The Habits of Mind Experience Program
Plymouth State University measures its excellence, not by the quality of students who enter its doors, but by the quality it adds to those who graduate. The University holds to this commitment by requiring every undergraduate student engage with learning experiences that help them to develop strong Habits of Mind. The Habits of Mind Experience (HoME) Program gives students a broad perspective on ideas, an awareness of diverse human experiences and cultures, and the opportunity to develop the skills, confidence, and ways of engaging with the world that will allow them to succeed both occupationally and personally, while making a difference in the spirit of Ut Prosim.
Habits of Mind are usual ways of thinking or ways of engaging with others. Based in part on work promoted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, Plymouth State has developed a curriculum that focuses its general education elements on four Habits of Mind that will equip students well for life and work after college. The curriculum helps students develop the dispositions and abilities necessary for academic success and lifelong learning, an understanding of the various ways scholars consider and comprehend human experience, an appreciation of the process by which different approaches to scholarship can be brought to bear on the same problem, and practice an action-oriented engagement with the world.
The Program's components cover a breadth of knowledge while emphasizing the relevance and utility of specific methods of inquiry and content to students’ lives. They utilize the Integrated Cluster model of pedagogy, which emphasizes interdisciplinarity, opens students to constituencies beyond the traditional classroom, and utilizes project-based learning as a method of achieving instructional outcomes. Throughout each of the Program's components, students focus on four specific Habits of Mind.
Four Habits of Mind
The HoME Program focuses on four Habits of Mind: Purposeful Communication, Problem Solving, Integrative Perspective, and Self-Regulated Learning.
Purposeful Communication is a Habit of Mind characterized by the construction of meaning through interactions with texts and people and the creation of new messages. “Text” refers broadly to any communicative message including, but not limited to, messages that are spoken or written, read or listened to, nonverbal, and/or delivered through any form of media (digital, social, artistic, print, etc.). Construction of meaning and creation of messages are influenced by individuals’ prior experiences as well as cultural and historical contexts. Creation of messages involves the development and purposeful expression of ideas and is designed to increase knowledge, foster understanding, and/or promote change in others’ attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors. To be effective, messages must engage the perspectives of others and foster dialog among individuals and the community.
Problem Solving is a Habit of Mind that involves an iterative process of identifying, explaining, and exploring problems, describing challenges, envisioning possible solutions and their implication, and make decisions about how to proceed based on all of these considerations. Problem solving encompasses a broad array of activities and approaches. Problems range widely in scale and scope—small to large, local to global, well-defined to ambiguous, simulated to real-world—and problem solving may be undertaken individually or in collaboration with others. In all cases, engaging in problem solving requires the ability to think creatively, adapt and extend one’s thinking, acknowledge different contexts and incorporate different perspectives, embrace flexibility, consider potential implication, determine courses of action, persist and adapt despite failure, and reflect on the results. While the types of problems encountered and the strategies used to grapple with problems vary across disciplines, the problem solving Habit of Mind is relevant to all disciplines.
Integrated Perspective is a Habit of Mind characterized by the recognition that individual beliefs, ideas, and values are influenced by personal experience as well as multiple contextual factors—cultural, historical, political, etc. All human beings are interconnected through their participation in natural and social systems. An integrated perspective recognizes that individual decisions impact the self, the community, and the environment. Students will acknowledge the limitations of singular points of view and recognize the benefits of engaging with and learning from others in order to integrate multiple perspectives for effective communication, problem-solving, and collaboration.
Self-Regulated Learning is a Habit of Mind that encompasses the desire to learn, the ability to set personal goals for learning, and the capacity to engage in a self-monitored learning process. Self-regulated learners demonstrate strong commitment to the process of learning and take responsibility for their own learning. They take intellectual risks, persist in the face of challenges, and learn from their mistakes. They are able to organize and reorganize information, interpret information in new ways, and generate their own ideas. Self-regulated learners demonstrate metacognitive awareness (an understanding of the factors that influence their own learning) and cultivate the skills and confidence they need in order to be effective learners.
These four Habits of Mind are introduced, practiced, and mastered through curricular components which begin in the first year and build progressively towards a culminating capstone course.
Components of the HoME Program
There are several components to the University's HoME Program. Initially, students take three First-Year Experience courses. All three lay a foundation, but one serves as the cornerstone: IS 1115 Tackling a Wicked Problem. This introduces the four Habits of Mind through project-based learning. The Habits of Mind are practiced and refined through two types of classes: Directions and Connections. The Program concludes with a project-based class that bookends the journey begun in Tackling a Wicked Problem: an "In-Cap," or Integrated Capstone, IS 4220 Signature Project.
Components: An Overview
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience | ||
| IS 1115 | Tackling a Wicked Problem | 4 |
| EN 1400 | Composition | 4 |
| MA 1500 (or higher) | Mathematics Foundations 1 | 3-4 |
| Directions 2 | ||
| CTDI | Creative Thought | 4 |
| PPDI | Past and Present | 4 |
| SIDI | Scientific Inquiry | 4 |
| SSDI | Self and Society | 4 |
| Connections 3 | ||
| DICO | Diversity | 3-4 |
| GACO | Global Awareness | 3-4 |
| WECO | Wellness | 3-4 |
| QRCO, TECO, WRCO | Major Connections 4 | |
| Integrated Capstone (INCP) | ||
| IS 4220 | Signature Project (INCO,INCP) | 4 |
| Total Credits | 40-44 | |
- 1
HoME's Mathematics Foundations is a course in Math numbered 1500 or higher, or its Math equivalency; it may not be used also to satisfy a major's QRCO requirement.
- 2
Directions may not count in a major and must total 16 credits, even if a major has a waiver of one Direction type.
- 3
The three HoME Connections may be double counted with a major or minor.
- 4
These Major Connections are three or four-credit experiences that add no credits to the HoME Program. They are created and maintained by majors that choose to denote them.
Taught by expert scholars in the various academic disciplines, all HoME courses are designed to excite students about learning and to give them breadth of knowledge and experience with different approaches to learning. Students take coursework in each of four Directions categories, unless one is waived by a major. Three HoME Connections courses help students connect their learning to some other aspect of their lives, including their major. The Integrated Capstone course is a culminating experience in which students from a variety of disciplines come together to demonstrate their development of the Habits of Mind while working on a collaborative project that has a real-world impact.
