The Educated Citizen Core Curriculum was adopted by NMC faculty and initiated in fall 2006 after several years of research and discussion. Rather than beginning with a list of courses each student would take, the NMC Core Curriculum committee wanted to develop a curriculum that met the changing needs of society.  Faculty and staff began with the mission statement of Nebraska Methodist College and asked, "What should an NMC graduate know, value, and be able to do upon graduation to meet our mission of educating healthcare professionals who will positively influence the health and wellbeing of the community?"  This query led to months of  investigating best practices in higher education, expectations of employers, and the needs of the community. The process was fruitful as it clarified specific objectives that would lead graduates to the mission of the College as individuals prepared to create change. Once objectives were identified, a curriculum was created to meet the objectives through a liberal education, or a variety of disciplines.   The Educated Citizen is the desired outcome for all graduates of NMC, regardless of program.

 

Statement of Purpose:

An educated citizen is a competent practitioner and engaged citizen who responds productively to the complex dynamics of the world utilizing a diversity of disciplines and perspectives.

The Core, the College, and the Portfolio

At Nebraska Methodist College, the core curriculum, professional program outcomes, and co-curricular offerings all contribute to the development of educated citizens. Students track their progress towards the goals through written reflections during each level of their programs. Reflections capture not just what was done, but what the student learned about him/herself and the progress made toward the overall goal.  Students may also include artifacts of their work to demonstrate their progress towards these goals.

1.  Reflective Individual    A reflective individual routinely engages in habits of inquiry that influence ways of thinking and actions.

1.    Integrate learning from a variety of disciplines.

A.        Routinely engage in habits of inquiry such as logic and critical thinking.

B.        Engage one or more humanities disciplines to influence ways of thinking and acting.

C.        Engage one or more social science disciplines to influence ways of thinking and   acting.

D.        Engage one or more natural and applied science disciplines to influence ways of thinking and acting.

E.        Analyze perspectives of holism.

2.   Exhibit personal responsibility.

 

2.  Effective Communicator   An effective communicator uses critical thinking to generate, connect, and organize ideas in a written, oral and nonverbal manner.

1.    Use appropriate written skills in varied contexts.

2.    Use appropriate oral and nonverbal skills in varied contexts.

3.  Use Spanish or other international languages in academic and community settings.

 

3. Change Agent    A change agent uses the disciplines of the liberal arts and sciences to analyze historical and contemporary situations and systems, to develop cultural competence, and to take appropriate initiative to effect change.

1.    Analyze historical and contemporary situations and systems.

          A. Access information and resources.

B. Critically analyze current events using habits of inquiry unique to sociology, political science, history, religion and/or economics.

2.   Develop cultural competence.

          A. Demonstrate respect for others with alternative points of view.

          B. Analyze power dynamics.

3.   Take appropriate initiative to effect change.

          A. Draw individuals and/or organizations together for a common purpose.

          B. Create a voice for self and others.

 

Revised October, 2014

The NMC Educated Citizen Core Curriculum

Associate Degree Requirements

 

Course Number

Course Title

Credit Hours

HUM 150

*The World of Ideas: Critical Reasoning and Rhetoric**  

3

COM 230 or COM 245

*Language and Culture in Healthcare

3

COM 101

English Composition

3

HUM 2__

The World of Ideas: Elective

3

SSC ___

Psychology

3

SSC 235

The Sociology of Culture

3

SCI ___

Natural and Applied Sciences

3

Credit hours in the Core

21

*Courses required to take at NMC = 6 credit hours

         

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

 

Course Number

Title

Credit Hours

HUM 150

*The World of Ideas: Critical Reasoning and Rhetoric**  

3

COM 230 or COM 245

*Language and Culture in Healthcare

3

COM 320

*Healthcare Collaboration and Leadership

3

SSC 465

*Capstone: The Educated Citizen

3

COM 101

English Composition

3

HUM 210

Ethics

3

HUM 255

The World of Ideas: Historical Perspectives

3

HUM 220 or 270

The World of Ideas: The Arts or Human Connection

3

HUM ___

The World of Ideas: The Arts, Historical Perspectives or Human Connection

3

SSC ___

Psychology

3

SSC 235

The Sociology of Culture

3

SSC ___

Statistics, Research or a combined Statistics and Research course

3

SCI ___

Natural and Applied Sciences

9

Credit hours in the Core

45

* Courses required to take at NMC = 12 hrs

               ** Students who enter NMC with a previous bachelor’s degree are given two credits for HU 150: Critical

Reasoning and Rhetoric.  Students who have taken a 3-credit critical thinking course and a 3-credit public speaking course are also given two credits for HU 150.  These students take the one-credit HU 152: Portfolio Introduction.