Ethos


 

Introduction

In Ancient Greek, “ethos” was the word for an informed citizen’s character. The ideal was to become an individual of courageous aspiration and sound moral judgment. Much later, ethos referred to a speaker’s authority, trustworthiness, and capacity for civic excellence. And today, one of the great aims of a comprehensive liberal education might be said to be the development of student ethos, the disposition and habits of mind essential to living a meaningful life. LaGrange College’s Ethos program endeavors to be the foundation in every student’s search for that meaningful life. Students will refine their intellectual skills​, explore multiple modes of inquiry​, and interrogate the values of thoughtful global citizenship​. Dedicated to LaGrange College’s roots in the Wesleyan tradition and implemented across every year of an undergraduate degree program, the Ethos curriculum values high-impact learning practices and culminates with integrated, project-based senior capstone experiences unique to each student’s major area of study. The Ethos program is the soul of LaGrange College's commitment to the liberal arts tradition. It is our promise to prepare students to be curious and creative global citizens.

 

Ethos Courses

PROGRAMMATIC GOAL ONE: INTELLECTUAL SKILLS

12 Hours

Writing and Information Literacy

ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102

6 Hours

Logical and Quantitative Reasoning

One from the following list:   MATH 1101, 1221, or 2221

and

One from the following list:  MATH 1114, 1115, or 1120

6 Hours

 

PROGRAMMATIC GOAL TWO: MODES OF INQUIRY

Students may count no more than seven credit hours of coursework bearing the same four-character course designation to fulfill the requirements of Programmatic Goal Two.

25 Hours
Diverse Cultures, Human Behavior, and Human Relationships

ECON 2200;
EXCS 2331;
POLS 1101, 2220;
PSYC 1101;
SOCI 1000;

3 Hours

Modern Languages

Two sequential courses from among

FREN 1101, 1102, 2103, 2105;
GERM 1101, 1102;
JAPN 1101, 1102;
SPAN 1101, 1102, 1102M, 2103, 2105

6 Hours

Laboratory Science and the Natural World

BIOL 1101, 1102 and 1102L, 1107 and 1107L, 1108 and 1108L, 2148, 2149 and 2149L;
CHEM 1101, 1101L, 1102, 1102L;
PHYS 1101, 1101L, 1102, 1102L

7 Hours

World Civilization and Humanities

ARTD 1109, 1110, 1111;
ENGL 2204, 2205, 2206, 2207;
HIST 1101, 1102, 1111, 1112;
HUMS 2001, 2002; 
MUSI 1110;
POLS 2210;
PHIL 1410;
THEA 1101, 1102;

6 Hours

Artistic Expression

ARTD 1151, 1152, 1153, 2227, 2229,2272;
DCMF 2001;
MUSI 1101, 1107, 1108, 1112;
THEA 1180, 1184, 1205;

3 Hours

 

 

PROGRAMMATIC GOAL THREE: GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

7 Hours

Values

ETHS 1101, ETHS 1102

4 Hours

Faith Traditions

PHIL 2430
RLGN 1102, 1103, 1104, 1105, 1107;

3 Hours

 

 

TOTAL REQUIRED ETHOS HOURS

44 Hours

 

In addition, as part of Programmatic Goal IV, each student is required to complete a senior capstone/seminar course in their major that ranges from 1-3 hours.  These are the currently certified courses.

PROGRAMMATIC GOAL FOUR: DEMONSTRATION 

 

ACCT 4420;
BIOL 4470;
DCMF 4488
EDUC 4481,4490;
ENGL 4495;
ENTR 4200;
HIST 4490;
MATH 4350;
MUSI 4484, 4488;
NURS 4450, 4460
NPLD 4490;
RLGN 4620;
SOCI 4950;
SPMG 4200;
THEA 4484

  1-3 Hours

General Education

Each student is required to pass three (3) Interim-term courses [one (1) three-hour course per term] as part of the graduation requirements. First-year students are required to enroll in an Interim-term course. Students may elect to complete four (4) Interim-term courses and are encouraged to do so.

The Ethos Curriculum and the Interim Term comprise General Education at LaGrange College.

Assessment of the Ethos Curriculum

During the first semester and again prior to graduation, students take the college’s assessment exam, designed to determine the extent to which students have achieved the objectives of the Ethos Curriculum. Participation in this testing program is a requirement for graduation with a baccalaureate degree.

