Approved April 13, 1999

"Across the Curriculum" components:
· Writing Intensive courses (EN 112, IS 101, IS 201, and two courses in years 3 & 4)
· Diversity course
· Within each major, students will satisfy standards of performance for Spoken Communication and Information Literacy

Guidelines for the Wartburg Plan of Essential Education
Approved September 23, 1999

Courses taken in years 1 & 2

IS 101: Asking Questions, Making Choices (1 cc, writing intensive, prerequisite EN 111)
This first-year course develops students' critical inquiry and communication skills as they take responsibility for their education and actions within the context of becoming Wartburg liberally educated persons. Must be completed during the first year.

Goals and Outcomes
The intended goals (numbers) and outcomes (bullets under goals) for this course follow.

1. Students will understand the primary characteristics of a liberally educated person.

· Students will articulate and describe the primary characteristics of a liberally educated person.

2. Students will become critical inquirers.

· Students will be able to identify and explain

the thesis of a text.
the author's position.
the assumptions, strengths, and limitations in a text.

· Students will develop information literacy by

designing and performing search strategies.
gathering and using appropriate information and materials for projects and assignments.
effectively evaluating the quality of information sources.

· Students will assess their tolerance for ambiguity and reflect on the implications for their engagement in critical inquiry.

3. Students will become more effective communicators.

· Students will demonstrate effective communication through

civil discourse.
small group interactions.
various kinds of writing/composition.

4. Students will become responsible for their education and actions.

Course Criteria
1. At least 50% of the course material and time spent on it is common across all sections and consistent with the common goals and outcomes of the course.
2. Individual/team-generated content connects to the common goals and outcomes.
3. Course content draws from a variety of disciplines, preferably across all three knowledge domains.
4. Course material includes primary sources.
5. The course is writing intensive.
6. Student workload and assessment of performance is comparable from one section to another.
7. Section limit is 25.

IS 201: Living in a Diverse World: individual section subtitle (1 cc, writing intensive, prerequisite: IS 101)
This course expands students' critical inquiry and communication abilities as they recognize the challenges and opportunities of living in a diverse world and connect this "widened view of the world" to liberal learning. Must be completed during the second year.

Goals and Outcomes
1. Students will recognize challenges and opportunities in a world characterized by a complex array of cultures and subcultures.

2. Students will connect a "widened view of the world" to liberal learning.

3. Students will become more sophisticated critical inquirers.

4. Students will become more effective communicators.

Course Criteria
1. All sections are consistent with the common goals and outcomes of the course.
2. All sections include a component that addresses basic issues of human diversity.
3. Course content draws from a variety of disciplines, preferably across all three knowledge domains.
4. Course material draws heavily from primary sources and works.
5. The course is writing intensive.
6. Student workload and assessment of performance is comparable from one section to another.
7. Section limit is 25.

Faith and Reflection (2cc, one of which must be RE 101 Literature of the Old and New Testaments; one must be taken in years 1 & 2, and the other must be taken in years 3 & 4)

As a college of the Church in the Lutheran tradition, Wartburg is committed to fostering critical reflection on faith, values, and questions of ultimate significance and to helping students to integrate their religious and/or philosophical viewpoints with the rest of their learning. The purpose of this segment of the Wartburg Plan is to provide students with the fundamental knowledge and patterns of thought necessary to accomplish these goals.

RE 101 outcomes:
· Students will acquire a basic knowledge of the content of the Old and New Testament writings and the historical contexts from which they emerged.
· Students will recognize the formative influence of the biblical tradition upon western civilization and reflect on its significance for contemporary life.
· Students will be able to identify and articulate their own religious and/or philosophical values and to engage in constructive dialogue with others whose values may differ.

Second Faith and Reflection course outcomes:
· Students will understand how Christian traditions or Western philosophical traditions have addressed ultimate questions of significance, meaning and worth in human experience.
· Students will heighten their ethical sensitivity in areas of personal and social responsibility.
· Students will be able to identify and articulate their own religious and/or philosophical values and to engage in constructive dialogue with others whose values may differ.

Lifetime Wellness (.5 cc)
Lifetime Wellness courses will enable students to develop a concept of total health and fitness based on a student's individual ability and capacity. The experiences in this course will give students the tools necessary to implement a plan for developing and maintaining positive lifelong wellness habits.

