Berea College
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

Aim of general education 1.4 Help students understand the natural environment and our relationship to it

Agriculture and Natural Resources Learning Outcomes Students completing the ANR BS degree program will: 1. Know and understand scientific facts and principles pertaining to soils, plants, animals, economics, and ecology and have the ability to apply those facts and principles to the management of agriculture and natural resources systems. 2. Be capable of studying and analyzing agricultural and natural-resource production systems to address particular problems or questions using appropriate scientific methods of planning, data collection, quantitative analysis, and presentation. 3. Be conversant in a broad range of subject matters and locate, interpret, critically evaluate, synthesize, and present information through writing and speech. 4. Know how to use commercial-scale field equipment and tools for managing farms and other natural-resources systems. 5. Understand agriculture and natural resources within the broader societal contexts of culture, ecology, economics, politics, and history, as well as from different perspectives. 6. Examine and prepare for career opportunities in agriculture and natural resources, including graduate education. Appalachian Studies Learning Goals for Appalachian Studies Affirming the College’s four pairs of learning goals outlined in Being and Becoming, course work in Appalachian Studies at Berea College provides scaffolding for understanding cultures in Appalachia as well as insight about the relationship of Appalachia to the rest of the United States and other global regional cultures. A multidisciplinary endeavor, Appalachian Studies (APS) courses examine various aspects of Appalachian heritage and culture, including a choice of course work concerned with creative expression, health issues, sustainability, natural history, contemporary issues, gender, race, and other approved courses relating to Appalachia. Appalachian Studies courses as well as the minor complement and enrich any major program at the College (an independent major in Appalachian Studies is also available for interested students). APS majors and minors, as well as those students who take several APS courses, should, through classroom learning, service-learning, internships, independent learning, and other experiences: 1. Think deeply and broadly. This includes thinking critically, analytically, and creatively about Appalachia; 2. Strive for a big-picture understanding. Integrate diverse knowledge about Appalachia, including digital, biological, sociological, cultural, and historical sources as well as archival and field-based material to achieve a holistic understanding of Appalachia and its people and systems; 3. Compare Appalachia across time and place. Articulate and appreciate the ways in which the Appalachian region has been and is connected to national and international development and history and how regions influence one another; 4. Seek out interdisciplinary. Acquire a range of knowledge about Appalachia, including Appalachian prehistory, history, settlement, and industrialization; ethnic and racial diversity; natural history; the use of resources and the effects on natural and human ecologies; economic development; cultures (including religion, folkways, literature, musical, and artistic expressions); exploitation and stewardship; and the creation and manipulation of images and stereotypes; 5. Apply. Put knowledge and practical skills to work proactively with Appalachian households and communities to build on strengths and to meet challenges in order to contribute to sustainable, just, and peaceable communities. APS students will thus have knowledge of Appalachia’s history and development; will work toward a comprehensive sense of the Appalachian region from a variety of cultural, social, and artistic perspectives; will gain skills and passion to work with communities in the mountains; and will be able to see Appalachia as a model for regional study in other parts of the nation and the world. Sustainability and Environmental Studies Learning outcomes: SENS students will: • Understand the biophysical underpinnings of the human economy • Learn the basic principles of exponential growth and the implications for life on a finite planet • Obtain a thorough knowledge of the primary threats to economic and social sustainability including peak oil, climate change, population growth, environmental degradation, and social anarchy. • Comprehend the fundamentals of ecological design – the purposeful integration of human actions with the structures and functions of the natural world – and the importance of knowledge of place in successful ecological design. • Master practical skills for increasing household resilience in one or more areas including food, energy, water, shelter, health. • Acquire practical skills for increasing community resilience • Understand complexity and the need to examine the world through multiple lenses and perspectives • Appreciate the moral imperative of serving as good stewards of a world that they have borrowed from future generations. Technology and Industrial Arts Learning Outcomes: • Develop an understanding of technology and its impact on humans and our natural world. • Be prepared to live thoughtfully in our natural and human made environments. • Develop a desire for life-long learning and inquiry into the development of technology and its effect on the global community. • Develop awareness of personal responsibility for individual action, ethical consciousness and a commitment to service. • Be capable of critical thought, problem solving, analysis and synthesis. • Develop the ability to think independently with a thorough understanding of the importance of human collaboration and cooperation. • Be able to connect learning across disciplines. • Gain knowledge and understanding of the world of work and develop entry level skills, knowledge and attitudes.