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Many of Western's accredited programs are recognized by agencies other than SACS, attesting to their quality.

2.7.3 General Education

Commission Standard: The institution requires in each undergraduate degree program the successful completion of a general education component at the collegiate level that is (1) a substantial component of each undergraduate degree, (2) ensures breadth of knowledge, and (3) is based on a coherent rationale. For degree completion in associate programs, the component constitutes a minimum of 15 semester hours or the equivalent; for baccalaureate programs, a minimum of 30 semester hours or the equivalent. These credit hours are to be drawn from and include at least one course from each of the following areas: humanities/fine arts; social/behavioral sciences; and natural science/mathematics. The courses do not narrowly focus on those skills, techniques, and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession. The institution provides a written justification and rationale for course equivalency.

Status: In Compliance

Rationale:

Baccalaureate Degrees

Each baccalaureate degree at Western requires 44 hours of general education credit distributed across six categories: Organization and Communication of Ideas, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences/Mathematics, World Cultures and American Cultural Diversity, and Health and Wellness. In addition to 18 hours of required courses in English composition, history, public speaking, mathematics, and a second language, the catalog lists elective classes that qualify for general education credit in each category. A science course with a laboratory component is also required ( General Education Homepage ).

Official goals and objectives for Western's baccalaureate general education program were developed by a broadly representative General Education Review Committee, ( Report ) unanimously approved by the University Senate in January 2001, and published in the university catalog ( General Education Goals ). As the committee report and the goals themselves make apparent, general education courses at Western must be broad and inclusive, not narrowly focused on particular occupations. The University Senate's General Education Committee periodically reviews courses in the general education inventory and approves new ones on the basis of these requirements.

Western's Undergraduate Catalog presents the rationale for our baccalaureate general education program as a means of helping students reach their personal potential, achieve professional success, and become good citizens:

The General Education Program helps students maximize their individual potential. Students develop understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of multiple “ways of knowing” (i.e., artistic, literary, philosophical, historical, scientific) through the acquisition, organization, and analysis of specific bodies of knowledge. They are encouraged to acquire aesthetic and appreciative faculties, to explore and test their own values and ethical frameworks, and to demonstrate sensitivity to diverse perspectives and cultures.

The General Education Program provides a foundation for professional success. Students learn to think critically, make rational decisions, and communicate effectively. These skills support their ability to acquire, evaluate, and use the specific knowledge in their major field or specialization and also ensure that they will be adaptable and flexible in the face of changing career plans and requirements. Students' explorations of their own values and perspectives and those of other social groups and cultures prepare them to live in a culturally diverse, globally competitive, and technologically complex world.

The General Education Program prepares students for active membership in society. It is a broadening experience that helps them acquire the shared skills, knowledge, and values that promote the well-being of society. This experience nurtures their capacity for leadership and service and helps them learn to adapt their skills and knowledge to changing societal needs. (44)

In keeping with these ideals, the university has identified the following general education learning goals under two broad headings:

Academic Skills

Proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking

Competence in a language other than the native language

The ability to understand and apply mathematical skills and concepts

Knowledge, Perspectives, and Critical Analysis

An informed acquaintance with major achievements in the arts and humanities

A historical perspective and an understanding of connections between past and present

An appreciation of the complexity and variety of the world's cultures

An understanding of the scientific method and a knowledge of natural science and its relevance in our lives

An understanding of science and human behavior

An understanding of factors that enhance health, well-being, and quality of life

A recent general education exercise was to construct a matrix showing which of the university's general education offerings support each of these goals and to demonstrate that no student completing the program would miss out on work toward achieving each of them.

Associate Degrees

General education requirements for associate degrees fall into four of the six categories as those for four-year programs and specify a minimum of 15 hours. Students must take Freshman English (English 100) to satisfy the requirement in Organization and Communication of Ideas and then elective credits as follows: 3 hours in Humanities, 6 hours in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and 3 hours in Natural Sciences/Mathematics. Elective general education credits must be drawn from the same list as approved for baccalaureate programs.

Not all of the ten goals for baccalaureate general education can be covered in the 15 hours devoted to the general education component of associate degree programs. As a result, the General Education Committee settled on seven of the ten in constructing a general education policy for associate degrees.

The capacity for critical and logical thinking

Proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking

The ability to understand and apply mathematical skills and concepts

Knowledge, Perspectives, and Critical Analysis

An informed acquaintance with major achievements in the arts and humanities

A historical perspective and an understanding of connections between past and present

An understanding of the scientific method and a knowledge of natural science and its relevance in our lives

An understanding of science and human behavior

As a letter from Dr. Robert Dietle, the general education coordinator, explains, the committee felt that these goals could be reasonably served by a fifteen-hour requirement in which students must take Freshman English for the organization and communication of ideas category and then three hours in humanities, six hours in social and behavioral sciences, and three hours in natural sciences. Because the electives among these requirements are drawn from the baccalaureate list of electives all the hours transfer as general education for students wishing to go on to a four-year degree program.

