2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Jul 09, 2025  
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2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

VTSU Connections General Education Program

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Connections General Education Mission Statement

The Connections General Education Program promotes the development of curious, thoughtful, and engaged global citizens with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the intellectual, social, and professional skills to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world.

Connections General Education Program Goals

  • Develops essential academic skills that students will use in critical analysis and communication;
  • Engages students in an intentional and meaningful way in a wide range of disciplines;
  • Encourages students to experience the transformational power of integrating learning in their general education, co-curricular activities, and major or professional program;
  • Fosters student commitment to the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion;
  • Promotes responsible, informed, and engaged citizenship in the university, local, and global communities;
  • Cultivates curiosity and stimulates a commitment to life-long learning.

Connections General Education Program Outcomes

  • Communication: Students will create and deliver written, oral, and/or visual communication that is purposeful, organized, engaging, and adheres to academic standards of clarity, development, and presentation. 
  • Critical Thinking: Students will utilize different perspectives and methods of diverse disciplines to analyze and effectively address problems in those disciplines and in the world. 
  • Equity: Students will identify, describe, and/or analyze systems of inequity and/or just responses to them. 
  • Integration: Students will reflect upon and assess their learning throughout the general education program, considering how it can be integrated with learning in their major program, co-curricular activities, and/or their lives. 

Connections General Education Program Requirements

The Connections General Education program is comprehensive and requires bachelor’s degree students to complete each of the elements described (I-II). Associate’s degree students must also complete elements I-II, but are exempt from Connections Seminar 3.

General Education credit requirement
Bachelor’s degree students must complete a total of 40 General Education credits while associate’s degree students must complete a total of 20 General Education credits.

I. Connections General Education Areas of Exploration

Bachelor’s degree students are required to take at least one course in each of seven Areas of Exploration. Associate’s degree students are required to take one course in each of six Areas of Exploration and may omit either the Arts and Aesthetics or Humanistic Perspectives categories.

A list of courses fulfilling each category is provided.

  • Written Expression (3 cr.)
  • Arts and Aesthetics (3 cr.)
  • Digital and Computing Literacy (3 cr.)
  • Humanistic Perspectives (3 cr.)
  • Mathematics (3 cr.) 
  • Natural Science (3-4 cr.)
  • Social Science (3 cr.)

II. Connections General Education Seminars

A set of three longitudinal Connections seminars connect students to the University, their campus and its community, and to their General Education and chosen academic programs. Seminar 1 focuses on connecting first-year students with students, faculty, staff, and the resources available to them and prepares them for both academic and personal success. Seminars 2 and 3 ask students to reflect upon their educational journey and the relationship of the General Education program to their chosen academic fields and to their own lives. Once fully developed, the Connections seminars will require students to create, develop, and produce an ePortfolio to document their reflections on their educational experiences and a series of events and activities that will complement and expand their academic work and personal growth.

  • Connections Seminar 1 (1 - 4 cr.)
    A variety of courses are available to first-semester students. Students in particular programs may be advised into major specific Connections 1 seminars.  Connections 1 seminars are often specially designated sections of standard first-year courses indicated with the letters CNX in the title.
    Students transferring in with an associate’s degree or > 30 credits will not be required to take this course.
  • Connections Seminar 2 (3 cr.)
    Options: CNX-2020 Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum or ENG-2080 Technical Communication 
    Students transferring in with > 30 credits and an intermediate writing course will not be required to take this course.
  • Connections Seminar 3 (1 cr.): CNX-3010 Culminating Connections Seminar 3 (not yet required)

Phased implementation of the complete Connections General Education Program

The Connections General Education program continues to be implemented across all VTSU programs over the next few years. VTSU students enrolling in the 2025-26 academic year will be taking a series of Connections Seminars in which they collect and reflect on their work in the program. Activities and events that support and enhance the Connections General Education program will be offered at some locations in AY 2025-2026.

 
AY’23-24
AY’24-25
AY’25-26
AY’26-27
AY’27-28
Areas of Exploration, Seminars 1 and 2
 x x x x x
Inclusion of DEI outcomes   x x x x
Events and activities     x x x
e-Portfolio requirement       x x
Seminar 3         x

 

Connections General Education courses

Written Expression

The Written Expression Area of Exploration consists of required writing courses intended to prepare students for the kinds of writing they will most commonly encounter in the university, a major, and in professional contexts.  These courses emphasize writing with a strong sense of focus and purpose and engaging with the ideas of others.  Students take English Composition in their first year and typically enroll in the Connections Seminar 2 in their sophomore year.  Written Expression courses provide extensive opportunity to study and practice the writing process for informative and persuasive purposes, and as a means for developing a voice to join the intellectual conversations valued within general education and the various major programs.  

After completing English Composition, students take either Connections Seminar 2: Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum (most majors) or Connections Seminar 2: Technical Communication (technical programs), depending on their intended area of study.

