor

Outcomes Assessment Activities

Assessment of the foreign languages program is the responsibility of the Foreign Languages Program Assessment Committee, consisting of the chair of English and Foreign Languages and three other faculty members. The committee’s annual reports evaluating the program and proposing any needed changes are compiled from the following information:

• A central file of course syllabi with representative assignments is maintained by the department for inspection by the committee and other qualified persons.
   
• Faculty advisors monitor each student’s progress towards completing major requirements and meeting the program goals listed in the catalog. Advisors report any problems or deficiencies in the program encountered by the students to the program assessment committee through the department chair.
   
• All Spanish majors complete a senior project emphasizing professional standards and sharpening the writing and speaking skills students have acquired in other Spanish courses. All students will be required to submit a copy of their project to the Program Assessment Committee for review.
   
• An exit exam evaluates proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing as well as their understanding of Hispanic cultures.
   
• The Program Assessment Committee reviews the senior projects and the results of the exit exam on an annual basis and prepares an analysis of what is revealed about the program’s success.
   
• The Program Assessment Committee administers a student-satisfaction questionnaire to all senior foreign languages majors and minors each year. A similar questionnaire is sent to recent graduates on a periodic basis.
   
• The Program Assessment Committee monitors the foreign languages curricula at leading comparable institutions and apprises the department of innovations worthy of consideration.

HISTORY/ POLITICAL SCIENCE/ PHILOSOPHY/GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT

Department Chair: B. Spade
Faculty: Berardi, Carter, Harris, Gose, Loats, Matusiak, Rees, Sandoval, Spade,

The programs in history, political science, philosophy, and geography are intended to provide domains of study both for students who desire knowledge for personal enrichment and for students who desire to apply knowledge toward career objectives. Students who major or minor in the fields of the department should expect to develop and refine knowledge of other cultures and the historical and political development of the modern world. Students should also expect to engage in methodical research. Other expectations of students include the ability to prepare rationally cogent papers and the ability to understand political theories, historical movements, and the connections between each.

Departmental programs not only prepare students for occupations in government, business, education, and industry, but also are central to the University’s traditional function of transmitting culture from generation to generation.

HISTORY PROGRAM

The major in history leads to the degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) and prepares students for careers in teaching, law, government, and private enterprise, as well as entry into graduate programs.

Program Goals

• To provide students with a general knowledge of history and historical methodology;
   
• To prepare students, through training in communication skills and in research methods, to gain knowledge of a given area of history;
   
• To prepare students to continue personal study and learning about specific subject areas in the discipline on an independent basis;
   
• To prepare students to engage in critical thinking; and
   
• To introduce students to the theoretical frameworks that serve as the foundation of historical scholarship.

Expected Student Outcomes

General Requirements

No grade below C- is acceptable in the major or minor.

Core Requirements for the History Major

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in History

Students must complete the “Core Requirements for the History Major” as outlined above, plus 15 hours of history electives. A minimum of two semesters of college level foreign language is required for the BA degree in History; more is recommended. The BA degree in History is appropriate for students planning to attend graduate or law school.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in History: General Emphasis

Students must complete the “Core Requirement for the History Major” outlined above, plus 21 hours of history electives (at least fifteen hours to be upper level). This emphasis is designed for those students who intend to enter business or government directly after graduation.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in History: Secondary Education Emphasis

The Secondary Education emphasis for the History Major leads to the degree of Bachelor of Science (BS) and prepares students for teaching at the middle and high school level. Students must complete the “Core Requirements for the History Major” listed above, 15 hours of history electives, the “Social Science Courses Required for Certification” listed below, and all requirements of the Teacher Education Program.

Other Social Science Courses Required for Certification

Specific Requirements for the History Minor

Outcomes Assessment Activities

• Demonstrated proficiency in writing coherent and accurate essays on specific topics within the discipline, as determined by the history faculty.
   
• Portfolios will be maintained for each student who has declared history as a major or minor. Portfolios will include academic transcripts, major papers written for courses in the discipline, and other pertinent information. The portfolios will be on file in the department office. Updated copies of all course syllabi will be kept in a central file in the department office to enable qualified students to discover how courses are adapted towards program goals.

