General Education at the United International College 1 Presented by GEO Staff General Education Office

I. Introduction Welcome to the United International College! I wish you the absolutely best of luck in your studies at UIC! 2

II. UIC and Liberal Arts Education UIC’s Motto: “A New Liberal Arts College to Serve China and the World ” UIC defines itself as a “Liberal Arts College.” What Is Liberal Arts Education? 3

II. UIC and Liberal Arts Education The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) provides the following definition: ◦ Liberal Arts Education “is an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest.” 4

II. UIC and Liberal Arts Education As a Liberal Arts College, UIC equips each of its students with two kinds of knowledge: ◦ A specialized knowledge in the academic discipline of the student’s major; and ◦ A “broad knowledge” of a range of academic disciplines in the sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. As UIC students, you will receive a Liberal Arts Education! 5

III. General Education What Is General Education (GE)? ◦ Many people, including academics, often confuse the term “Liberal Arts Education” with another one— “General Education.” But, the two terms do not mean the same thing! “General Education” is a part of a Liberal Arts Education. It is the part of a Liberal Arts Education that provides students with the “broad knowledge” of a range of academic disciplines in the sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. Thus, it consists of courses in a variety of disciplines in the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. 6

III. General Education As UIC students, you will have to take mainly two kinds of courses: ◦ Courses in your major; and ◦ General Education courses. At UIC, all GE courses are organized into a General Education (GE) Program. The GE Program is an autonomous curriculum within the four-year undergraduate curriculum at UIC. It has its own special pedagogical objectives. 7

IV. The Goals of UIC’s GE Program In general, the goal of UIC’s General Education Program is to promote Whole Person Education through a range of courses focusing on transferable skills, guiding principles and attitudes that all students will need in their future professional and personal lives. It is hoped that, as a result of enrolling in GE courses, students will construct a deeper understanding of the world around them at a personal, societal, and historical level, thus becoming able to determine where they can best contribute their unique talents in the complex and ever-changing globalized world. 8

General Education courses develop in students the abilities to: ◦ Communicate effectively in English and Chinese; ◦ Access and manage complex information and problems using technologically appropriate means; ◦ Use mathematical reasoning to address problems in everyday life; IV. The Goals of UIC’s GE Program 9

◦ Pursue an active and healthy lifestyle; ◦ Use historical and cultural perspectives to gain insight into contemporary issues; ◦ Apply various value systems to decision-making in personal, professional, and social situations; ◦ Make connections among a variety of disciplines to gain insight into contemporary personal, professional, and community situations. 10

V. The Structure of UIC’s GE Program To earn a Bachelor’s degree at UIC, students need to complete a total of 132 credit units of course work. Out of these credits, they are required to take a total of 48 units of General Education courses, including 4 Whole Person Education Experiential (WPEX) Modules. Students are advised to consult their teachers, Program Coordinator or the Undergraduate Handbook of their study program for detailed credit requirements in GE subjects. 11

V. The Structure of UIC’s GE Program Course CategoriesCredit Units Major Courses60 General Education Core (GEC) Requirements32 General Education Distribution (GED) Requirements12 Free Electives24 Whole Person Education Experiential (WPEX) Modules4 Total132 12

V. The Structure of UIC’s GE Program The GE Core Requirements: ◦ The aim of the GEC courses is to provide students with transferable skills, guiding principles on attitudes, and values that will help them lead balanced and successful lives both during and after their college education. 13

V. The Structure of UIC’s GE Program 14 GEC RequirementsUnits English Courses (English I, English II, English III, Academic Reading and Writing) 12 Chinese Courses (University Chinese, Chinese Thought through the Ages, Selected Themes in Chinese History and Civilization) 9 Information Management Technology (IT for Success in Everyday Life and Work) 3 Numeracy (Speaking of Mathematics, Mathematics Around Us, and Speaking of Statistics) 3 Values and the Meaning of Life (Applied Ethics in Humanities and Social Sciences, Applied Ethics in Science and Technology, Business Ethics) 3 Physical Education 2 Total 32

V. The Structure of UIC’s GE Program The GE Distribution Requirements: ◦ The aim of the GED requirements is to broaden the scope of students’ learning by having them study areas of knowledge outside of their major discipline. ◦ The GED courses provide students with the learning experience to make connections among a variety of disciplines–in order to gain insight into contemporary personal, professional, and community situations. 15

