University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Policy Name: General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate and Associate Degrees
Policy Number: LR 503.3
Effective Date: January 19, 2021
Revised Dates: April 1, 2010; January 5, 2015; October 30, 2020
Most Recent Review Date: October 30, 2020
Policy:
General Education Requirements (UA Little Rock Core Curriculum)
General education nurtures in students the knowledge, skills, habits of mind, and values that provide a foundation for their baccalaureate program and for lifelong learning. General education fosters intellectual breadth, serves as a context for more specialized study, and is essential to the full development of persons who wish to participate meaningfully in the various communities of which they are a part.
Given these goals, we endorse the following Educational Outcomes in the areas of Knowledge, Skills, and Citizenship. We recognize that certain specific aspects of these outcomes will be discipline specific, and we expect that the level of competence in each area will be defined and assessed according to the individual disciplines. The recommendations for core courses and other curriculum changes should be informed by these general outcomes. As programs develop, changes, deletions, or additions may be necessary, and this document outlines a process for making those changes.
Educational Goals
Skills
- Communication (oral, written, visual, professional self-presentation).
- Critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and solving problems individually and collaboratively.
- Information technology (locating, retrieving, evaluating, synthesizing).
Knowledge
- The concepts, methodologies, findings, and applications of mathematics and the social and natural sciences, engineering, and technology.
- Concepts, methodologies, and global cultural heritage of the arts and humanities.
Values
- Ethical and personal responsibility.
- Civic responsibility.
- Global and cultural understanding.
General Education
The UA Little Rock Core Curriculum is 35 semester credits. The UA Little Rock Core Curriculum satisfies the Arkansas State Minimum Core. Some colleges, departments or programs may have additional requirements.
Every course in the UALR Core Curriculum must have a test-out option. The test must be reviewed by the appropriate program to ensure that it meets the needs of the UA Little Rock Core Curriculum.
UA Little Rock Standard Core (35 hours)
The UA Little Rock Core is intended to make available to students an introduction to the richness of human thought and creativity that find expression in the areas of the liberal arts, humanities, and social sciences. Additionally, the Core serves as the starting point for students to achieve the UA Little Rock Educational Goals while providing a maximum of transferable credits among colleges to allow students to explore a variety of disciplines before selecting a major. The Core consists of 6 hours of Communication – Written, 3 hours of Fine Arts, 3 hours of Flex, 3 hours of History of Civilization, 3 hours of Humanities, 3 hours of Mathematics, 8 hours of Science, 3 hours of Social Sciences, and 3 hours of U. S. Traditions.
Communication – Spoken (0-3 hours)
Courses in this area focus on developing student knowledge and skills in a variety of spoken communication contexts.
All courses in this area also address information technology, critical thinking, a commitment to ethical behavior, and civic and personal responsibility.
Communication – Written (6 hours)
Courses in this area focus on teaching students to develop ideas and express them clearly, adapt language to rhetorical situations, and build the skills needed to communicate ethically and effectively in their academic, professional, and civic lives.
Courses focus on reading and writing. All courses in this area also address information technology, critical thinking, a commitment to ethical behavior, and civic and personal responsibility.
Fine Arts (3 hours)
Courses in this area offer a broad overview of one or more art forms, with options for more precise focus. They focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts; involve the synthesis and interpretation of artistic expression; and enable critical and creative communication about works of art, with some attention to international aspects of the arts. These courses place an assessed emphasis on response to arts experience both on campus and in the community.
In addition to the knowledge domain of the arts, these courses address communication, critical thinking, information technology, ethical and personal responsibility, civic responsibility, and global and cultural understanding.
Flex (3 hours)*Ⴕ
Courses in this area offer students a choice. Students can take any course approved for the core in:
- Humanities
- Social Sciences
- English Language Communication – Spoken
- Interdisciplinary Studies
*Students in the School of Business are required to take ACOM 1300 for these 3 credit hours.
Ⴕ Engineering programs replace these 3 credit hours with 3 hours of mathematics and/or science per the State Minimum Core.