Goals
1. Students will gain a thorough understanding of their individual wellness as it relates to specific topics, such as cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, nutritional fitness, flexibility and body composition, and emotional wellness.
2. Students will learn to develop and maintain physical activity across their entire life span in order to promote lifelong wellness.
3. Students will understand the concept of total health and fitness such that the student can attain a degree of wellness based on their unique abilities and interests.

Outcomes
· Students will be able to apply the knowledge and tools needed to develop a personal cardiovascular program for lifelong wellness.
· Students will be able to apply the knowledge and tools needed to develop a personal muscular strength and endurance program for lifelong wellness.
· Students will complete a comprehensive nutritional analysis and be able to implement changes to improve their overall nutrition.
· Students will be able to assess their body composition using various techniques and understand how this information applies to other areas of their individual wellness.
· Students will understand the role of a lifetime exercise program and nutrition as keys to a successful weight loss and/or maintenance program.
· Students will learn various stress management techniques and gain an understanding of the importance of stress management as it relates to emotional health.

Verbal Reasoning Courses (1.5 cc)
All students will take EN 112 Intermediate Composition (1 cc) and Oral Communication (.5 cc). English 112 is a pre- or co-requisite to the .5 credit course because many of the organizational patterns used to present information exist in both spoken and written communication.

Goals for Verbal Reasoning Courses
1. Students will develop reading skills for the close careful analysis of text and the comprehension of its meaning.
2. Students will gain and/or sharpen writing skills which employ correct English form and usage as well as the techniques of advanced argumentation.
3. Students will be able to employ critical thinking to distinguish facts from opinions, identify intelligent and productive approaches to the issues of our time, shape well-supported and logically reasoned positions regarding these issues, and analyze others' and one's own arguments.
4. Students will develop speaking skills which enable them to communicate clearly, confidently, and rationally in various rhetorically appropriate presentational forms.

Outcomes for EN 112 (1 cc)
· Students will write grammatically and effectively.
· Students will use Wartburg's library and the Internet for information gathering.
· Students will distinguish facts from opinions and support assertions with evidence.
· Students will shape individual positions into sound deductive, inductive, and Toulmin-style arguments, one being a research argument.
· Students will utilize the MLA or APA styles of documentation; handle quoted, paraphrased, and summarized material accurately, honestly, and correctly.

Outcomes for Oral Communication (.5 cc)
· Students will understand the nuances of effective informative and persuasive oral presentations
· Students will construct and deliver effective communications
· Students will craft and incorporate presentational media.

Mathematical Reasoning (1 cc)
Mathematical Reasoning refers to the ability to transform elements of a problem or argument into a defined system of numerical or conceptual equivalents which are then manipulated in accordance with a set of principles or rules of mathematical or logical operation. MA 90 competency is a prerequisite for any Mathematical Reasoning course.

Goals
1. Students will reason and solve problems using a system of numeric or symbolic concepts as encountered in the fields of mathematics, computer science, or logic.
2. Students will recognize errors, fallacies, or distortions in the presentation of logical arguments, problem solutions, or displays of quantitative information.
3. Students will apply the principles and skills of mathematical reasoning to generate a solution (or solutions) to problems commonly encountered in several different types of everyday experiences.
4. Students will pursue additional learning of quantitative, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, building on their foundation in mathematical reasoning.

Scientific Reasoning (1 cc with lab)
Wartburg College believes that an understanding of the scientific process is crucial in a technological age. The purpose of this requirement is to help students to understand that science, while dealing with objective observation, is shaped by the subjective judgments of its practitioners.

Goals
1. Students will read, understand, and examine critically accounts of scientific research from the general media.
2. Students will recognize the difference between scientifically supportable arguments and those grounded solely in opinion.
3. Students will perform experiments and/or make observations and draw quantifiable conclusions.
4. Students will describe and use some of the various theoretical and observational methodologies that are unique to science.

The goals of this requirement and of the entire Plan cannot be adequately met by taking two unconnected science courses. Therefore, in the following two options, a "Scientific Reasoning" course is the prerequisite for an "Interconnected" science course. In addition, all courses contributing to this segment must have a laboratory component.

Option A Students will complete a course that deals explicitly with the processes of science. Following this, students will choose from a collection of courses designed to further their understanding of the scientific process through more detailed examination of topics drawn from the various sciences. The latter science course must meet the criteria for the "Interconnected" segment of the Plan.

