2012-2013 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2012-2013 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

School of Liberal Arts and Sciences


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Jason D. VanBilliard, Ed.D., Dean

Professor Emeritus

Robert E. Wenger, Ph.D.
W. Barry Yoder, Ph.D.

Professor

David C. Hard, Ph.D.
Deborah L. MacCullough, Ph.D.
Matthew M. McAlack, Ph.D.
M. Jean Minto, D.Litt.
Roger B. Petersen, D.Litt.
Gary E. Schnittjer, Ph.D.
Brian G. Toews, Ph.D.
Todd J. Williams, Ph.D.
Timothy S. Yoder, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Juliet J. Campbell-Farrell, Ph.D.
Paula R. Gossard, Ph.D.
Janet T. Tyler, M.S.W.
Kay D. Wright, M.A.

Assistant Professor

Brenda L. Ebersole, M.Litt.
Christopher J. Palladino, M.Ed.
Scott D. Pickard, Ph.D.
Stephen P. Vallette, M.A, M.Ed. 

Part-time Faculty

Gail Z. Benchener, M.S.
Andrea N. Fiori, M.Ed.
Charlotte L. Gleason, M.L.S.
Sharon M. Weber, M.A.

Adjunct Faculty

Erin R. Ensinger, M.A.
Jesse A. Fleming, M.A.
Carolyn C. Givens, M.A.
Scott Jones, M.Div.
 

The School

The School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which includes the departments of Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Social and Behavioral Sciences, provides a broad base of knowledge for life and service. It introduces undergraduate students to a variety of disciplines that, when integrated with scriptural teaching, promotes intellectual development and increases effectiveness in their chosen fields. The Liberal Arts and Sciences curriculum exposes students to human life, their cultural heritage, and the physical environment. It fosters critical thinking, effective communication skills, and intelligent application of ideas to life.

Objectives

The student will:

  1. Acquire and demonstrate the fundamental skills of the intellectual life including academic writing, public speaking, reflective reading, respectful dialoguing, quantitative reasoning, and analytical thinking.
  2. Develop information literacy skills including accessing, evaluating, and applying information in a wide variety of academic subject areas.
  3. Acquire basic and advanced knowledge from a broad spectrum of human learning.
  4. Develop awareness of world history and world cultures for the purpose of valuing differences and critically evaluating ideas with respect to humanity’s common future.
  5. Increase knowledge of the natural world, including the tools to study it, and call attention to the ideals of stewardship pertaining to the physical environment.
  6. Gain an understanding of the institutions of society, of oneself, and of one’s role within these institutions.
  7. Articulate a Christian worldview regarding ultimate reality, knowledge, truth, beauty, and value on the basis of the knowledge of God’s Word and Christian thought.

Departments

Humanities

The Department of Humanities provides students with an enlarged perception of and appreciation for their cultural heritage. This is accomplished through the study of communication and research skills, literature, the arts, and philosophy. By introducing students to these academic disciplines, the Department seeks their intellectual maturity and increased usefulness to God and mankind. English placement for entering students is determined by evaluation of scores on SAT and ACT tests. Students with high scores are permitted to replace ENG 101 English Composition with ENG 321 Advanced Composition. Students with low scores are tested further to determine whether or not they should take the course, ENG 021 Introduction to College Reading and Writing. Students who have no scores will be evaluated by a writing assessment. Students for whom English is not the primary spoken language must demonstrate their ability to communicate in English. In addition to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) prior to acceptance, these students may be asked to submit a current sample of their writing.

Natural Sciences and Mathematics

The Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics provides students with a broad knowledge and understanding of their physical environment and the principles of order by which it functions. The conviction that God created and oversees the universe and life within it is the foundation of each area of study.

Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences introduces students to human life in its various settings. It examines individual behavior, social interaction, and historical development.
 

The Programs

The School of Liberal Arts and Sciences programs include Liberal Arts and General Studies. Each of these programs leads to the B.S. in Bible degree. These programs are well-suited for the student whose academic interests are graduate study or concentration in a particular academic discipline.

Specific program tracks are also available for students in the Liberal Arts and General Studies programs, including:

  • Pre-Law
  • Fine Arts: Writing
  • English
  • History
  • Mathematics

 

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