PRE-LAW

Advisors: Dr. Gayle Berardi and Dr. Beatrice Spade

Although a political science or history major, or minor, is not required, students interested in attending law school should consult the department’s pre-law advisor as early as possible.

POLITICAL SCIENCE PROGRAM

The major in political science leads to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS), and prepares undergraduates for careers in law, government and politics. Courses in political science also serve to complement the liberal arts core at CSU-Pueblo and to prepare students for acceptance into graduate programs leading to professional degrees in law, public administration, or to specialized academic degrees. Four areas of emphasis are offered in the political science major: public administration and public policy, global studies, American political institutions and politics, and secondary education.

Program Goals

To prepare students majoring in the discipline to:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of historical, philosophical and empirical foundations of political science;
   
• Demonstrate a general command of knowledge about the American political system, global studies, the history of political thought, and standard political science research approaches; and
   
• Demonstrate an ability to continue personal study and learning on an independent basis about specific subjects in the discipline.

To prepare students minoring in the discipline to:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the nature of the discipline; and
   
• Demonstrate a general knowledge and understanding of the American political system and of global studies.

Expected Student Outcomes

General Requirements

• Students in the major must complete a minimum of 36 semester credit hours in political science, including 15 hours in the political science core. Students are required to earn a grade of C- or better in all political science courses.
   
• Students in the minor must complete a minimum of 21 semester credit hours in political science, including 9 semester credit hours in the political science core. Students are required to earn a grade of C- or better in all political science courses.
   
• A maximum of six credit hours of POLSC 480, Practicum in Politics and Public Service, may be applied towards the 36 hours required for the major, or three credit hours towards the 21 hours required for the minor.
   
• Depending on individual interests and goals, students are encouraged to take one year of foreign language, courses in statistics, and PHIL 204, Critical Thinking.

Required Core Requirements for the Political Science Major

EMPHASIS AREAS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

The political science program offers four areas of emphasis: Public Administration and Public Policy; Global Studies; and American Political Institutions and Politics, and Secondary Education The suggested courses for each area are as follows:

Emphasis in Public Administration and Public Policy

Especially appropriate areas for criminal justice, environmental studies, not-for-profit administration and management, and urban and state politics. See a political science advisor for further information.

Emphasis in Global Studies

The Global Studies emphasis helps prepare students for a variety of careers, including jobs in the foreign service, national security, the military, international business, international law, and various global health and humanitarian organizations (to mention just a few). In addition, focusing on Global Studies provides an excellent background for graduate study in many disciplines such as international relations, comparative politics, law, business, and national security studies.

Emphasis in American Political Institutions and Politics

Pursuing the emphasis area in American Political Institutions and Politics will prepare students for careers in political campaigning, legislative or administrative service, the law, and public policy development. In addition, the emphasis area will provide the necessary writing and critical thinking skills for graduate and law school.

Emphasis in Secondary Education

The Secondary Education emphasis prepares students for teaching at the middle and high school level. Students must complete the “Core Requirements for the Political Science Major” listed above, 15 hours of political science electives, the “Social Science Courses required for Certification” listed below, and all requirements of the Teacher Education Program.

Other Social Science courses Required for Certification

Specific Requirements for the Political Science Minor

Outcomes Assessment Activities

• Demonstrated proficiency in writing coherent and accurate essays on specific topics within the discipline, as determined by the political science faculty. Portfolios will be prepared for incoming freshmen and/or transfer students with two or more years before graduation. Portfolios will include academic transcripts, major papers written for courses in the discipline, co-curricular data, and other pertinent information. The portfolios will be on file.

PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM

The minor in philosophy complements majors and careers in politics, law, literature, health care, business, technologies, and the liberal arts.

Program Goals

• To provide individual courses as well as an academic minor in general philosophy;
   
• To help students understand and appreciate the great ideas from philosophy, to see such ideas in relation to the cultural settings, to develop the abilities to think, speak, and write in a clear, analytical manner, and to allow students to develop a viable philosophy of life.

Expected Student Outcomes

General Requirements

Students who wish to minor in philosophy must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours of approved philosophy courses with grades of C or better.

Specific Requirements for the Philosophy Minor

Outcomes Assessment Activities

• Students must demonstrate proficiency in writing defenses of theses on philosophical topics as determined by the philosophy faculty. A file of representative samples of philosophical writing by students will be retained to document to qualified persons that students are accomplishing the goal of developing the ability to think and write in a clear analytical manner.

