Western New England’s general education program, called Golden Bear Discovery, gives students the academic skillsets, mindsets, and knowledge necessary for today’s world. Through at least 40 credits of coursework, the Golden Bear Discovery program prepares each student to succeed in their major and in their career. The program features flexible requirements, so students can adapt Golden Bear Discovery to their interests and needs.
The Golden Bear Discovery journey begins with the BLUE and GOLD courses that prepare students for university-level inquiry and success in the WNE environment. Golden Bear Discovery also includes three courses that focus on communication skills necessary for today’s world.
Requirement: One 1-credit course, or a 1-credit-equivalent portion within a course. Taken in a student’s first semester at WNE.
The Belonging and Learning in the University Environment (BLUE) course is an essential complement to each student’s first semester at WNE. Taught by students’ first-year academic advisor or faculty mentor and supported by a peer advisor, BLUE invites students to explore their academic, professional, and personal interests and their purpose in relation to the opportunities and support at WNE. Along the way, students develop skills for interpersonal communication and problem solving in the university environment.
An important part of each BLUE course is community-building, and classmates are students with similar majors or academic pathways. For those who haven’t yet decided on a major, special sections of BLUE courses enable students to explore options. Through the BLUE course, students also engage in experiences common to all first-year students to support their inclusion into the WNE community.
Students with 15 transfer credits from another institution are exempt from the BLUE course requirement. AP and dual enrollment credits do not count toward these transfer credits.
Requirement: One 3-credit course; also counts toward the Navigating Your Trails requirement. Taken in a student’s first year at WNE.
A Gateway to Opportunity, Learning, and Discovery (GOLD) course introduces students to university-level learning, sets the stage for their educational journey, and helps them to connect the general education program to their interests. In a GOLD course, students engage in inquiry and critical thinking on a topic that is current, timeless, challenging, or thought-provoking. Students also practice communication and information literacy skills and learn the importance of critically evaluating sources.
GOLD courses exist across departments and disciplines and are taught by professors who are experts in the subject. Each course is designed to be accessible to students of any major. A GOLD course likely includes students from several different majors, and each student connects course content to their academic interests through an assignment designed for this purpose.
GOLD courses are reserved for first-year students, and students can earn credit for only one GOLD course during their time at WNE. Students with 30 transfer credits from another institution are exempt from the GOLD course requirement. AP and dual enrollment credits do not count toward these transfer credits. However, exemption from the GOLD course requirement does not exempt students from the Navigating Your Trails requirements.
Requirement: 3 courses, 9-10 credits
Written Communication
Requirement: 2 courses (ENGL 132, ENGL 133), 6 credits
Effective writing is important in virtually all human activities, from informal exchanges with friends and family to more formal intellectual pursuits and the professional responsibilities of the workplace. The ability to express ideas in writing, using appropriate sentence structure, grammar, and mechanics, as well as a detectable thesis and logical support for the thesis, allows us to communicate effectively with others.
To develop skills in written communication, each student must take two foundational English composition courses. Because writing and reading are closely related and because all students should have some college experience of literature, these courses also feature the analytic reading of literary texts in a cultural context. Each student must complete both of these writing courses with grades of C- or better.
Multimodal Communication
Requirement: 1 course, 3 to 4 credits
Multimodal Communication courses equip students with understanding and skills to communicate within and across different communication modalities. Through regular practice, students learn at least one modality and how to use its characteristics and rules ethically and effectively to understand particular audiences and communicate specific purposes.
Multimodal Communication courses typically include select communication, English, journalism, and introductory language courses, as well as other discipline-specific courses.
Requirement: at least 3 credits
The Capstone is part of each student’s major and represents an opportunity to apply skills learned through both general education and major courses to a culminating, integrative experience. Beyond the major-specific goals of the Capstone, these courses will refine students’ education in, and demonstrate students’ competence in, the following four areas:
Capstones may also prioritize competencies important to the discipline, such as:
Each major degree program determines the course or courses that satisfy the Capstone requirement.
Josephine Rodriguez, Associate Provost (413-782-1692, jrodrigu@wne.edu)
Lisa Hansen, Director of Assessment (413-782-1763, lisa.hansen@wne.edu)
