General Education Mission
The mission of foundational learning, also known as general education, at WVU Parkersburg reflects the institution’s mission to provide life-changing educational opportunities by broadening students’ abilities to pursue knowledge, communicate effectively, understand humanity, employ creativity, and identify and solve problems in order to engage in informed, thoughtful, and ethical citizenry. Foundational learning is not directly related to a student’s formal technical, vocational, or professional preparation; it is a part of every student’s course of study, regardless of a student’s area of emphasis.
West Virginia University at Parkersburg espouses the philosophy that education is both idea and act. Students are encouraged to think, to read, and to know, as well as to apply. In the Foundational Learning Courses (also known as general education courses), students are encouraged to challenge themselves in the following areas:
Demonstrate capabilities in
- Reading, writing, speaking, listening
- Abstract inquiry
- Logical reasoning
- Problem solving
- Technological proficiency
Increase understanding in
- Numerical data
- Scientific inquiry
- Global issues
- Historical perspectives
- Literary and/or philosophical expression of ideas
Develop an awareness of
- Ethical perspectives
- Cultural value systems
Expand appreciation of
- Fine and performing arts
General education supports the notion of a free, democratic society which, in turn, demands an informed, thoughtful, and ethical citizenry. Through general education, students are encouraged to observe how people are connected to each other, thereby discovering their common humanity. The core is designed to expose students to those activities and patterns of thought which are most truly human: the sciences, history, literature, and the arts. Through the core studies, students are encouraged to think critically and analytically, to integrate knowledge, to solve problems, to be innovative, to synthesize ideas and actions, and to care about the public good. In essence, General Education is a study of human life and a quest for knowing the best way to live.
Foundational Learning Courses (FLCs)
To ensure breadth and depth as students meet these broad education goals and meet the Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs), the curriculum focuses on six academic categories.
Aesthetics, Creativity, and Appreciation
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ART 101 | ~ART APPRECIATION | 3 |
| ART 111 | DRAWING 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 131 | ~TYPES OF LITERATURE 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 132 | ~TYPES OF LITERATURE 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 210 | INTRO TO CREATIVE WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 221 | ~WORLD LITERATURE 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 222 | ~WORLD LITERATURE 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 241 | ~AMERICAN LITERATURE 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 242 | ~AMERICAN LITERATURE 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 257 | INTRO TO SCIENCE FICTION | 3 |
| ENGL 261 | ~ENGLISH LITERATURE 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 262 | ~ENGLISH LITERATURE 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 285 | GENDER IN LITERATURE | 3 |
| MUSI 170 | ~MUSIC APPRECIATION | 3 |
| THEA 101 | ~THEATRE APPRECIATION | 3 |
Human Communication and Interaction
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 105 | INTRODUCTION TO MASS MEDIA | 3 |
| COMM 111 | ~FUND OF PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 |
| COMM 112 | SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| COMM 202 | INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
People and Their Worlds
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 201 | ~MICROECONOMICS | 3 |
| ECON 202 | ~MACROECONOMICS | 3 |
| GEOG 102 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| GERM 101 | ELEMENTARY GERMAN 1 | 3 |
| HIST 101 | ~WEST CIV THROUGH REFORMATION | 3 |
| HIST 102 | ~WESTERN CIV FROM REFORMATION | 3 |
| HIST 152 | ~US HIST THROUGH CIVIL WAR | 3 |
| HIST 153 | ~US HIST FROM RECONSTRUCTION | 3 |
| HIST 250 | WV & THE APPALACHIAN REGION | 3 |
| PHIL 111 | INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY | 3 |
| PHIL 150 | INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS | 3 |
| PHIL 231 | WORKPLACE ETHICS | 3 |
| POLS 101 | ~INTRO TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| POLS 102 | ~AMERICAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | ~INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 241 | ~INTRO TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| SOC 101 | ~INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
| SOC 107 | SOCIAL PROBLEMS | 3 |
| SOC 221 | MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY | 3 |
Quantitative Reasoning
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 120 | QUANTITATIVE LITERACY | 3 |
| MATH 125 | TECHNICAL MATHEMATICS | 4 |
| MATH 126 | ~COLLEGE ALGEBRA | 3 |
| MATH 211 | ~STATISTICS | 3 |
Scientific Inquiry
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ASTR 106 | INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY | 4 |
| BIOL 101 | ~GENERAL BIOLOGY 1 | 3 |
| BIOL 102 | ~GENERAL BIOLOGY 2 | 3 |
| BIOL 103 | ~GENERAL BIOLOGY 1 LAB | 1 |
| BIOL 104 | ~GENERAL BIOLOGY 2 LAB | 1 |
| BIOL 105 | SCIENCE FOR LIFE | 4 |
| BIOL 107 | ~ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 108 | ~ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2 | 4 |
| BIOL 109 | ANAT & PHYS FOR ALLIED HEALTH | 4 |
| BIOL 115 | ~PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY | 4 |
| BIOL 117 | ~INTRODUCTORY PHYSIOLOGY | 4 |
| BIOL 171 | NUTRITION & HEALTH | 3 |
| CHEM 111 | ~INTRO TO GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 4 |
| CHEM 115 | ~FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY 1 | 4 |
| CHEM 116 | ~FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY 2 | 4 |
| GEOL 101 | ~PHYSICAL GEOLOGY | 3 |
| GEOL 102 | ~PHYSICAL GEOLOGY LAB | 1 |
| GEOL 103 | ~HISTORICAL GEOLOGY | 3 |
| GEOL 104 | ~HISTORICAL GEOLOGY LAB | 1 |
| GEOL 105 | ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY | 4 |
| GEOL 105L | ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY LAB | 0 |
| PHYS 101 | ~INTRO TO PHYSICS 1 | 4 |
| PHYS 102 | ~INTRO TO PHYSICS 2 | 4 |
| PHYS 111 | ~GENERAL PHYSICS 1 | 4 |
| PSCI 101 | FUND OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| PSCI 111 | ~INTRO TO PHYSICAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| PSCI 112 | ~INTRO TO EARTH SCIENCE | 4 |
Writing and Rhetoric
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 101 | ~COMPOSITION 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | ~COMPOSITION 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 107 | TECHNICAL WRITING 1 | 3 |