Liberal Studies (LBSU)

LBSU 100 Student Success Strategies

Students will explore and practice strategies designed to improve their success throughout their college experience. Topics include specific study skills, such as note-taking, critical thinking and test-taking. Students will also address goal setting, stress reduction and time management, to help them balance work and home life. Additionally, students will evaluate how their own learning styles guide their approaches to education, and they will formulate a personal strategy for success. 3 credits.

LBSU 105 Academic Foundations

This course introduces students to core intellectual concepts in a liberal arts education. The course focuses on a critical reading and interpretation of resources from a broad range of disciplines, including literature, history, philosophy, and social sciences. Students will be encouraged to develop an ability and desire to question, examine, and discover connections between course topics, their own lives, and the broader community. 3 credits.

LBSU 250 Education and Society in the 21st Century

Prerequisite: ENGU 103.

In this course students will consider the sociological origins, purposes and consequences of American education from multiple perspectives. A primary goal of this introductory course is to help students identify and debate educational issues that impact public policy and an individual's range of learning options in the 21st Century. 3 credits.

LBSU 302 Information Fluency and Academic Integrity

Prerequisite or Corequisite ENGU 104.

This course is designed to provide students with lifelong research and information literacy skills. Students will gain working knowledge of library resources as well as those within their profession. Coursework is designed to engage students as active researchers honing their ability to evaluate, analyze, organize, synthesize, and ethically use information. Emphasis will be placed on utilizing digital tools to locate information and present findings in a virtual environment. (Must be taken within first two sessions after matriculation if ENGU 103 and ENGU 104 are satisfied, or within the first two sessions after those requirements are completed.) 3 credits.

LBSU 304 Liberal Arts Core Foundations

Prerequisite or Corequisite ENGU 104.

LBSU 304 is the foundational course for students’ experiences at the University. The course is designed to support students to achieve success in upper division courses and realize their academic goals. Students will explore and analyze the multiple perspectives in liberal arts and higher education. Through personal reflection, students will apply their understanding of a liberal arts education to their own career goals and lives. (Must be taken within first two sessions after matriculation if ENGU 103 and ENGU 104 are satisfied, or within the first two sessions after those requirements are completed.) 3 credits.

LBSU 306 Transition to Applied Studies

This is the gateway course for the Applied Studies program. It examines the relationship between occupational and academic competencies and values. Assignments will focus on applying theoretical knowledge in practical ways. 3 credits.

LBSU 310 Music, Movement and Drama: The Human Expression

Prerequisite: ENGU 104.

This course examines the connected relationships of movement, music and drama and their importance as a reflection of world culture and social expression. Students will learn to recognize, appreciate, and build upon music theory, acting principles and dance foundations as they apply to educational settings. 3 credits.

LBSU 329 Experimental Topics in Liberal Studies

Prerequisite: ENGU 104.

An examination of selected topics in the liberal arts relevant to evolving areas of importance to the field. Syllabi must be approved by the Dean and announced to the Curriculum and Academic Committee prior to being offered. May be repeated for credit provided the course content is different. 3 credits.

LBSU 403 Liberal Studies Multiple Subjects Capstone

Prerequisites: Senior Status and all Education Foundations and Subject Matter courses in the BA Liberal Studies Program.

Students may take Education Foundations or Subject Matter courses as co-requisites with LBSU 403, as long as they complete all Education Foundations and Subject Matters courses at the same time they complete LBSU 403. This senior capstone course in Liberal Studies is designed to assess students’ cumulative knowledge and integrative skills in analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application of subject matter content to educational contexts. Students will examine issues relevant to modern education, including: approaches to schooling (homeschooling, charter schools, unschooling), learning theory and preferences, frameworks and standards, instructional design and assessment, and being equipped to be a teacher in the 21st century. 3 credits.

LBSU 487 Applied Studies Capstone

Prerequisites: ENGU 380 and LBSU 306.

This course provides students with the opportunity to reflect upon their experiences in the applied studies degree program and analyze the relationship between course content, experiences and future goals. They will demonstrate mastery of integrated learning by connecting experiences inside and outside the formal classroom. 3 credits.

LBSU 492 Experiential Learning

Prerequisites: Approval of academic advisor and experiential learning coordinator.

University contracts must be signed by sponsor and student and submitted to the experiential learning coordinator two weeks prior to the beginning of the session in which the student wishes to enroll. Students engage in a supervised experience with an activity of personal and public concern that is both individually life-enriching and socially beneficial to the community. The fieldwork component may comprise service-learning, internship, or other types of experiential learning. Students are required to complete the fieldwork component as well as threaded discussions, assigned readings, and written evaluations and reflections of the readings and field experience. May be repeated for a total of 6 credits with approval of Internship Coordinator, as long as the experiential learning component is substantially different. 3 credits.

LBSU 499 Independent Study

Prerequisite: Instructor's approval and approval of petition.

Directed reading and/or research designed to meet specific needs of superior upper division students. 1-3 credits.