Components: Descriptions
First Year Experience
Plymouth State University places special emphasis on success in the first year. PSU is one of only 12 United States state institutions to hold the title of founding member of the Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year™. To achieve this honor, the University participated in a two-year study in order to develop a nationally recognized model based on a process of action: revision framed by aspiration and renewal. PSU continually improves the student experience by repeatedly refining its approach to the first-year, conducting assessments and paying special attention to the individual needs of students, student engagement, diversity, and the roles and purposes of education. Recent results of this approach have included expanding student choice: in themed Cluster-inspired Composition sections that connect writing to student activities outside the traditional classroom; in foundational mathematics sections specifically designed for majors such as those across the Humanities; and in selecting topically themed sections of Tackling a Wicked Problem, the course PSU developed as a Cluster-embracing reinvention of the traditional Freshman seminar.
Far from being merely introductory academic hurdles, the mastery of Plymouth's First Year Experience is a predictive barometer of students’ ability to make the transition from high school-level thinking (characterized by the elementary skills of merely absorbing and regurgitating facts) to college-level thinking (characterized by the ability to take ownership over and become fully engaged in one's own learning). Only when students embrace and persevere in the Habits of Mind will they have made the transition from high school to college; only then will they have taken the most important first steps toward becoming educated.
The First-Year Experience is comprised of three courses which connect students to life in an academic community and introduce them to the Habits of Mind in meaningful contexts. As the foundation of the General Education program, they begin to instill the hallmarks of a truly educated person in PSU students. All three (Tackling a Wicked Problem, Composition, and Mathematics Foundations) are to be taken in a student's initial two semesters.
Tackling a Wicked Problem (4 credits)
All new students who transfer in fewer than 24 credits take IS 1115 Tackling a Wicked Problem. It is the HoME Program's cornerstone course, through which students begin to build the repertoire of intellectual skills needed for university-level work, utilizing all four Habits of Mind. These skills are not taught in isolation but rather in the context of the problem of the course, a problem that varies by section.
Each section of the course is focused on a wicked problem, a societal issue that is impossible to solve and typically results in the creation of new problems by those who attempt a solution. A few examples of sections that have been offered recently, include: human trafficking, homelessness, food insecurity, ocean plastics, and climate change. Through working on wicked problems, students are introduced to Plymouth State University's Integrated Cluster model of education by collaboratively creating class projects that reach beyond the walls of the classroom in some way, to make a difference.
Composition (4 credits)
The Composition requirement is satisfied by the course Composition (EN 1400) or its equivalency. In Plymouth's Composition classes students learn to read comprehensively and effectively, in order to relate ideas and arguments to their writing and thinking. They are expected to summarize different kinds of texts, paraphrase the ideas of someone else, analyze others’ arguments and positions, compare and contrast ideas, and generate their own thoughts and ideas following research and observation. Students are required to engage in library research and to write papers based on their research.
The course helps students become responsible writers who can take charge of their own writing process. Students learn how to draft, respond to feedback from peers and instructor, revise, and edit successful college prose. By the end of the course, they should be able to write essays that are unified by a central thesis, well-developed in carefully organized paragraphs with vivid details, and grammatically appropriate with effective sentence structure and correct mechanics. To these ends, student choose from a range of Composition sections that embrace Plymouth's Integrated Cluster pedagogy by allowing them to connect real-world interests and concerns to their academic journey, inside and outside the traditional classroom. Recent Composition sections have included: Pottery, Paddle-boarding, Skiing, Pets, and even the phenomenon of Taylor Swift.
Mathematics Foundations (3-4 credits)
Through the Mathematics Foundations requirement, students become aware of the importance of mathematics and its application to fields as diverse as art, music, and science. It enables students to make connections between mathematics and their own lives and to explore the roles of mathematics in society, culture, and politics. It is satisfied by a mathematics course numbered 1500 or higher, such as Mathematics and the Humanities (MA 1500), or by a mathematics course that is its equivalent, including credit-by-exam as explained below.
Mathematics Foundations courses focus on problem solving using the language of mathematics and on developing students’ ability to reason quantitatively in diverse contexts. Students learn to reduce complex problems to their fundamentals using algebra and geometry. Students may demonstrate proficiency in mathematics by recording under the credit-by-examination policy, credits for a satisfactory performance on an AP, CLEP, DSST, or IB examination (see Transferring Credits). Mathematics coursework for which equivalent AP, CLEP, DSST, or IB credit has been received will not be granted credit.
Transfer students may demonstrate proficiency in mathematics by recording mathematics transfer credits that are equivalent to Plymouth State University courses. In cases where there is no equivalent course, the transfer credits must be deemed to be at a level equivalent to Mathematics and the Humanities (MA 1500) or higher by the transfer and articulation specialist and the mathematics faculty. Mathematics course work at PSU for which equivalent transfer credit has been recorded will not be granted credit.
Note that the Mathematics Foundations requirement must be fulfilled by a different course than that used to fulfill a major's Quantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines element.
Mathematics Placement Assessment. The Department of Mathematics offers an online placement assessment. The goal of the placement assessment is to help students enroll in the math course most suited to their background. Students may take the assessment a total of two times. Students are encouraged to study before they take the assessment a second time. The placement level is primarily used to determine placement in the algebra/precalculus/calculus sequence, although not all students are required to take courses in this sequence. Students may also receive a recommendation to complete Elementary Algebra (MA 1200) before taking any other required Mathematics Foundations course. The mathematics placement assessment is scored at four levels:
- Level 0: The mathematics faculty recommends students who score at this level complete Elementary Algebra (MA 1200) prior to any other math courses. Students may not be prepared for success in their Mathematics Foundations course and should consult with their academic advisor and the mathematics faculty before enrolling. Students do not meet the prerequisites for Precalculus (MA 2130) and must take College Algebra (MA 1800) before taking PreCalculus.