GEOGRAPHY

The department extends classes in Geography primarily for students who wish to gain Colorado teacher licensure. There is no major or minor in Geography, but students majoring in a variety of areas would benefit from the Geography classes; e.g., History and Political Science.

LIBERAL STUDIES PROGRAM

Dr. Victoria Marquesen, Coordinator

The Liberal Studies major, which leads to a B.S. degree, is intended to provide a strong liberal arts education for future elementary education teachers. Core requirements build upon students’ experiences in General Education to provide both breadth and depth in the arts and humanities, English, math, sciences, and social sciences. Required courses provide support in each area of the Colorado K-6 Model Content Standards. Students are required to select an area of concentration or emphasis for an additional 12 hours of study. Areas of concentration may be chosen from Art, English, Health, History, Language and Linguistics, Leadership, Math, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Political Science, Psychology, Science, and Sociology.

This degree is approved for students in Elementary Education. Students completing the Liberal Studies major are required to minor in Education.

Program Goals

At CSU-Pueblo, teacher education is a campus wide responsibility, and overall program goals reflect components of both the Liberal Studies major and Education minor. It is the purpose of the Liberal Studies major to assure that students will develop breadth and depth of knowledge of the liberal arts, and it is the responsibility of the Education minor to assure students become proficient at transforming this knowledge into curriculum and instruction for young children.

It is the joint responsibility of both the major and minor to prepare future teachers to evaluate information critically, to study and research independently, and to communicate knowledge effectively. The following four program goals have been established for the Liberal Studies Degree. Goal 1 is largely the responsibility of the Liberal Studies major and Goal 4 the responsibility of the Elementary Education minor; benchmarks for Goals 2 and 3 have been designed across the entire degree program.

1.        Acquisition of Knowledge. Graduates are broadly educated in the liberal arts
           and sciences:

• Understanding the significant ideas, concepts, structures and values within disciplines, including theoretical, ethical, and practical implications.
   
• Mastering content knowledge in all areas taught in elementary schools: the arts, math literature and language, social sciences, sciences, and human development and learning.
   
• Balancing a breadth of knowledge in the liberal arts and sciences with depth of knowledge within a discipline.

2.        Construction of Knowledge. Graduates demonstrate habits of thinking, including
           analytical skills, independent thinking, reasoned judgment, mature values, and
           imagination:

• Utilizing the tools of inquiry of the humanities, arts, mathematics, and behavioral, social, and natural sciences to understand and evaluate ideas.
   
• Developing habits of critical intellectual inquiry, including self-direction and self-reflection.
   
• Making connections from different intellectual perspectives and multiple viewpoints to form cross-disciplinary connections.
   
• Utilizing research skills of the liberal arts and sciences, including library and data retrieval skills, to study and evaluate information.

3.         Communication of Knowledge. Graduates communicate effectively:

• Writing clearly in a variety of academic and practical formats.
   
• Speaking effectively in a variety of settings.
   
• Utilizing technology as a tool to inform and communicate.

4.         Application of Knowledge. Graduates create standards-based learning
            experiences that make knowledge accessible, exciting, and meaningful for all
            students:

• Using multiple representations and explanations of disciplinary concepts that capture key ideas and link them to students’ prior understandings.
   
• Using different viewpoints, theories, “ways of knowing,’ and methods of inquiry in teaching of subject matter content.
   
• Evaluating curriculum for their comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts.
   
• Engaging students in generating knowledge and testing hypotheses according to the methods of inquiry and standards of evidence used in the discipline
   
• Developing and using curricula that encourage students to see and interpret ideas from diverse perspectives.
   
• Creating interdisciplinary learning experiences that allow inquiry from several subject areas.

Program Design

The program is planned as a coherent whole, with four components:

1. General Education 
   
   Specific General Education courses form the foundation of knowledge for all students with this major. These courses fulfill CSU-Pueblo graduation requirements and are essential to meet many of the content standards for elementary teachers. Courses in the arts and humanities, English, math, history, sciences, and social sciences contribute to the General Education core.
    
