General Education Program

 

Welcome to WOU’s General Education Program site! 

Please reach out to the General Education Program via email at gened@wou.edu if you have any questions about General Education! 

 

Gen Ed Student Planning 2024-2025

News & Updates

Welcome to Winter 2025!

 

2024-2025 First Year Seminar Catalog

Class Highlights

Class: SPAN 101: First Year Spanish I Instructor: Dr. Claudia Costagliola

In this photo, students in SPAN 101 are engaged in an assessment focused on family and relationships’ This exam evaluates their mastery of Spanish through the four essential skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. By contextualizing the Spanish language within familiar themes like family, students learn to communicate meaningfully and authentically in real-life situations.

This activity contributes to General Education by fostering intellectual foundations through language, promoting critical thinking as students analyze cultural nuances, and preparing them to engage thoughtfully in a globalized world. SPAN 101 connects students with cultural values embedded in language, broadening their understanding of Hispanic societies in alignment with General Education goals.

General Education Category Foundations: Communication & Language

Class: D 101: Beginning Ballet Instructor: Corrie Cowart

Beginning Ballet is an introductory course in ballet technique, which will enhance the student’s understanding & appreciation of this aesthetic art form and its development through history. Students will attend weekly physical classes that develop and improve balance, flexibility, and musicality. Students will also learn the vocabulary of classical ballet and participate in research projects related to the art of ballet. This course focuses on integrative learning experiences and counts towards a students’ required general education credits. No previous experience is required.

General Education Category: Exploring Knowledge: Literary & Aesthetic Perspectives

Who We Are

Our Mission

General Education is a crucial component of the learning experience at Western Oregon University, providing students with fundamental skills for lifelong learning. Students apply, communicate, and integrate ideas from a variety of disciplines. They gain abilities to think and act critically as citizens of a complex and ever-changing world. The curriculum empowers students to pursue diverse interests and perform varying roles in their personal, social, and professional lives.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Put into practice different and varied forms of knowledge, inquiry, and expression that frame academic and applied learning. (Intellectual foundations and breadth of exposure)
2. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate information and develop well-reasoned and evidence-based conclusions. (Critical thinking)
3. Articulate the challenges, responsibilities, and privileges of belonging in a complex, diverse, interconnected world. (Citizenship)
4. Integrate knowledge, perspectives, and strategies across disciplines to answer questions and solve problems. (Multidisciplinary learning)

GENERAL EDUCATION CONTACT

E-mail: gened@wou.edu