Students will be responsible for assembling an Ethos Portfolio with which the programs and the Ethos Council can perform course-embedded assessment. All Ethos courses will include authentic assessments that are designed and administered by the courses’ instructors. For the most part, these assessments will be written artifacts, but multimedia artifacts including recorded presentations and/or performances, photography, and sound files may also be appropriate.

While often adequate for assessing student learning within certain courses, student results on standardized  and/or computer scored midterm and final exams are not recommended artifacts for programmatic portfolios. Rather, students are encouraged to design signature assignments that may function as transactional discourse outside of the classroom.

The Ethos Portfolio will be comprised of nine (9) artifacts that students will collect and upload electronically over their time as students at LaGrange College. Artifacts must demonstrate gains made within each of the student learning outcomes: creativity, critical thinking, communication, and connection. Senior theses/capstone projects should be, with some rare exceptions, uploaded by all graduating seniors.

In each instance, students will be prompted to write brief self-assessments of no more than a paragraph that explain the inclusion of their work and how it demonstrates its respective student learning outcome. This reflective work—and all assessment—will be reviewed by the Ethos Council. Students transferring to LaGrange College with at least thirty (30) transfer credits may have certain artifacts waived from their Ethos Portfolios depending on which courses were transferred.

Students transferring to LaGrange College with at least sixty (60) transfer credits will not have to complete an Ethos Portfolio as part of the graduation requirements. The Ethos Council will annually conduct assessment of artifacts associated with a limited number of learning outcomes. This cyclic, systematic process will focus on distinct sets of learning outcomes in succeeding assessment periods until all learning outcomes are evaluated. With some exception, many of these assessments are already being administered across LaGrange College’s curriculum.

The Ethos Portfolio presents the opportunity for faculty to review it in the interest of improving student learning, and for students—and their families—to see meaningful benchmarks in their educations.  In the following table, students may see which courses produce the artifacts they require for their portfolios.

 

Portfolio Artifacts and Courses

Artifact

Courses

First Year Writing

ENGL 1102

Logical/Quantitative Reasoning

CHEM 1102/1102L;
MATH 1114, MATH 1115, MATH 1120;
PHYS 1101/1101L;

Performance or Written Artifact from Outside the Student’s Major

ARTD 1109, ARTD 1110, ARTD 1111;
BIOL 1102/1102L, BIOL 1108/1108L, BIOL 2149/2149L;
ECON 2200;
EXCS 2331;
HIST 1101, HIST 1102, HIST 1111, HIST 1112;
HUMS 2001, HUMS 2002;
PHIL 1410;
POLS 2210, POLS 2220;
PSYC 1101;
SOCI 1000;

Language Competency

FREN 1102, FREN 2103, FREN 2105;
GERM 1102;
JAPN 1102;
SPAN 1102, SPAN 1102M, SPAN 2103, SPAN 2105

Fine Arts

ARTD 1151, ARTD 1152, ARTD 1152, ARTD 2227, ARTD 2229, ARTD 2272;
DCMF 2001;
MUSI 1101, MUSI 1107, MUSI 1108, MUSI 1112;
THEA 1180, THEA 1184, THEA 1205

Spoken Communication

ENGL 2204, ENGL 2205, ENGL 2206, ENGL 2207;
MUSI 1110;
POLS 1101;
THEA 1101, 1102;

Faith Identity

PHIL 2430
RLGN 1102, RLGN 1103, RLGN 1104, RLGN 1105, RLGN 1107

Values

ETHS 1101, ETHS 1102

Demonstration/Senior Capstone

ACCT 4430;
BIOL 4470;
DCMF 4488
EDUC 4481, EDUC 4490B;
ENGL 4495;
ENTR 4200;
HIST 4490;
MATH 4350;
MUSI 4484, MUSI 4488;
NPLD 4490;
NURS 4450, NURS 4460;
RLGN 4620;
SOCI 4950;
SPMG 4200;
THEA 4484

 

Ethos Curriculum: Time Restrictions

There is no time limit on the credit or validity of coursework in the Ethos Curriculum. It should be noted, however, that students who have not been enrolled at LaGrange College for four (4) years, or who transferred from LaGrange College and subsequently return, enter the college under the Bulletin in force at the time of re-entry.