Major or Disciplinary Course Substitutions for ShenEd Elective Credit
All major programs or divisions may apply to the ShenEd Committee to designate courses required for their major that may also be used to satisfy a ShenEd elective requirement. According to SACS, students must complete one course in the humanities/fine arts, natural sciences/mathematics, and social/behavioral sciences. Additionally, these courses may not narrowly focus on skills, techniques, and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession. If the course content focuses on or requires a particular knowledge or skill area, the class may count as a ShenEd elective. Students may take this more specialized course as an additional course in humanities/fine arts, natural sciences/mathematics, and social/behavioral sciences that is specific to a particular occupation or profession and count that additional course as a general education course (if these credits are their remaining 3-4 elective credits). Students may take only ONE course in their entire ShenEd program that is narrowly focused on skills, techniques, and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession.
A Disciplinary Course Substitution must meet the following guidelines:
- Meet all the ShenEd learning objectives in the designated competency area
- The instructor of the course being used as a disciplinary course substitution must follow the same ShenEd assessment guidelines as other ShenEd courses and submit their Shen Ed assessment for the students taking their course as the ShenEd elective.
- If the course requires alteration of its objectives to fulfill the ShenEd objectives, then the course must also go through UCC for approval.
- Courses that meet the above will be listed as “permitted disciplinary course substitutions” in the ShenEd section of the catalogue.
Alternative Learning Substitutions
Alternative learning substitutions afford Shenandoah University undergraduates with creative opportunities to meet ShenEd objectives through integrated experiences that incorporate high impact learning practices such as study abroad, global experiential learning (GEL) trips, and service learning. Students who choose an Alternative Learning Substitution may be required to satisfy learning outcomes from disciplines that are outside of the scope of ShenEd.
An Alternative Learning Substitution must:
- Be overseen by a faculty member who reviews student progress toward meeting general education objectives.
- Meet all the ShenEd objectives in the designated competency area.
- Include a capstone/summative experience in which students address the ShenEd objectives listed in the designated competency area.
- Be described in a plan submitted for approval in advance of the learning experience or GEL trip. The Office of General Education will review proposals for substitutions and notify the Registrar of approvals.
- Be verified as completed by the participating faculty member.