Faculty Proposed Integrative Thinking Goal Cluster

Faculty guidelines for the Integrative Thinking Goal (ITG) Cluster

Beginning with the class entering Fall 2004, students will be required to fulfill an Integrative Thinking Goal under the Gettysburg Curriculum. This requirement is intended for students to develop an understanding of multiple persepectives and approacheds to studying the world around us; and, to give students an understanding of the connections and tensions between approached to common isses, texts, and phenomena. Through this expereience, students can learn how to approach problems from multidisciplinary perspectives and to appreciate the increasing fluidity of boundaries between disciplines.

It is expected that these courses will present a balanced treatment of the subject matter in accordance with the typical sophomore-level course.

The following general guidelines apply to this experience:

• Although the aim is for both courses to be taken in the sophomore year, it is possible for one to be taken in the first year or the junior year.

• Courses could, in certain circumstances, be taken concurrently.

• It is expected that this requirement will be completed by the end of the junior year.

• Students studying off campus are also encouraged to consider clustering a course taken off campuse with a course taken at Gettysburg upon return from the off-campus experience (Option 3, below) Or, students could take one or both of their IDS/multidisciplinary courses off-campus (Option 1, below).

Students may fulfill the Integrative Thinking Goal in one of three ways:

Option 1.

Interdisciplinary courses: Students may successfully complete a
cluster of two designated interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary courses.

Option 2.

Faculty-designed cluster: Students may successfully complete two courses from different disciplines that are clustered by faculty around a common theme and engage in an integrative experience for the two classes.

These two-course cluster will be designed by faculty and listed on the Registrar's website. A proposal form for faculty-designed is included below.


Option 3.

Student-designed cluster: Students may identify and propose their own two-
course cluster. This cluster can be composed of courses from any two departments or
disciplines. They need not be designated IDS or multidisciplinary courses. In this case,
the student must have approval of the cluster of courses and the form of the proposed
integrative experience by the faculty member who will assess the acceptability of the
product connected with the integrative experience. While courses in which cluster proposals are particular welcome are listed as "Cluster-Friendly" on the Registrar's website, a student proposal can link any two courses for an integrative experience.

In proposing a two-course cluster to fulfill Option 2 of the Integrative Thinking Goal, it will be helpful if you can describe the ways in which the two courses will be connected, and the ways in which this sequence of courses will provide interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary perspectives.

Please provide the following information:


1. Course names, numbers, and instructors:


2. Order in which students must take courses:


3. Which subjects, topics, or disciplines will be studied in each course, and how will they be
studied?


4. How will the two courses be connected in order to provide interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary perspectives and/or experiences?

5. What form will the integrative experience most likely take (e.g.,paper, service learning or other project, etc.)?

6. In the case where some students may take the courses out of general interest whereas others will use it to satisfy the ITG requirement: how will the integrative experience be incorporated into the courses (e.g., is this something all students are required to do, or is it a separate, additional component?)