Purpose, Philosophy and Goals
The purpose of an IU Southeast undergraduate education is to prepare students to act as thoughtful, informed and productive citizens and lifelong learners in the context of a complex and rapidly changing society.
We believe that the best education is one that provides not only specific knowledge and skills but also intellectual breadth. Such an education enables students to develop into well rounded human beings who can provide the leadership their communities need in an era of rapid change.
We embrace the notion of a set of common goals for an undergraduate education at IU Southeast and recognize that the means of attaining those goals will vary among degree programs. The coherence of an IU Southeast education lies more in the pursuit of common goals than in the completion of common courses.
The pursuit of these goals is a shared responsibility of faculty and students. Courses in the major contribute to general education and those in general education contribute to the major. Thus all faculty members foster both the breadth and the depth of the education of all students in their courses.
Common Goals of an IU Southeast Undergraduate Education
These are primarily the goals of general education:
1. To develop essential skills, including:
- Written communication skills
- Oral communication skills
- Quantitative reasoning
- Reasoning about ethical questions or Diversity
- Critical thinking
- Information Literacy Library Instruction
2. To understand humanity and the world through the Central Ideas, Issues and Methods of Inquiry found in the Arts and Humanities, the Natural and Physical Sciences, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
These are primarily the goals of the major:
3. To acquire a depth of knowledge in a specified area of study.
4. Within the context of a specified area of study, to reason, to think both critically and creatively, and to solve problems.
