Science, Technology and Society Requirement

Beginning with those matriculating as firstyear students in the fall of 2006, students must take one Science, Technology, and Society course. Such courses may be taught in a wide variety of disciplines and with varied methodological, historical, or social content. For example, science courses organized around a social issue (e.g., a Biology course focusing on poverty); courses dealing with ethical or public policy issues related to science or technology; or courses studying the history, philosophy, or social context of science or technology are all possible STS courses. Instructors seeking to have an existing course designated a STS course should provide APPC with the following information:

1. Course name and number.

2. Whether the course is intended to meet any other Gettysburg Curriculum requirement. For example, a course approved for MIR natural science, humanities, social science, or arts may also be proposed as an STS course.

3. A discussion of course content, goals, and methods that addresses the following issues:
a. Explains how the course engages students in the analysis of methodological approaches, historical context, and/or social ramifications of some aspect of natural science or technology.
b. Provides explicit learning goals for students that will enable them to acquire an understanding of advances in science and/or technology as well as the processes by which society influences science and/or technology, and by which science and/or technology influences society.
c. Identifies activities and assignments designed to achieve these learning goals.

4. A copy of the syllabus.

Instructors who wish to propose a new course that will fulfill the STS requirement should fill out the course proposal form and add a discussion of items 2 and 3 in the above list. A syllabus will be helpful but is not required.

Modified 4/18/07. 
JMW/lkm
Revised 8/28/07