- Level 1: Students are generally prepared for a variety of Mathematics Foundations courses, including Math and the Humanities (MA 1500), College Algebra (MA 1800), Statistical Literacy in Today’s Society (MA 1900), Finite Mathematics (MA 2200), Finite Math with Statistics (MA 2210), or Statistics 1 (MA 2300). Students whose majors require Precalculus (MA 2130) and/or Calculus I (MA 2560) do not yet meet these prerequisites and must register for College Algebra (MA 1800).
- Level 2: Students meet the prerequisite for Precalculus (MA 2130) and all other Mathematics Foundations courses mentioned in level 1.
- Level 4: Students meet the prerequisite for Calculus I (MA 2550) and all other Mathematics Foundations courses mentioned in level 1.
The mathematics placement assessment is available online for all registered students through Canvas.
Note: Elementary Algebra (MA 1200) does not satisfy Mathematics Foundations or any General Education requirement.
Directions
The Directions component of the General Education program introduces students to different ways of considering and understanding human experience, which they can apply as they seek meaning in their lives. Directions courses challenge students to see how different perspectives shape the ways in which people interpret ideas and experiences to construct meaning. They emphasize moving between the world of ideas and the “real world.” And rather than introduce majors to a whole academic discipline, providing content and methodologies that would be required by more advance courses in a major, Directions explore a particular issue or topic of interest (especially one relevant to students’ own lives) with an awareness that students cannot use Directions in a major. While Directions may represent different disciplinary approaches to learning, they are intended to further develop the Habits of Mind introduced in the First Year Experience.
Students are encouraged to complete Directions by the end of the second year, as they prepare to take more advanced coursework in their major. Directions courses range from 2-to-4 credits and students are expected to take 4 credits in each each of the four Directions categories; if a student's major has a waiver of one Direction area, the student may choose to take a second course in one of the other three Direction areas. Students must take 16 credits of Directions.
The four Directions are: Creative Thought, Past and Present, Scientific Inquiry, and Self and Society.
Creative Thought (4 credits)
People need to be creative in order to thrive in our complex and changing world. People need to understand the creative processes that lead to the generation of ideas and to engage in new interpretations of existing ideas. Creative Thought courses encourage students to recognize beauty in its many manifestations and to become aware of formal elements of creative expression.
These courses also encourage students to view themselves as creative beings, to appreciate creativity in others, and to regard creativity as an essential component in all areas of human endeavor. In these courses, students develop and value perseverance and a tolerance for ambiguity. Students are challenged to appreciate aesthetic forms, to use their imaginations, and to develop the skills and attitudes that allow creativity to flourish: independence and non-conformity, the ability to organize and reorganize information, and the confidence to think in new ways.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARDI 1250 | Creativity in Visual Art | 4 |
| ARDI 1265 | Creativity in Visual Art - Online | 4 |
| ARDI 1400 | The Art of Sketching | 3 |
| ARDI 1405 | Art of Sketching - Online | 3 |
| ARDI 2311 | Table Manners: Functional Pottery | 4 |
| CMDI 1030 | Creativity and the Digital World | 4 |
| CMDI 1105 | Creating Games | 4 |
| CMDI 1300 | The Art of Video Blogging | 4 |
| CMDI 2100 | The Digital Imagination | 3 |
| CSDI 1200 | Web Expressions | 3 |
| DNDI 2105 | Movement for Community | 4 |
| ENDI 1402 | Writing and the Creative Process | 4 |
| ENDI 2205 | The Art of Film | 4 |
| ENDI 2235 | Creating Arguments | 4 |
| ENDI 2400 | The Manifesto: Changing Our World | 4 |
| GEDI 2400 | Mapping Our World: Creating Realities | 4 |
| LIDI 2455 | Creating Language | 4 |
| MUDI 1355 | American Popular Music: History and Creation | 4 |
| PODI 1061 | Politics and Art | 4 |
| PTDI 2200 | The Art of Photography | 3 |
| PTDI 2450 | Digital Photography | 3 |
| PYDI 2420 | Creative Solving of Ethical Problems | 4 |
| THDI 1300 | The Theatrical Experience | 3 |
Past and Present (4 credits)
In order to comprehend the present and envision the future, we must understand the past. Cultures and societies discern time and construct chronologies of significant events to explain the past, comprehend the present, and envision the future. By examining issues and events that are currently impacting students’ lives, Past and Present courses explore how people interpret causes and effects within events.
These courses encourage students to realize that different times shape different views of the world. For students to realize that all fields of knowledge are subject to change, they need to study the changes that have taken place within those fields. They also need to understand the dialectic movement between the past and present: just as the past shapes the present, so does the present shape our understanding of the past.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIDI 1400 | Plagues and Peoples | 3 |
| BUDI 2600 | Recent History of Economics: Gold Standard to Today | 4 |
| CJDI 2020 | Cons, Frauds, and Scammers | 4 |
| CMDI 2025 | Sex and Cinema in the 20th Century (and Beyond) | 4 |
| ENDI 1355 | Twice-Told Tales | 4 |
| GEDI 1400 | Globalization and Diversity | 3 |
| GEDI 1500 | Globalization & Local Diversity | 4 |
| HIDI 1201 | War in US History | 4 |
| HIDI 1212 | The American West | 4 |
| HIDI 1213 | Creating a Nation: America 1600-1877 | 4 |
| HIDI 1214 | Developing the Modern Nation: US History Since 1865 | 4 |
| HIDI 1215 | US Society in the Vietnam Era | 4 |
| HIDI 1330 | Treating "Madness": Mental Illness and Therapy in History | 4 |
| HIDI 1340 | Facing Beasts: Animals in the Middle Ages and Beyond | 4 |
| HIDI 1355 | Medieval Me: Your Life in the Past | 4 |
| HIDI 1410 | The Deep Roots of Black Lives Matter: Exploring African American History | 4 |
| HIDI 1420 | Magic, Then and Now | 4 |
| HIDI 1455 | Roots of Current Global Conflicts | 4 |
| HIDI 1610 | (Re)Considering the Holocaust in a Polarized Society | 4 |
| LIDI 2505 | The History of the English Language | 4 |
| MUDI 1005 | Jazz Styles: Past and Present | 4 |
| MUDI 1310 | Exploring Music | 3 |
| PODI 1045 | Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism | 4 |
| PODI 1056 | Humanitarianism: Working in the Global Community | 4 |
| PYDI 1305 | Religious Practices and Beliefs | 4 |
| SPDI 2260 | Latino Culture in the US | 4 |
| SPDI 2270 | Spanish Cinema | 4 |
| WSDI 2505 | The F Word: Feminism in the United States | 3 |
| WSDI 2510 | The F Word: Feminism in the United States | 4 |
Scientific Inquiry (4 credits)
The methods of science are powerful tools with which we can attain a clearer understanding of the world. In the modern world, science has real application to all people’s lives. Scientific literacy helps people to make sense of the explosion of information they encounter every day. Scientific Inquiry courses use scientific methodologies to examine relationships between events in the natural world and make students aware that science occurs in a social, cultural, political, and ethical context.
