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The Foundational Curriculum

HSU’s Educational Mission:

“An Education Enlightened by Faith…”

HSU’s Foundational Curriculum seeks to integrate the premise of a liberal arts education and the promise of the Christian life by:

  • Introducing students to disciplines of intrinsic worth that improve the mind and heart, providing not only understanding but the ability to live a humane life, and…
  • Offering opportunities to understand Christ’s promise of liberation and transformation of the mind and way of life.

The curricular exploration of God’s creation--its history and order, its tragedy and wonder--challenges professors and students alike:

  • To expand the boundaries of their faith;
  • To grow in knowledge and ability;
  • To confront the deep richness of human experience;
  • To engage in the creative tension of life lived in an uncertain world.

At HSU, our curriculum prepares students to lead, redeem, and serve in large ways and small the world in which they live. The spirit which integrates faith and learning serves as the foundation of our campus community and gives shape to our curricular goals:

  • Develop Critical Thinking
  • Develop Effective Expression
  • Discover Self
  • Experience Community

As a result of HSU’s faculty-developed and faculty-approved Foundational Curriculum, graduates are responsible for and are expected to achieve the following levels of aptitude:

COMPETENCY I:

Graduates are expected to write at a C+ level or higher.

COMPETENCY II:

Graduates should have basic analytical and quantitative skills necessary for handling information in mathematical form.

COMPETENCY III:

Graduates should be able to think critically and approach religious, philosophical, and aesthetic issues analytically.

COMPETENCY IV:

Graduates should be acquainted with ideas, information, and modes of inquiry to draw upon in multiple areas of their lives.

COMPETENCY V:

Graduates should be able to demonstrate recognition of relationships by applying knowledge, skills, or abilities learned in one discipline to another.

COMPETENCY VI:

Graduates should demonstrate appropriate psychomotor skills and apply wellness principles through participation in fitness, recreation, or sports activities.

COMPETENCY VII:

Graduates should be able to demonstrate effective oral communication strategies for a variety of audience needs.