Option B Students will complete an introductory course in one of the sciences. These courses address more discipline-specific content than those in Option A but will also meet the scientific reasoning goals. Following this, students will choose from the list of "Interconnected" science courses in Option A or from more advanced discipline-specific "Interconnected" science courses. The latter science course must meet the criteria for "Interconnected" courses.

Courses taken in years 1-4

Foreign Language (Intercultural Understanding) (1 cc)
The study of a foreign language provides a valuable skill in an increasingly interconnected world, and it fosters insight and sensitivity to concepts, issues, practices and events which are embedded in different cultures. Foreign language study complements the Plan's focus on diversity in IS 201 and Diversity Across the Curriculum.

Goal
1. Students will better understand a culture other than their own through the study of a foreign language.

Outcomes

· Students will demonstrate a minimum proficiency in a foreign language equal to one term of introductory study at the college level.
· Students with previous language instruction will advance to a higher level of comprehension, speaking, and writing.
· Students will be able to identify the relationship that exists between the development of a particular culture and its language.

Course Criteria
1. The course includes the reading, writing, speaking and comprehension of a foreign language.
2. The course incorporates elements of the culture(s) in which the language is spoken.

Option A
Students may meet the foreign language requirement by AP or CLEP credit (standard Wartburg policy applies), but it cannot be met simply by taking a certain number of years of foreign language in high school.

Option B
Students will be placed in an appropriate level of language study based upon their high school transcripts. If continuing in the same language, students must enroll in the assigned level or receive special permission from a foreign language instructor. A student may also fulfill the requirement by beginning a new language at the introductory level.

Interconnected Courses (4 cc)
Interconnected Courses (IC's) are designed to follow the Inquiry Studies (IS) courses and to continue the development of students' understanding of the fundamental assumptions and methods used by scholars throughout the curriculum. IC courses emphasize the connections and contrasts among disciplines and within the liberal arts. Requirements include:
1 cc Natural Science with lab
1 cc Social Science
1 cc Humanities/Fine Arts
1 cc Humanities/Fine Arts or Social Science
A course approved as satisfying the IC requirement cannot be used to meet another Essential Education requirement, except for the "Across the Curriculum" components.

Goals
1. Students will broaden their education by sampling courses from diverse disciplines.
2. Students will develop an appreciation for the disciplines of the liberal arts through a greater understanding of their interdependence.

Outcomes
· Students will analyze common concepts, content, processes, and resources in two or three disciplines.
· Students will demonstrate understanding of the connections and contrasts between two or more disciplines.
· Students will analyze underlying assumptions in the disciplines being studied.

Course Criteria
1. Courses will contain common concepts, content, processes, and resources in two or three disciplines.
2. At least 1/14 or at least one week of the course time will be spent on the link.
3. Links from one IC course are limited to no more than 3 other courses.
4. Course structure options

Courses taught by two individuals in which students are concurrently enrolled, include common literature, text--Human development example

Courses taught by two individuals and taken in sequence by students

Course taught by two people

Course with guest lecturer(s) from a different discipline

Course taught by one person

Courses taken in years 3 & 4

Faith and Reflection course (see p. 3)

Interdisciplinary Course (1 cc)
The Interdisciplinary (ID) course, taken in the third or fourth year, involves examination of a major ethical, cultural, or intellectual phenomenon or problem. ID courses build on the integrative thinking skills cultivated in the first and second-year Inquiry Studies courses (IS 101 and 201) by adding explicit attention to the assumptions, methods, and concepts of specific disciplines from the humanities/fine arts, social sciences, and natural sciences. The phenomena or problems engaged at this level require students to be aware of the underlying premises of the disciplines (including their own major), in multiplistic analysis and problem solving. Consequently, as an upper-level course in Essential Education, the ID course provides an opportunity for synthesis of discipline-specific knowledge with integrative processes first introduced in the IS sequence.

Goals
1. Students will understand the dynamic tension between separate disciplines and domains.
2. Students will understand the limits and power of disciplines in addressing the phenomenon or problem.
3. Students will develop an holistic understanding of the phenomenon or problem based on the integration of knowledge and tools contributed by various disciplines.

Outcomes

· Students will identify and clarify salient disciplinary concepts and skills, with special focus on the discipline of their major.
· Students will use differing perspectives to reach a policy/problem solution.

Course Criteria
1. Inclusion of concepts and skills from the three domains of the humanities/fine arts, social sciences and natural sciences.
2. Inclusion of a significant, continuing problem of humankind.
3. IS 201 Living in a Diverse World is a prerequisite.