Use of scientific methods in laboratory or field settings is an integral part of these courses. As students plan investigations, collect, analyze, and interpret data, and develop their ability to propose answers, offer explanations, and make predictions, they come to see both the power and the limitations of science. Students investigate the distinctions between rational thinking and anecdotal argumentation and develop an understanding that answers are never final, but always subject to revision.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANDI 1205 | Artifacts, Customs & Fossils: Studying Humans through Anthropological Prespectives | 4 |
| ANDI 2205 | The Science of Archaeology | 4 |
| BIDI 1090 | Curiosity and the Nature of New Hampshire | 4 |
| BIDI 1240 | Biology of the Northern Woods | 4 |
| BIDI 2010 | Human Biology I | 4 |
| CHDI 1600 | The Science of Crime-Solving | 4 |
| CJDI 1500 | Profiling Criminal Behavior | 4 |
| CMDI 2200 | The Science of Animation Programming | 4 |
| CSDI 2200 | Exploring Innovation and Engineering | 3 |
| CSDI 2930 | Robotics For Everybody | 4 |
| ESDI 1100 | Resource Management - an Earth Systems Science (ESS) Approach | 4 |
| ESDI 2500 | Environmental Science | 4 |
| ESDI 2610 | Earth Systems Science: The Hazardous Earth | 4 |
| GEDI 1200 | Environmental Geography | 3 |
| LIDI 2850 | Forensic Linguistics: Using Language to Solve Crimes | 4 |
| LIDI 2955 | Language Acquisition | 4 |
| MTDI 1200 | Weather and Climate | 3 |
| MTDI 1250 | Weather and Climate | 4 |
| MTDI 1500 | Severe and Hazardous Weather | 3 |
| PHDI 2200 | Introductory Astronomy | 4 |
| PSDI 2035 | Mind, Brain, and Evolution | 4 |
| PSDI 2195 | Quack Remedies, False Prophets, and Unwarranted Claims | 4 |
| PYDI 2715 | Science or Pseudo-Science | 4 |
Self and Society (4 credits)
A rich and productive life encompasses an understanding of one’s self and one’s relationship to the world. An educated person must grapple with a question that has interested human beings for centuries: the relationship between self and society. To understand one’s self, one must understand and acknowledge the impact of society on the development of identity and the formation of beliefs. The needs of the individual sometimes conflict with the needs of society. Cultures differ in the relative value they give to the individual and to the group.
Using issues that impact on students’ lives, Self and Society courses explore questions of these sorts. They encourage students to inquire into multiple dimensions of self including the social, physical, emotional, and cognitive, and to investigate the interactions between individuals and the spatial, temporal, political, economic, and technological aspects of the social environment.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AHDI 2000 | Fashion Statements | 4 |
| ARDI 1300 | Myths, Masks, and Identity | 3 |
| BIDI 1500 | Insects and Society | 3 |
| BIDI 2050 | Plants and Society | 3 |
| BUDI 2350 | Personal Financial Planning | 4 |
| BUDI 2400 | Personal Financial Planning | 4 |
| BUDI 2840 | Career Exploration | 4 |
| CJDI 1030 | The Individual and the Law | 4 |
| CMDI 2015 | "Deviants" in Film and Society | 4 |
| CSDI 1500 | Computers: Fact, Fiction, Fantasy, and Film | 3 |
| ENDI 1320 | Murder, Mayhem, and Madness: Reflections of the Self and Society in Literature | 4 |
| ENDI 1440 | Social Justice and American Literature | 4 |
| ENDI 1455 | The Outsider | 4 |
| ENDI 1555 | Wilderness Literature | 4 |
| ENDI 2105 | The Story | 4 |
| HIDI 1306 | Childhood in American History | 4 |
| HIDI 1320 | Cultural Contact in World History | 4 |
| HIDI 1361 | Beyond Mockingbird: Reading Race, Class, & Identity in 20th-Century US History | 4 |
| HIDI 1430 | Making Sense of "Madness:" Diagnoses and Data | 4 |
| ISDI 2025 | Global Cinema | 4 |
| ISDI 2100 | Issues in Sustainability | 3 |
| ISDI 2200 | Play and Society | 4 |
| LIDI 2025 | Queer Language, Culture, and Identity | 4 |
| LIDI 2750 | Language & Identity | 4 |
| MUDI 2050 | Your Unique Voice | 4 |
| PODI 1051 | Global Problems, Power and Politics | 4 |
| PODI 1110 | Conspiracies v.s. Conspiracy Theories | 4 |
| PODI 1600 | Being an American | 4 |
| PYDI 1030 | Thinking for Yourself | 3 |
| PYDI 1135 | Ethics in Everyday Lives | 4 |
| SODI 2205 | Exploring Social Life | 4 |
| SPDI 2200 | Latin American Literature in English Translation | 3 |
| SPDI 2250 | The Latino Boom: A Survey of US-Latino Literature | 3 |
Connections
The Connections component allows the HoME Program to further develop the practice of the Habits of Mind at a more advanced level than Directions or within specific academic contexts. They help students develop into educated people and can tie into the curriculum of majors and minors. Typically, they are taken after a student's initial year, unless they are connected to a major, minor, or foreign language.