Courses in this area shall meet all of the learning outcomes.

Students will be able to: 

  • Appropriately utilize elements of the rhetorical situation, including audience, context, subject, and purpose.
  • Compose a variety of texts that range in form, length, and purpose.
  • Focus a written text around a strong, arguable central claim (thesis).
  • Support claims using effective writing strategies to develop relevant and reliable evidence, including coherent reasoning, examples, data, and the ideas of others.
  • Apply organizational strategies to support their purpose and to create coherent and fluent thought within and among sentences and paragraphs.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in research writing skills:
    • defining and managing focused research projects;
    • locating, evaluating the credibility/ authority of, and using appropriate sources; and
    • following conventional citation and documentation practices in written course work so as to properly attribute the work of others and avoid plagiarism.
  • Follow conventions of grammar, punctuation, and spelling with consistency and accuracy in academic writing.
  • Choose one or more:
    • Incorporate cultural nuances, experiences, and voices from various backgrounds into their writing.
    • Apply strategies to recognize and analyze bias in source materials and mitigate bias in their own writing.
    • Explain ways that language perpetuates systems of inequality and/or can be used as a tool for social transformation. 

Written Expression courses

Arts and Aesthetics

Courses in the Arts and Aesthetics Area of Exploration enable students to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the human experience and the expression of ideas through art history, aesthetics, and various creative and performative disciplines. Engaging with the arts fosters critical thinking, empathy, and an understanding of different perspectives, enriching students’ intellectual and emotional development. Furthermore, fulfilling this requirement ensures that graduates possess a well-rounded education, equipped with the ability to analyze and interpret complex visual and auditory stimuli, enhancing their capacity for innovation and problem-solving in an increasingly interconnected world.

A course designated for this area will include, among its learning outcomes, an outcome designed to meet the final learning objective and two or more additional objectives in the list below. Students will be able to:

  • Identify or demonstrate the principles and elements used in the discipline under study. 
  • Implement or critique a creative and/or performative process appropriate to the relevant discipline.
  • Create or reinterpret creative and/or performative works through the development of skills of performance or skills of analysis and criticism.
  • Describe how the arts have contributed to social change, thought, and/or wellbeing at the individual or collective level.
  • Demonstrate or explain how technique impacts expression and meaning.
  • Choose one or more:
    • Describe how artists challenge stereotypes, subvert dominant narratives, and represent diverse experiences.
    • Explain the impact of historical, global, and/or cultural diversity on the development of a particular artistic form.
    • Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of cultural biases inherent in the history of the arts, and how these biases impact contemporary creative movements and processes, including their own work.

Arts and Aesthetics courses

Digital and Computing Literacy

Courses in the Digital and Computing Literacy Area of Exploration engage students intensively and intentionally in the uses of computing technology in academic and professional contexts. They also emphasize a broad range of skills related to effective use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence when appropriate, for communication, information retrieval, and collaboration. Where appropriate, they may engage students in specialized uses of computing technology for creative and/or professional applications.

A course designated for this area will include, among its learning outcomes, an outcome designed to meet the final learning objective and two or more additional objectives in the list below. Students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate use of appropriate software and technology to complete tasks in academic and/or professional contexts.
  • Demonstrate use of digital resources, tools, and technology to locate, analyze, and use diverse forms of information and data in an effective and ethical manner.
  • Apply computing technology and digital resources to effectively analyze problems.
  • Use technology and applications to create digital media that effectively convey information, thoughts, and ideas.
  • Design and implement hardware or software applications.
  • Choose one or more:
    • Demonstrate proficiency in professional digital communication and/or record keeping that incorporates cultural sensitivity, diversity awareness, and inclusive practices to avoid miscommunication or misunderstanding.
    • Explain and/or design digital solutions that utilize accessible and inclusive design principles and practices.
    • Explain how digital media perpetuate systems of inequality and/or can be used as tools of social transformation. 

Digital and Computing Literacy courses

Humanistic Perspectives

Courses in the Humanistic Perspectives Area of Exploration emphasize the diverse ways of knowing created by humanity and how they have contributed to our understanding of human identity and community. They examine the primary texts, ideas, and other forms of thinking of communities across the globe and at many points in human history and pre-history.  Despite approaching these subjects through a variety of disciplinary methodologies, study in this area is meant to expand students’ understanding of the varieties of human thinking and expression and to honor diverse ways of knowing ourselves and the world.

