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The General Education Program provides liberal arts and science-based awareness, knowledge, and skills as an integral part of students' ongoing learning experience and educational goals. The Program offers opportunities for students to become literate, self-directed, committed to excellence, aesthetically aware, and ethically responsible individuals concerned with integrity and respect for people.

Goals for General Education:

Upon completion of the General Education Program, students will be able to accomplish the following goals:

• Communication
  Demonstrate effective communications skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. (Skills, literate)
• Cultural Diversity
  Demonstrate a scientific knowledge of human behavior and acknowledge cultural diversity of different peoples of the world. (Liberal arts and science-based knowledge, respect for people, integrity)
• Human Values
  Use an understanding of the historical and philosophical development of current cultures to demonstrate respect for human values and perspectives. (Liberal arts, literate, respect for people)
• Ethical Behavior
  Demonstrate and value individual thinking, self-awareness, and ethical behavior in civic and community responsibility. (Self-directed, ethically responsible, concerned with integrity, respect for people)
• Technological Literacy
  Demonstrate appropriate technological literacy and skills for personal and professional use. (Knowledge and skills, literate)
• Health & Well-Being
  Demonstrate an understanding of behaviors that best promote personal health and psychological well-being. (Ongoing learning experience, self-directed, committed to excellence)
• Aesthetic Awareness
  Identify and appreciate artistic expressions from historical, philosophical, and cultural perspectives. (Liberal arts, aesthetically aware)
• Critical Thinking
  Use appropriate critical thinking skills to solve problems. (Literate, ongoing learning experience)
• Scientific Reasoning
  Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental concepts of mathematics and science, analytical ability, problem-solving capacity, and the use of the scientific method. (Science-based awareness, ongoing learning experience, literate)

All candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree and the Bachelor of Arts degree, except those seeking teacher licensure and majors in Industrial Technology, are required to complete the General Education Program. All candidates for the Associate of Arts degree are required to complete the General Education Program. Candidates for the degrees in Associate of Applied Business, Associate of Applied Science, and Associate of Technical Study will find general education requirements scheduled within their outlined courses of study: Accounting, Business Management, Career-Technical Education, Computer Aided Design and Drafting, Computer Science, Electronic Technology, Fine Woodworking, Information Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Nursing, Office Technology, Plant Maintenance Technology, and Technical Theatre. Students seeking teacher licensure will find general education requirements scheduled within their outlined course of study.

It is expected that students will complete the General Education Program in their first four semesters of full-time enrollment. Requirements in Freshman Success (LA 10101), English Composition, Reading, Mathematics, and Speech should be scheduled as early in the student?s program as possible.

In Mathematics and Natural Science, a more advanced level course may substitute for the specific General Education requirement listed below. Students should select General Education options in the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities with some care. In many cases, the General Education course is a prerequisite to more advanced courses needed for a major, minor, or field of concentration. In other cases, the student will receive credit in the major, minor, or field of concentration for the General Education course, as well as fulfill the requirements for the General Education Program.

The University Assessment Program will conduct a variety of assessment activities in order to assess these outcomes. The Assessment results will be utilized to improve the quality of the General Education Program here at the University. Students need to participate in the assessment upon their completion of the General Education required courses.

General Education Requirements:

NOTE: In addition to this module, each major program will be required to include within the major an appropriate block of instruction in the use of computer productivity skills. This may be a course within the department, outside the department, or scattered throughout a major program's curriculum. All graduates must demonstrate competence (go to http://www.rio.edu/assessment for the description of this computer technology productivity minimum competence) in computer technology productivity skills as assessed by the University Assessment Program.