Majors have three Connections which are not in the HoME Program because they address discipline-specific skills outside of the Habits of Mind construct. Often these involve prerequisites that are outside the First-Year Experience and Directions components of the HoME Program. The three are noted in catalog course descriptions as, respectively: WRCO (Writing in the Discipline Connection), QRCO (Quantitative Reasoning in the Discipline Connection), and TECO (Technology in the Discipline Connection.) Because these are created and maintained by the majors that choose to denote them as such, they add no credit to the HoME Program requirements.
There are three HoME Connection courses: the Diversity Connection (DICO), the Global Awareness Connection (GACO), and the Wellness Connection (WECO).
HoME Connection: Diversity5 (3-4 credits)
Becoming educated involves developing awareness of, sensitivity to, and appreciation for viewpoints other than those to which we have been acculturated. Through such development comes increased respect for those different from oneself. Understanding the diversity of US society ultimately helps students thrive as individuals, both on camps and after they graduate.
Students take a three or four-credit Diversity (DICO) course (either within the major or not) designed to broaden and deepen awareness and appreciation of differences and commonalties of sub-cultural groups in the US society defined by differences in race, ethnicity, ability, social class, religion, politics, gender, or sexual orientation. International courses do not address diversity in US society so DICO credit is omitted from international courses. Diversity courses expose students to the life stories and the voices of members of different groups in the US, and by exploring issues of equity, opportunity, and justice in US society.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AE 2660 | Planning and Pedagogy for a Diverse World | 4 |
| AH 3735 | Gender, Representation, and the Visual Arts | 4 |
| BI 3240 | Conservation | 3 |
| BUS 1200 | Business Law and Ethics | 4 |
| CJ 3075 | Race, Class, Crime and Justice | 4 |
| CJ 3157 | Society, Ethics, and the Law | 4 |
| CJ 3515 | Women and Crime | 4 |
| CM 3006 | Analyzing Screen Media | 4 |
| CN 1026 | Fundamentals of Chinese II | 4 |
| CS 4520 | CyberEthics | 3 |
| ED 3000 | Identity in a Diverse Society | 4 |
| EN 2440 | Rethinking Early American Literature | 4 |
| EN 2460 | Rethinking Modern American Literature | 4 |
| ENDI 1440 | Social Justice and American Literature | 4 |
| ESP 3800 | Food Systems: Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Modern Agriculture | 4 |
| FR 1011 | French Language and Culture Studies I | 4 |
| FR 1012 | French Language and Culture Studies II | 4 |
| FR 2023 | French Language and Culture Studies III | 4 |
| FR 2024 | French Language and Culture Studies IV | 4 |
| FR 4815 | The Diversity of Franco Communities in the United States | 3 |
| HI 3145 | Antebellum America, 1815-1860 | 4 |
| HI 3351 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality in American History | 4 |
| HI 3359 | Law and Society in US History | 4 |
| HI 3526 | The Great Depression in Film, Print, and On Stage: An Interdisciplinary History | 4 |
| HI 3535 | Home Front, USA: The WWII Era in the United States | 4 |
| HI 3571 | Interrogating US History | 4 |
| IS 4360 | Cultural Diversity and American Society | 3 |
| LIDI 2025 | Queer Language, Culture, and Identity | 4 |
| LIDI 2750 | Language & Identity | 4 |
| MGM 3450 | Organizational Behavior & Team Development | 4 |
| MU 3250 | Global Jazz | 3 |
| MU 3460 | Music In Context I - Music and Identity in the Americas | 3 |
| NR 3020 | Introduction to Patient-Centered Care | 3 |
| PE 3610 | Adapted Physical Education | 3 |
| PO 2025 | Public Administration | 4 |
| PS 3200 | Psychology of Women | 3 |
| PY 3157 | Society, Ethics, and the Law | 4 |
| PY 3330 | Business Ethics | 3 |
| PY 3370 | Ethics and Communication | 3 |
| PY 3725 | Lizzie Borden Took an Axe | 4 |
| SL 1953 | American Sign Language 1 | 4 |
| SL 1954 | American Sign Language 2 | 4 |
| SL 2950 | American Sign Language I | 3 |
| SL 2960 | American Sign Language II | 3 |
| SO 2225 | Foundations of Sociology | 4 |
| SO 3185 | Sociology of Deviance | 4 |
| SO 3375 | Sociology of Race and Ethnicity | 4 |
| SP 1011 | Spanish Language and Culture Studies I | 4 |
| SP 1012 | Spanish Language and Culture Studies II | 4 |
| SP 1013 | Conversational Spanish I | 4 |
| SU 3112 | Social Science Perspectives on Sustainability | 4 |
| SW 3430 | Diversity and Oppression | 3 |
| TE 3305 | Foundations of Multilingual Multicultural Studies | 4 |
| TH 3430 | American Theatre | 4 |
| TMP 3050 | Cultural and Heritage Tourism | 4 |
HoME Connection: Global Awareness5 (3-4 credits)
Educated people are aware that human beings are interdependent members of a world community, that there are both similarities and differences in the societies and cultures of the world, and that the manners in which people live their lives need not be exactly alike.
