RECOMMENDED REVISIONS FOR THE WESTERN CIVILIZATON CATEGORY

January 7, 2000

To: University Senate

From: General Education Subcommittee

Jerome Hahn, Chair

The Curriculum and Regulations Committee has approved a revision of the Western Civilization category of the General Education Program. The revised description, list of approved courses, procedures and effective date are as follows:

WESTERN CIVILIZATON, 3 semester hours

This category’s goal is to give students an understanding of the traditions, values, and institutions underlying Western civilization. It is assumed that students need an opportunity to "make visible" the historical forces behind the societies in which they live, behind the curriculum, behind the disciplines, and even behind the architecture of Bradley University itself. For the purposes of differentiating this category from the "Non-Western" category, "Western" means emphasis on Western Europe (see "chronological scope" below).

Upon completing this category, students should

know significant individuals, movements, ideal, values, institutions, and forces in the development of Western Civilization, with particular emphasis on "legacy" factors in contemporary life;

understand the broad themes and issues that span multiple dimensions(*) of civilization

gain a sense of both the uniqueness of the past and continuity between past and present;

learn skills of analyzing and interpreting historical significance and change;

be introduced to methods of integrating various dimensions of civilization;

learn a shared, non-technical vocabulary that enables educated people to communicate with one another.

A course satisfying this category must have the following two major characteristics:

BREADTH: The course must present a coherent analysis of three of the major dimensions (*) of civilization in Western Europe: arts, economics, intellectual activities, politics, religion, social organization, and technology. In some cases, the course may emphasize or foreground one of these dimensions through which to examine the whole.

CHRONOLOGICAL SCOPE: In order to offer significant but realistic chronological scope, the course

must fit into one of the following categories

A. Ancient Greeks and Romans to the 16^th Century (should include some

back ground in the following: ancient Middle East, Hebrews, and Persians,

early Islam, and Byzantium).

B. 16^th Century to the present (again, emphasis on Western Europe, but

with some attention to colonization and post-colonial issues).

C. Combination of significant portions of the two periods A and B above.

Note: "Significant" means at least 500 years for Western Civilization. For example, a course in the Reformations of the 16^th Century could very well meet the breadth requirement, but is not sufficient in chronological scope. A course in the Roman Empire would not contain significant time periods from both A and B.

Courses:

CIV 100 — Western Civilization

CIV 111 and CIV 112 — Unified Composition and Western Civilization: I, II

Procedures:

The CLEP examinations in Western Civilization I and II are acceptable.

Effective Date:

Fall 2001

* Definitions of dimensions used in Western and Non-Western Civilization

(suggestive, not inclusive):

Art: creative activities, including "high" culture (e.g., architecture, literature, music,

painting, sculpture, theater) and "mass" or popular culture (e.g., legends,

mythology, folklore).

Economics: trade, commerce, business, money, work

Intellectual activities: philosophy, political theory, social criticism, science, ideology.

Politics: power, government, war, law

Religion: doctrine, beliefs, hierarchy, ritual

Social organization: class system, family, gender roles, minorities

Technology: tools, machines, irrigation, power, weapons

Note: Two new courses are pending.

CIV 101 — Western Civilization to 1600

CIV 102 — Western Civilization since 1600