Capstone (0.5-1 cc)
The capstone is the culminating Essential Education course for Wartburg students. It is a specific senior-level course which integrates the goals of the Wartburg Plan of Essential Education and the content of the academic discipline or area of major. To this end, students in the capstone will address values and ethics in the context of the philosophical, historical, and applied dimensions of an academic area.

Goals
1. Students will explore the historical and philosophical developments of the major discipline.
2. Students will evaluate values and ethics related to their major discipline.

Outcomes
· Students will prepare a summative paper, project or experience as an integral part of the course.
· Students will address questions of values and ethics in problem-solving related to their major discipline.

TOTAL: 14.5-15 cc

Across the Curriculum Components (Literacies)

Diversity Across the Curriculum (DAC)
The Wartburg community is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment which recognizes and values diversity. We promote intercultural understanding and informed dialogue in the development of lifelong leadership and service in a global and multicultural society. Diversity concepts and issues are introduced in IS 201 and foreign language courses and are reinforced and expanded in DAC courses.

Goal
1. Students will develop a greater recognition and understanding of the value of human diversity as an enriching aspect of life.

Outcomes

· Students will connect a "widened view of the world" to liberal learning.
· Students will connect their understanding of human diversity to a specific cultural topic/theme.
· Students will compare and contrast their own culture with the culture being studied.

Course Criteria
1. The course is consistent with the common goals and outcomes of DAC.
2. The course may incorporate either a broad global perspective on some issue or may examine more closely a specific culture or subculture.
3. The course includes significant reflection on intercultural issues.
4. The course may be taught in English or a foreign language (in addition to the foreign language requirement).

Written and Oral Communication Across the Curriculum
Wartburg College believes that thinking logically and expressing oneself persuasively in both writing and speaking is crucial to effective learning, citizenship, and professional life. The two Verbal Reasoning courses provide a foundation for students' continued work in written and oral communication across the curriculum.

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)
During their first and second years, students take EN 112 and the writing intensive IS courses. During their third and fourth years, students take two additional writing intensive courses, one of which should be in their major(s).

Goals
1. Students will write clearly, confidently, and persuasively.
2. Students will use writing as a means of enhancing their learning.
3. Students will learn the writing conventions and genres appropriate to their major.

Outcomes
· Students will produce written work that is varied in kind and length (e.g., drafts, informal writing, essay test, in-class papers, journals, collaborative writing, polished papers, etc.).
· Students will produce written work to meet a variety of purposes (e.g., as a learning/discovery took, to stimulate reflection and/or discussion, to demonstrate their mastery of course content, to present information in a form and style appropriate to a specific discipline, etc.).
· Students will produce finished written work that responds to constructive feedback during the writing process.

Course Criteria
1. Course requires at least 20 pages or 5,000 words of written work
2. At least 40 percent of the course grade is based on evaluation of writing work.
3. The instructor must intervene in the writing process to draw attention to ideas or problems as they are developed through writing and/or to emphasize the importance of writing and style for a specific discipline.
4. Section size for writing intensive courses is normally 25 students.

Oral Communication Across the Curriculum
During their first year, students take the .5 cc Oral Communication course. Skills developed in this course are reinforced and extended in projects and assignments in courses in the majors. Instructional design, feedback, and interventions will be used to continuously improve these skills.

Goals
1. Students will communicate clearly, confidently, and persuasively.
2. Students will establish competence in presentational forms relevant to their major(s).

Outcomes
· Students will present information clearly and confidently.
· Students will select and implement appropriate organizational strategies in their communications.
· Students will operate effectively in small groups through participation and facilitation.

Information Literacy
Information literacy skills are introduced, practiced, and reinforced within the Plan in English 112, IS 101, RE 100, IS 201, and Scientific Reasoning. In addition, students will continue to develop discipline-specific information literacy skills with increasing sophistication throughout the major as part of projects and assignments embedded in required courses.

Goal
1. Students will find, use, and evaluate information appropriate for their learning tasks.

Outcomes
· Students will identify problems requiring information solutions.
· Students will demonstrate a conceptual understanding of the search and evaluation process.
· Students will develop and perform search strategies for gathering information and appropriate materials.
· Students will understand and apply criteria for evaluating information.
· Students will effectively integrate and synthesize appropriate information in their work.
· Students will present and document information in ways appropriate to their purposes.

Edited September 13, 2000