For fall 2002 Western had 802 undergraduate transfer students, 473 of whom came from other Kentucky schools. Students transferring credits into Western from accredited institutions must meet the requirements outlined in the Transfer Credit Practices publication of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, ensuring that transfer credits that apply to general education are indeed equivalent to courses here. Students from non-accredited schools may petition to have their credits recognized, a procedure that also turns on demonstrated equivalency.

A special consideration in Kentucky is the state's General Education Transfer Agreement ( Transfer Policies ), which guarantees that students who have met general education requirements at one Kentucky public institution will be regarded as having met the general education requirements at the same level when they transfer to another Kentucky school. All the institutions included in this arrangement are accredited as meeting SACS standards even though their programs may differ in some details from ours.

2.7.4 Contracts and Consortia

Commission Standard: The institution provides instruction for all course work required for at least one degree program at each level at which it awards degrees. If the institution makes arrangements for some instruction to be provided by other accredited institutions or entities through contracts or consortia, or uses some other alternative approach to meeting this requirement, the alternative approach must be approved by the Commission on Colleges. In all cases, the institution demonstrates that it controls all aspects of its educational program.

Status: In Compliance

Rationale: Western provides instruction for all coursework required for several degree programs at each level at which it awards its own degrees ( associate, bachelor's, master's, and specialist in education) and is recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a master's college/university class I institution.

In accordance with policies of the Kentucky CPE and Western's board of regents, the university controls all aspects of its educational program. Operating under these bodies, Western has internal authority to create or terminate courses, determine course design and content, and conduct curricular revisions under the guidelines established by the University Senate Charter .

Western does participate in a range of educational contracts or consortia. For example, in keeping with the global emphasis of its mission statement, the university maintains cooperative study abroad programs with several other accredited schools and collaborates with Murray State University on course exchanges in German culture and literature. Students participating in any of these programs must still meet all WKU degree requirements.

Western is a member of the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) and the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA) , both providing programs in several countries. Western has voting representation on the boards of both of these groups, which offer no courses or programs of their own, but coordinate classes offered and controlled by the participating universities. Additionally the university's Study Abroad program offers students the opportunity to earn an “emphasis in global studies” by meeting certain curriculum requirements and completing an approved international learning experience . Participation by accredited member institutions in these cooperative efforts, the history and longevity of the programs, a healthy tradition of student participation, and on-going assessment of the needs and interests of the membership ensure the quality of the educational programs provided by these consortial relationships.

Each of these programs strives to offer students not only strong academic work in which various aspects of international cultures are examined but also opportunities for independent learning and travel while abroad, helping them understand the changing nature of our global society.

In addition to summer or semester study-abroad programs in several countries (see above), WKU has developed exchange relationships with institutions in Mexico (e.g., Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Universidad de Queretaro, Universidad de Veracruzana, Universidad de Pan Americana); Canada (Moncton University, Laval University, Trent University, The University of Quebec at Montreal); Germany (Reutlingen University); Belgium (Ghent); in the Ukraine (Ternopil Academy of National Economy); Japan (Kansai Gaidai University); and Nepal (Kathmandu University). Additional agreements are being developed in Scotland, , France, China, Brazil, Korea, and Kenya. Over the last six years, Western has hosted international students and faculty as a component of these arrangements.

Television and online courses for WKU credit are offered through the Kentucky Educational Television network and the Kentucky Virtual University , a consortium for online courses offered by institutions across the state. Kentucky is a member of the Southern Regional Education Board , which offers courses and programs originating in accredited institutions and meeting the Principles of Good Practice developed by the organization .

A brief synopsis of university degree programs that rely on a measure of non-Western instruction follows:

2) Western offers a joint BS degree in electrical engineering with the University of Louisville, which was designed in keeping with the Strategy for Statewide Engineering Education in Kentucky approved by the state CPE. Students take classes at WKU, but at least 16 hours of coursework are offered by U of L faculty, either on campus or electronically. The program is consistent with EAC/ABET criteria and hosted by Western's Department of Engineering. It is administered by the department head, who reports to the dean of Western's Ogden College in consultation with the dean of engineering at the University of Louisville.

3) Western offers a BS degree in medical technology through cooperative arrangements with several schools of medical technology. Students complete three years of study on the WKU campus to fulfill general education and a variety of preparatory requirements. They then attend the cooperating institution for one year of specialized medical technology clinical training which is transferred back to WKU to fulfill the remaining requirements for a baccalaureate degree. Affiliation agreements are currently in effect with Owensboro Mercy Health Systems; St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Covington, Kentucky; and Vanderbilt Medical Center. The schools of medical technology at these institutions are approved by the Committee on Allied Health and Accreditation of the American Medical Association.

The university also supplies course work toward a doctorate in education awarded by the University of Louisville.