2. Liberal Studies Core
   
   Liberal Studies Core requirements build upon students’ experiences in General Education to provide both breadth and depth to the program to meet program goals. Emphasis is placed on each area relative to K-6 content standards to assure depth of knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, math, and sciences.
    
3. Liberal Studies Area of Emphasis in a Specific Discipline:
   
   Students are required to select an area of concentration or emphasis and, in consultation with an advisor, develop a plan for study for an additional 12 hours in Liberal Studies. The plan should include goals to be achieved by the concentration and the sequence of courses to achieve the goals. Areas of concentration may be chosen from art, English, health, history, language and linguistics, math, modern foreign languages, music, political science, psychology, science, and sociology. Elementary Education has special requirements for admission and retention. Please refer to the section in the catalog for this information.
    
4. Education Minor
   
   All students must complete a minor in Education. The Education minor, which has been developed to coordinate with the major, requires completion of 37 credit hours. Education has special requirements for admission and retention. Please refer to the section in the catalog for this information.

Program Assessment

Assessment will be ongoing, with evaluations at three check points (admission to education, admission to student teaching, and program completion), as well as follow-up assessments at the end of one year after program completion. Student outcomes will be evaluated through, a) formal assessments at the sophomore (e.g., Academic Profile) and senior level (PRAXIS Elementary Education Content Exam), b) faculty recommendations of student progress, c) portfolio assessment, and d) assessment of the application of knowledge in students’ field experiences and student teaching. The contents of the electronic portfolio required of all students will include representative work from courses, as well as student-directed evaluations of progress.

The Teacher Education Board, consisting of faculty from each Liberal Studies discipline, will have primary responsibility for evaluation of the program; and the Associate Dean for Education will assume responsibility for gathering program evaluation information and reporting to the Board.

Requirements For The Liberal Studies Major

Requirements for admission and retention in teacher education are included in the description of the Teacher Education Program in this catalog and in the Teacher Education Handbook.

Students must receive a grade of C- or greater in all courses listed as requirements; a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.500 in the major is required for admission to student teaching.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

General Education Skill Requirements

General Education Knowledge Requirements

Students are not allowed to count the same courses completed for general education requirements as course requirements in the Liberal Studies major, including those in concentrations.

LIBERAL STUDIES CORE REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED CONCENTRATION IN DISCIPLINE AREA (12 HOURS)

Students are required to select one of the following concentration areas of 12 hours. All students should meet with an advisor in the area of concentration and develop the goals to be achieved by completion of the concentration and the sequence of courses to achieve the goals.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
All students will be required to complete a Placement Test to determine the level at which they will begin a language. Twelve hours in the language will be planned with a language faculty advisor. For students placed in the first level of the language, 12-hour concentrations are listed below.

 

FRENCH
FRN	101	Beginning Spoken French I	4
FRN	102	Beginning Spoken French II	4
FRN	201	Intermediate French I	4
ITALIAN
ITL	101	Introduction to Italian I	4
ITL	102	Introduction to Italian II	4
ITL	201	Intermediate Italian I	4
SPANISH
SPN	101	Beginning Spanish I	3
SPN	102	Beginning Spanish II	3
SPN	201	Intermediate Spanish I	3
SPN	202	Intermediate Spanish II	3
MUSIC
MUS	100	Music Fundamentals I: Notation	2
MUS	105	Music Fundamentals II: Foundations	2
MUS	118	Music Appreciation (if taken as core course, 3 elective hours may be taken	3
MUS	127	Functional Piano Class	1
MUS	160-179	Applied Lesson	2
VARIES		Music Ensemble	2
MUS	101	Music Performance Symposium I	0
POLITICAL SCIENCE
POLSC	240	Political Analysis	3
POLSC		courses numbered 300 or above	9
PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCH	251	Infancy, Childhood, and Preadolescence	3
9 hours from the following			9
PSYCH	220	Drugs & Behavior	3
PSYCH	231	Marriage & Family Relationships	3
PSYCH	311	Theories of Personality	3
PSYCH	336	Learning	3
PSYCH	337	Memory & Cognition	3
PSYCH	352	Social Psychology	3
PSYCH	353	Advanced Developmental Psychology	3
PSYCH	362	Abnormal Psychology	3
PSYCH	463	Psychopathology of Childhoo