Students take a three or four-credit Global Awareness (GACO) course (either within the major or not) designed to expose them to the important societal issues facing the world and to encourage them to develop the ability to appreciate and think about issues from different points of view. Global Awareness courses focus on the forces that have shaped peoples, cultures, nations, and regions of the world. They increase students’ understanding of each person’s position, participation, obligations, and responsibilities within the world community.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AH 1150 | Art History Foundations: Prehistory to 1400 | 4 |
| AH 3000 | Contemporary Art Since 1940 | 4 |
| AHS 3305 | Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine | 4 |
| AN 2100 | Foundations of Anthropology | 4 |
| AN 3005 | Great Archaeological Discoveries | 4 |
| AN 3120 | Anthropology of Migration | 4 |
| AN 3405 | Anthropology of Sub-Saharan Africa | 4 |
| BI 3240 | Conservation | 3 |
| BUS 1400 | Principles of Economics | 4 |
| CJ 3515 | Women and Crime | 4 |
| CM 3485 | Global Perspectives in the Media | 4 |
| CN 1015 | Fundamentals of Chinese I | 3 |
| CN 1016 | Fundamentals of Chinese I | 4 |
| EN 3515 | Currents in Global Literature | 4 |
| ESP 3325 | Climate, Risk, and Adaptation | 3 |
| ESP 3326 | Climate, Risk, and Adaptation | 3 |
| ESP 3900 | Oceanography | 3 |
| FR 1011 | French Language and Culture Studies I | 4 |
| FR 1012 | French Language and Culture Studies II | 4 |
| FR 2023 | French Language and Culture Studies III | 4 |
| FR 2024 | French Language and Culture Studies IV | 4 |
| FR 3035 | French Popular Culture and Technology | 4 |
| HI 2006 | Ancient and Medieval Civilizations | 4 |
| HI 2011 | Modern World History, 1500 to Present | 4 |
| HI 3210 | History of China | 4 |
| HI 3220 | Sex, Slavery, and Empire in Global History | 4 |
| HI 3230 | Topics in European History | 4 |
| HI 3465 | The British Empire in World History | 4 |
| HI 3485 | The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era, 1789-1815 | 4 |
| HI 3590 | Religious Conflict in Early Modern Europe | 4 |
| HI 3775 | Islamic Empires | 4 |
| HI 3825 | Topics in World History | 4 |
| MT 2000 | Fundamentals of Meteorology and Climatology | 3 |
| MU 3250 | Global Jazz | 3 |
| MU 3470 | Music In Context II - Philosophy and Music | 3 |
| NR 4020 | Global Health and Population-Based Health Care | 3 |
| PO 1035 | World Politics | 4 |
| PO 3005 | Politics and Conflict in the Middle East | 4 |
| PO 3085 | Model United Nations | 4 |
| PO 3255 | Model United Nations | 4 |
| PO 3305 | Latin American Politics | 4 |
| PO 3505 | Politics and Conflict in the Middle East | 4 |
| PY 1010 | Ultimate Questions | 3 |
| PY 3345 | Military Ethics | 3 |
| PY 3560 | Philosophical Perspectives on War and Peace | 3 |
| PY 3825 | Understanding Existentialism | 4 |
| SP 1011 | Spanish Language and Culture Studies I | 4 |
| SP 1012 | Spanish Language and Culture Studies II | 4 |
| SP 1013 | Conversational Spanish I | 4 |
| SP 1014 | Conversational Spanish II | 4 |
| SP 2025 | Intermediate Spanish | 4 |
| SP 3030 | Advanced Spanish | 3 |
| SP 3500 | Advanced Spanish | 4 |
| SU 3112 | Social Science Perspectives on Sustainability | 4 |
| SU 3115 | Economic and Ecological Sustainability | 4 |
| SW 3300 | Mental Health and Society | 3 |
| SW 3500 | Health and Society | 3 |
| TMP 2010 | Introduction to Travel and Tourism | 4 |
HoME Connection: Wellness5 (3-4 credits)
To be fully educated, people need respect for and understanding of howhealth, physical activity, and wellness contribute to mental acuity and emotional well-being. Awareness of and attention to the physical can enhance the cognitive and emotional aspects of life.
Students take a three or four-credit Wellness (WECO) course (either within the major or not) designed to increase their understanding of the connection between mind and body.
These courses expose students to the theory and practice of life-span wellness and fitness activity, and to the knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills needed to live well. Their goal is to help students cultivate life skills, which will promote mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AN 3510 | Illness, Wellness, and Healing | 4 |
| AR 3221 | Multi-Media: Ceramic Concepts | 4 |
| BI 2270 | Integrative Biology | 4 |
| BIDI 2010 | Human Biology I | 4 |
| BU 3720 | Career Development | 3 |
| BUDI 2400 | Personal Financial Planning | 4 |
| CJ 3370 | Wellness for Criminal Justice | 4 |
| CM 3515 | Communication, Media, and Wellness | 4 |
| DN 3071 | Moving Intelligence and Body Design | 4 |
| ED 2400 | Child and Youth Development in Context | 4 |
| EN 1555 | Adolescent Development and Teaching Humanities | 3 |
| ER 2155 | Play and Learning in Early Childhood | 4 |
| ESP 3550 | Environment and Health | 3 |
| ESP 3700 | Medical Geology | 4 |
| ESP 3800 | Food Systems: Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Modern Agriculture | 4 |
| HE 2900 | Disease, Safety, and Environment | 3 |
| HE 3110 | Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating | 3 |
| HE 3200 | Stress Management | 3 |
| HE 3210 | Mental Health Issues | 3 |
| HE 3670 | CPR/AED & First Aid; Basic and Instructor Training | 3 |
| HE 3700 | Drug Behavior | 3 |
| HE 3730 | Sex and Family Living | 3 |
| HE 4100 | Women's Health Issues | 3 |
| HI 3355 | Health and Illness in American History | 4 |
| MUDI 2050 | Your Unique Voice | 4 |
| NR 3070 | Health and Wellness of Older Adults | 3 |
| PE 2860 | Adventure Programming for Physical Educators | 3 |
| PE 2880 | Adventures in Wellness | 3 |
| PEHE 2000 | Wellness Choices for Healthy Living | 3 |
| PY 3310 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| PY 3325 | Medical Ethics | 3 |
| PY 3365 | Ethics and Psychology | 4 |
| SO 3510 | Illness, Wellness, and Healing | 4 |
| SO 3605 | Sustainability in Practice | 4 |
| SSE 1550 | Adolescent Development and Teaching Humanities | 3 |
| SW 2510 | Substance Use Disorders | 4 |
| SW 3050 | Perspectives on Aging | 3 |
| SW 3500 | Health and Society | 3 |
| TH 2820 | Acting I | 3 |
| TMP 2303 | Stay Work Play : Wellness in Hospitality Management | 4 |
Major Connection: Quantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines6 (3-4 credits within the major)
Mathematics finds application in all fields of scholarship. All disciplines make use of quantitative reasoning in some way and to some extent.