A course designated for this area will include, among its learning outcomes, an outcome designed to meet the final learning objective and two or more additional objectives in the list below. Students will be able to:

  • Describe what makes humanistic perspectives distinct from other ways of understanding, such as their history, their particular impacts on individuals and communities, or their limitations for understanding human experience.
  • Describe how human expression and thinking share similarities and/or differ across world communities and/or across different time periods. 
  • Interpret and analyze diverse primary texts, ideas, and/or other forms of thinking.
  • Situate diverse primary texts, ideas, and/or other forms of thinking in their cultural and/or historical contexts.
  • Explain moral and ethical frameworks that contribute to our ideas about human subjectivity and/or community.
  • Choose one or more:
    • Engage in respectful dialogue and debate on matters of social justice, considering diverse viewpoints as part of constructive engagement with these topics.
    • Explain how ideas and texts in the humanities have contributed to and/or been used to create, maintain, or dismantle systemic injustice.
    • Examine a social justice problem from a humanistic perspective and weigh possible solution(s) to it. 

Humanistic Perspectives courses

Mathematics

Courses in the Mathematics Area of Exploration teach students essential numerical and analytical skills vital for success in various academic disciplines and real-world scenarios. By engaging in mathematical problem-solving, students develop number sense, critical thinking abilities, logical reasoning, and a structured approach to problem-solving, all of which are valuable assets in navigating a complex world.  Successfully completing courses in this breadth category ensures that students graduate equipped with the mathematical skills necessary for analyzing data, understanding scientific concepts, communicating mathematically, and making informed decisions in their personal and professional lives.

A course designated for this area will include, among its learning outcomes, an outcome designed to meet the final learning objective and two or more additional objectives in the list below. Students will be able to:

  • Use mathematical reasoning to solve problems in a variety of contexts and determine whether their solutions are reasonable and sound.
  • Represent and communicate mathematical information symbolically, visually, and numerically.
  • Explain the reasoning for using specific mathematical and/or statistical tools and processes to solve a specific mathematical problem.
  • Articulate the importance and limitations of using quantitative data and/or statistical methods in decision making.
  • Choose one or more: 
    • Describe the diverse approaches to mathematics, appreciating contributions from various cultures, backgrounds, and historical periods.
    • Explain how knowledge created in the field of mathematics has contributed to and/or been used to dismantle social inequalities.
    • Practice real-world applications of mathematics that consider and/or address social justice problems. 

Mathematics courses

Natural Science

Courses in the Natural Science Area of Exploration expose students to the fundamental principles governing the physical world and explore the intricate mechanisms underlying natural phenomena. These courses provide students with a systematic framework for understanding the laws of nature. By fostering critical thinking and empirical inquiry, they equip students with the analytical skills necessary to address complex challenges facing society, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and public health crises. Moreover, studying the natural sciences instills a sense of wonder and appreciation for the wonders of the universe, inspiring curiosity and innovation in students that they can apply in lifelong learning.

A course designated for this area will include, among its learning outcomes, an outcome designed to meet the final learning objective and two or more additional objectives in the list below. Students will be able to:

  • Apply the problem-solving methods of a scientific discipline.
  • Gather and interpret data using established scientific techniques.
  • Assess and interpret scientific data and information from secondary sources.
  • Contextualize the role of science, history of science, or evolution of science in real-world applications.
  • Choose one or more:
    • Describe how scientific knowledge is a reflection of distinct social, political or cultural perspectives and/or may reflect the influence of certain social inequities.
    • Evaluate the potential societal impacts of scientific discoveries in the development or dismantling of social inequality.
    • Practice real-world applications of scientific reasoning and research that consider and/or address social justice problems.

Natural Science courses 

Social Science

Courses in the Social Science Area of Exploration use theories and conceptual frameworks of the social sciences, often in combination with the methodologies and practices of their specific academic discipline. They examine and research social institutions, structures, and processes of diverse communities around the world and throughout time. They are especially concerned with how these elements of society influence our ideas about individuals, groups, and cultures.

A course designated for this area will include, among its learning outcomes, an outcome designed to meet the final learning objective and two or more additional objectives in the list below. Students will be able to:

  • Explain or apply the methods, theories, concepts, and vocabularies of the behavioral and social sciences.
  • Explain the relationship between the individual, social institutions, and society as it affects human behavior, social development and people’s lives. 
  • Describe and explain social institutions in diverse historical or contemporary societies and global cultures.
  • Gather and interpret data produced by scientific research in social or behavioral sciences.
  • Explain how research in social and/or behavioral sciences shapes public discourse and understanding of behavioral, economic, political and/or social issues.
  • Explain ethics in research and practice and draw ethically sound conclusions from social and/or behavioral research.
  • Choose one or more:
    • Explain how knowledge in the social sciences is constructed and contested, and/or has been used to create, maintain, or dismantle social inequities. 
    • Analyze social issues while considering multiple voices and the various experiences of different groups of people.
    • Apply principles and research findings from the social and/or psychological sciences to address social inequalities, promote well-being, and/or advocate for positive social change. 

Social Science courses

Connections Seminar 1 courses

Connections Seminar 2 courses

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