V. The Structure of UIC’s GE Program ◦ More particularly, students are asked to take Foundation Courses, to be offered by UIC’s three academic divisions, the Centre for Foreign Languages and Cultures, and the General Education Office. 16

V. The Structure of UIC’s GE Program 17 GED RequirementsUnits Foundation Course in Business and Management3* Foundation Course in Humanities and Social Sciences3* Foundation Course in Science and Technology3* Foundation Course in World History and Civilization3 Foundation Course in a Foreign Language3 WPEX Modules4 Total16 * Students are required to take 2 Foundation Courses offered by the Divisions other than the one they are being admitted to.

V. The Structure of UIC’s GE Program The GE Distribution Requirements: Students admitted in and thereafter should only take Foundation Courses offered by Divisions other than the one they are admitted to, for 6 credit units. Students will then take 3 units of the Foundation Courses in a Foreign Language, offered by the Centre for Foreign Languages and Cultures, and 3 units of the Foundation Courses in World History and Civilization, offered by GEO. 18

VI. Year-One Study Plans in : DBM 19 Semester 1Unit(s)Semester 2Unit(s) GEC: English I 大學英文 I 3 GEC: Academic Reading and Writing 學術閱讀與寫作 3 GEC: University Chinese 大學國文 3 GEC: Chinese Thought through the Ages 中國社會思潮 3 GEC: Numeracy 數理思維 3 GED: Foundation Course in Science and Technology 理工科技基礎課 3 Free Elective 自選課 3 GEC: Information Management Technology 資訊管理技術 3 BBA Core Course 工商管理必修課 3 BBA Core Course 工商管理必修課 3 GEC: Physical Education 體育 1 GEC: Physical Education 體育 1 WPEX Module II 全人教育體驗學習模組 II 1 WPEX Module I 全人教育體驗學習模組 I 1 Total17Total17

VI. Year-One Study Plans in : DHSS and DST 20 Semester 1 Unit( s) Semester 2Unit(s) GEC: English I 大學英文 I 3 GEC: Academic Reading and Writing 學術閱讀與寫作 3 GEC: University Chinese 大學國文 3 GEC: Chinese Thought through the Ages 中國社會思潮 3 GED: Foundation Course in Science and Technology * /Foundation Course in a Foreign Language # 理工科技基礎課 * / 外語基礎課 # 3 GED: Foundation Course in Business and Management 工商管理基礎課 3 Major Course/Free Elective ※ 專業課 / 自選課※ 3 Major Course/Free Elective ※ 專業課 / 自選課※ 3 GEC: Information Management Technology 資訊管理技術 3 GEC: Numeracy 數理思維 3 GEC: Physical Education 體育 1 GEC: Physical Education 體育 1 WPEX Module I 全人教育體驗學習模組 I 1 WPEX Module II 全人教育體驗學習模組 II 1 Total17Total17

The academic unit that runs UIC’s General Education Program is the General Education Office. General Education Office Staff: ◦ Mildred YANG, Professor, Director of GEO, Specialty: Food Science and Technology ◦ Milen JISSOV, Assistant Professor and Associate Director, Specialty: Modern European Intellectual History ◦ Chris LAM, Professor, Specialty: Law ◦ James CHEN, Professor, Specialty: British and American Literature ◦ Siu Han CHAN, Assistant Professor, Specialty: Sociology ◦ Kris HO, Assistant Professor, Specialty: Contemporary Music ◦ Nazrul ISLAM, Assistant Professor, Specialty: Sociology and Public Health VII. General Education Office and Staff 21

VII. General Education Office and Staff General Education Office Staff: ◦ Xiang WANG, Assistant Professor, Specialty: East Asian Buddhism ◦ Kelly INGLIS, Assistant Professor, Specialty: Philosophy ◦ Mr. Andrew WEBB-MITCHELL, Lecturer, Specialty: Music ◦ Ms. Sandra LAU, Instructor ◦ Mark Llyod PERRY, Assistant Professor, Specialty: History ◦ Barbara DALLE-PEZZE, Assistant Professor, Specialty: Philosophy ◦ David John WALTERS, Assistant Professor, Specialty: Music ◦ Stacey SU, Administrative Officer ◦ Carol HUANG, Administrative Assistant 22

Thank You! 23