History of Civilization (3 hours)
Courses in this area are unique in that they bridge the humanities and social sciences. They convey knowledge of key historical people, events and the context in which scientific and humanistic reason and discovery take (and have taken) place.
These courses explore patterns of social and cultural change and transition over time, make connections between past and present, and facilitate critical and analytical thinking and writing.
Humanities (3 hours)
Courses in this area focus on the examination and interpretation of human thought and experience. These courses employ humanistic inquiry, a focused attention on interpreting a broad survey of textual and intellectual artifacts produced by individuals and groups in order to interrogate human experience as well as the meanings and values that individuals and cultures assign to it.
In addition to the knowledge domain of the humanities, these courses address communication, critical thinking, information technology, ethical and personal responsibility, civic responsibility, and global and cultural understanding.
Interdisciplinary Studies (0-3 hours)
Interdisciplinary core courses focus on at least two disciplines in order to examine how they may collaborate to address a particular issue or problem. They explore strengths and limitations of the disciplines, as well as possible avenues of integration. Every interdisciplinary course must address the criteria for at least one of the following curricular areas: Humanities, Social Sciences, or Communications – Speech. The emphasis on interdisciplinarity should balance the modifications to the content criteria necessitated by the sharing of class time between two or more disciplines.
Mathematics (3 hours)*
Courses in this area focus on teaching students the concepts and methodologies, findings and applications of mathematics while developing their inquiry and analysis skills. All courses in this area also address quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and a commitment to ethical behavior.
* Students in the School of Business are required to take Math 1302 or any other math for which Math 1302 is a prerequisite.
Science (8 hours)
Courses in this area focus on teaching students the concepts and methodologies, findings, and applications of science while developing their inquiry and analysis skills. All courses in this area use the scientific method, apply quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, problem-solving, information technology, and a commitment to ethical behavior. All courses must include a lecture and laboratory.
Social Sciences (3 hours)
Courses in this area address broad areas of individual, group, or societal behavior. They also focus on the application of theoretical perspectives and emphasize how scientific methods are applied to understanding behavior of individuals, groups, or societies.
In addition to the knowledge domain of the social sciences, these courses address communication, critical thinking, information technology, ethical and personal responsibility, civic responsibility, and global and cultural understanding.
U. S. Traditions (3 hours)
Courses in this area teach how our government is structured, the history of our nation, and how that history has shaped and is shaping our government.
Individual colleges will not be required to accept lower level courses to satisfy specified college/program requirements.
Donaghey Scholar courses must be accepted by all programs as meeting the Core; however, the Donaghey Scholars program is not required to accept the university Core courses in lieu of Donaghey Scholar program requirements.
General Education Requirements for Associate Degrees
An associate degree must contain the courses from the UALR Core Curriculum in the following curricular areas:
- Communications – Written (6 hours)
- U. S. Traditions (3 hours)
- Mathematics (3 hours)
Any associate of arts, associate of science, or associate of science in teaching which has been designated as a transfer degree per Act 182 of 2009 will adopt the UALR Core Curriculum.
The Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Arts in Teaching will be designated as transfer degrees per Act 182 of 2009.
U.S. Traditions: United States History or Government Requirement
Arkansas law requires that all students who receive an associate or baccalaureate degree successfully complete a course in U.S. history or U.S. government.
This requirement can be met by HIST 2311 U.S. History to 1877, HIST 2312 U.S. History Since 1877, or POLS 1310 American National Government. Other United States history or government courses may also meet this requirement. However, the student should check with an advisor in the Department of History or the Department of Political Science before choosing to meet the requirement with any other course.
Citation and Modification
This policy must be cited in any curricular documents that excerpt it (such as the Undergraduate Catalog) and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (or their designee) should review those documents before they are finalized. Wherever there is a substantive conflict between the document which quotes this policy and this policy, this policy shall be followed.
The Policy can be modified through legislative action of the Faculty Senate (see Article III of the Constitution of the Assembly of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock).
Source: Faculty Senate Minutes (10/30/2020; 8/2017, 1/5/2015, 4/1/2010)
Status: Active
Approved By: Christina Drale, Chancellor
Originator: Faculty Senate
Custodian: Faculty Senate