Intellectual Foundations

Approved September 24, 2013

Outcomes:

1. Describe the methods natural scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including observation, the framing of scientific questions, the development of hypotheses, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical analysis
2. Apply natural science data, concepts, and models to natural science (critical thinking)

For inclusion in the Natural Science category, all courses must demonstrate clearly:

• how the course is focused on the methods listed in the first student learning outcome for the traditional natural sciences of astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, or physics,
• a rationale for which discipline(s) in the natural sciences is(are) drawn upon for content concepts and models, and
  that the majority of the resources used (texts, periodicals, electronic) fall within the traditional natural sciences.

For inclusion in the Natural Science category, courses must have a scheduled laboratory and/or experimental experience, satisfied by one or more hours of scheduled traditional natural science laboratory, experimental, and/or problem-solving session. Course credit hours must reflect that a scheduled non-lecture experience is accommodated, e.g., with 2 hours lecture, and 2 hours laboratory scheduling for a 3-credit-hour course, meeting 4 hours per week. The experience must be focused on the hands-on nature of such activities, and is encouraged to be in the form of a formal traditional natural science laboratory period each week.