Students take a three or four-credit Quantitative Reasoning (QRCO) course if it is specified as required for their major. This course may be taught within the major discipline or not. It might teach quantitative techniques used as primary or secondary tools within the discipline, or might be a course in which students of less quantitative disciplines come to deepen their appreciation of the relevance of quantitative reasoning to us all.
Note that any major's Quantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines requirement must be fulfilled by a student taking a course that is not used to fulfill HoME's Mathematics Foundations requirement.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 4100 | Accounting Info Systems and Analytics | 4 |
| AG 3800 | Publication Design | 4 |
| AHS 3305 | Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine | 4 |
| AR 3060 | Multi-Media: Design for the Body | 4 |
| AR 3160 | Multi-Media: Objects and Design | 4 |
| BI 4050 | Ecology | 4 |
| BU 2240 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| CH 2335 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CJ 3260 | Data Analysis for Criminal Justice | 4 |
| CM 4655 | Communication Research Methods | 4 |
| DAT 3000 | Intro to Data Analytics | 4 |
| EN 1600 | Studies in English | 4 |
| FIN 3100 | Financial Analytics | 4 |
| GE 2050 | GIS I: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| HI 2223 | Methods, Theories, and Careers in History | 4 |
| HW 3705 | Social Statistics | 4 |
| MA 1500 | Mathematics and the Humanities | 3 |
| MA 1900 | Statistical Literacy in Today's Society | 3 |
| MA 2120 | Mathematics for Grades 4-6 Educators | 4 |
| MA 2130 | Precalculus | 4 |
| MA 2210 | Finite Math with Business Statistics | 4 |
| MA 2300 | Statistics I | 3 |
| MA 2550 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MA 2560 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MGM 3190 | Business Operations Analytics | 4 |
| MKT 3120 | Marketing Research and Consumer Insights | 4 |
| NR 4060 | Research Process and Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| PE 3565 | Measurement and Assessment in Physical Education | 3 |
| PS 3115 | Research Methods and Statistics I | 4 |
| PY 2310 | Elements of Logic | 3 |
| SS 3705 | Social Statistics | 4 |
| SU 3115 | Economic and Ecological Sustainability | 4 |
| SW 3705 | Social Statistics | 4 |
| TH 2500 | Stagecraft Fundamentals | 3 |
Major Connection: Technology in the Disciplines6 (3-4 credits within the major)
In the modern world, technology has application to every academic discipline, and educated people must have an understanding of technology that will allow them to adapt to rapid technological change.
Students take a three or four-credit Technology in the Disciplines (TECO) course if it is specified as required for the major. This course may be taught within the major discipline or not. The course will help students examine the role of technology within their own discipline and within a larger societal and cultural context. The TECO course will provide students with hands-on experience using current technologies; with a broad understanding of the concepts underlying current technology; with an understanding of the potential ethical issues involved with the use of technology; and with an understanding of forces, based in the needs and values of our culture, that drive technological innovation.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 4100 | Accounting Info Systems and Analytics | 4 |
| AG 2100 | Design Software Basics | 4 |
| AN 4415 | Methods of Social Research | 4 |
| AP 3101 | Immersion Wilderness Expedition | 4 |
| AR 1080 | Art Foundations: Digital and New Media | 4 |
| BI 1110 | Biological Science I | 4 |
| BUS 1300 | Digital Information Technologies | 4 |
| CD 1000 | Children and Youth in Schools and Community | 3 |
| CH 3550 | Instrumental Analysis | 4 |
| CJ 3260 | Data Analysis for Criminal Justice | 4 |
| CJ 3450 | Technology in criminal justice | 4 |
| CM 2000 | Studies in Communication and Media | 4 |
| CM 2775 | Media and Cultural Studies | 4 |
| CM 3095 | Technical Communication | 4 |
| CM 3675 | Journalism in the Digital Age | 4 |
| CS 2010 | Computing Fundamentals | 3 |
| DAT 3000 | Intro to Data Analytics | 4 |
| ED 2800 | Inclusive Education and Technology | 4 |
| ED 3350 | Classroom Planning, Management, and Organization for Middle School and Secondary Educators | 3 |
| EN 2440 | Rethinking Early American Literature | 4 |
| EN 2490 | Rethinking Modern British Literature, 1660-1945 | 4 |
| ESP 3335 | Environmental Geology | 4 |
| FIN 3100 | Financial Analytics | 4 |
| FR 3035 | French Popular Culture and Technology | 4 |
| GE 2050 | GIS I: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| HE 3220 | Applied Nutrition for Healthy Living | 3 |
| HI 3571 | Interrogating US History | 4 |
| HI 4455 | History Capstone Seminar | 4 |
| IP 4500 | Interdisciplinary Studies Senior Seminar | 4 |
| MA 3355 | Introduction to Mathematical Modeling | 4 |
| ME 3500 | Technology for Music Educators | 3 |
| MT 4280 | Synoptic Meteorology | 4 |
| MT 4405 | Numerical Weather Prediction | 3 |
| MU 2105 | Introduction to Music Technology | 4 |
| MU 3240 | Technology in Music Performance | 4 |
| NR 4600 | Leadership, Collaboration & Quality Health Care Systems | 3 |
| PBH 2200 | Assessment and Communication in Public Health | 4 |
| PE 2550 | Foundations of Physical Education | 3 |
| PO 3065 | Political Analysis and Policy | 4 |
| PO 3125 | Political Parties, Elections, and Interest Groups | 4 |
| PS 3115 | Research Methods and Statistics I | 4 |
| PTDI 2450 | Digital Photography | 3 |
| PY 3380 | Humans and Humanoids: Ethics in Technology | 3 |
| PY 3610 | Philosophy of Technology | 3 |
| SO 4415 | Methods of Social Research | 4 |
| SP 3030 | Advanced Spanish | 3 |
| SW 4020 | Social Work Research Methods | 3 |
| TH 2100 | Technology for Theatre Professionals | 3 |
Major Connection: Writing in the Disciplines6 (3-4 credits within the major)
Students take a three or four-credit Writing in the Disciplines (WRCO) course if it is required by the major. The WRCO must be a course in addition to HoME's Composition requirement. A WRCO designated by a major contains significant writing experiences appropriate to the major's discipline or disciplines. These experiences must include Writing Across the Curriculum activities that facilitate student learning and help students become better writers. At a minimum these activities demonstrate three specific aspects:
- Students in the course do substantial writing that enhances learning and demonstrates knowledge of the subject or the discipline. Writing assignments should be an integral part of the course and account for a significant part (approximately 50 percent or more) of the final grade.
- The course demonstrates an approach to writing as a process where students have the opportunity to submit and receive feedback on multiple drafts of major assignments.
- Students have the opportunity to write for formal and informal, graded and ungraded occasions throughout the course with an emphasis on the use of writing as a mode of learning.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AG 3450 | History of Graphic Design | 4 |
| AH 3000 | Contemporary Art Since 1940 | 4 |
| AHS 3305 | Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine | 4 |
| AP 3320 | Adventure Education Philosophy and Theory | 3 |
| BI 4050 | Ecology | 4 |
| BI 4150 | Developmental Biology | 4 |
| BI 4170 | Ecology and Development | 4 |
| BI 4770 | Animal Physiology | 4 |
| BI 4780 | Neurobiology | 4 |
| BUS 2300 | Business Writing and Presenting | 4 |
| CH 3410 | Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics and Kinetics | 4 |
| CH 3550 | Instrumental Analysis | 4 |
| CJ 3225 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 4 |
| CJ 3450 | Technology in criminal justice | 4 |
| CJ 4805 | Criminal Justice Seminar | 4 |
| CM 3095 | Technical Communication | 4 |
| CM 3645 | Communication Theory | 4 |
| CM 3675 | Journalism in the Digital Age | 4 |
| CS 4520 | CyberEthics | 3 |
| ED 2600 | Learning and Development | 4 |
| EN 1600 | Studies in English | 4 |
| ESP 2305 | Foundations of Environmental Policy | 4 |
| ESP 4550 | Environmental Science and Policy Seminar | 4 |
| EX 4770 | Exercise Physiology for Special Populations | 3 |
| EX 4840 | Research Methods in Exercise Science | 3 |
| FR 3135 | Advanced French Composition | 4 |
| HI 2223 | Methods, Theories, and Careers in History | 4 |
| IP 4500 | Interdisciplinary Studies Senior Seminar | 4 |
| MA 2700 | Introduction to Mathematical Proof Writing | 3 |
| MA 4140 | Abstract Algebra | 3 |
| MT 4725 | Meteorological Remote Sensing | 3 |
| MU 3320 | History and Literature of Music II | 3 |
| MU 3470 | Music In Context II - Philosophy and Music | 3 |
| NR 4060 | Research Process and Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| PBH 3400 | Program Planning for Public Health | 4 |
| PE 3565 | Measurement and Assessment in Physical Education | 3 |
| PO 3060 | Political Analysis and Policy | 4 |
| PO 3065 | Political Analysis and Policy | 4 |
| PO 3305 | Latin American Politics | 4 |
| PS 3125 | Research Methods and Statistics II | 4 |
| SP 3220 | Advanced Spanish Composition | 3 |
| SU 3333 | Environmental Humanities | 4 |
| SW 4550 | Social Work Integrative Seminar | 3 |
| TH 3430 | American Theatre | 4 |
| TMP 3050 | Cultural and Heritage Tourism | 4 |
| TMP 4010 | Tourism Development | 4 |
- 5
These HoME Connection courses may be double counted with a major or minor.
- 6
These courses, when taken as a Major Connection (QRCO, TECO, or WRCO), add no credits to the HoME Program.
Integrated Capstone - The "In-Cap" (INCP) (4 credits)
The Integrated Capstone (INCP) component of the General Education program provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their development of the Habits of Mind through a signature project. It is the capstone to the Program and, as such, is separate from any capstone experience in the major. Because it belongs to no single major, it brings together students from different disciplines to work on interdisciplinary, integrated projects that make a difference outside of the classroom.
The INCP is satisfied by the course IS 4220 Signature Project. Each section has a topic assigned to it, allowing students to choose the types of issue or problem their signature project might address. Some recent INCP classes have been titled: Advocating for Play, Rural Storytelling, Responding to Climate Change, Balancing Life & Career, Corporate Social Responsibility, Fashion Futures, Public Lands, and What is Art For?
In IS 4220 Signature Project, students use disciplinary expertise from their major and their mastery of the Habits of Mind, to collaborate on articulating, developing, planning, and implementing a signature project that addresses a significant problem, issue, or question. A signature project:
- Is student-driven: While faculty, staff, and community partners provide guidance and coaching, student agency and independence move the project forward.
- Is completed collaboratively: The project is large and complex enough that it requires input and work from more than one person to be successful.
- Is transdisciplinary: The project integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines and sources to create something new that could not be created without all of them.
- Reaches beyond the walls of the classroom: The work of the project touches the world outside the classroom in some way.
- Has an external audience for project results: The results of the project are presented to someone who is outside of the class.
- Is completed ethically and respectfully: Work on the project engages internal/external audiences and/or partners with mutual benefit.
- Requires metacognitive reflection: Students reflect on what and how they learn and how their learned knowledge, skills, and dispositions might be transferable to other contexts.
Transfer of General Education Courses
A course, or courses, must fulfill the transfer criteria established by Plymouth State University. When discrepancies occur, the transfer and articulation specialist shall consult with the department chair for clarification on details of course description or the amount of credit to be honored. In cases where a clear decision is not apparent, or where students make a challenge of a decision, it shall become the responsibility of the academic affairs office to make a decision.
Courses that are transferred into Plymouth State University receive a HoME or general education designation in one of the following ways:
- The appropriate department declares the course to be equivalent to a PSU course that carries the General Education designation.
- The transfer and articulation specialist assigns the designation as part of the initial evaluation of transfer credit or as part of the review of the Transfer Credit Approval form.
- The academic affairs office approves a Student Request for such designation (this option provides a mechanism of appeal of the first two).
Writing Across the Curriculum
Plymouth State University believes in Writing Across the Curriculum, activities that engage students in the process of writing in many places throughout the curriculum. As students write to learn, they learn to write.