The
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November 5, 2014 Volume CXXXIV Issue 8
Foundations program enters fifth year Aspects of Foundations explained by professors and commented on by students
By BROOKE WHITAKER A&E Editor The Foundations program is one that is familiar to all current Georgetown students, but is fairly new to our college. The program is entering its fifth year of implementation, which is cause for a review of its progress and effectiveness (this process is similar to the review cycles undergone by individual departments). The goal of the Foundations program is to “have a freshman–level class that teaches students skills like reading critically, writing coherently and forming well-reasoned arguments,” said Dr. John Henkel, Chair of the Foundations 111 Committee. Henkel described the Foundations program as a “critical thinking class, among other things” that would teach students how to “read and use texts to support a carefully-crafted argument of their own making or of someone else’s.” The Foundations program is currently divided into two sections, Foundations 111 and Foundations 112. Foundations 111, taught in the fall, is the first section of the course and all freshmen get roughly the
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same class. All 111 classes, the 111 section, students may no matter the professor, are choose from a variety of differcentered around the theme ent classes covering different of “Revolutions and Renais- subjects for their 112 section. sance.” Dr. Ellen Emerick, Chair of the Henkel pointed out that Foundations 112 Committee, this theme was one of three said that the purpose of the 112 potential themes that were class is to “take the skills that evaluated during the concep- you’ve been working on [in tion phases of the program Foundations 111] and apply five years ago, with the other two being “Community” and “Foreignness, the Stranger, and the Other.” The Revolutions and Renaissance theme is based on the idea that humanity has undergone and will undergo in the future major shifts in ideology and values, and gives faculty and students the chance to explore bigger questions and themes. Henkel also pointed out that professors of FoundaThe Georgetonian/NOAH KRIEGER tions make a concerted effort Foundations: Revolutions and to keep the program consis- Renaissance is the theme of tent across individual classes, Foundation 111 classes. saying that over the past five years faculty have gathered them to different disciplines.” to standardize their grading, There will be twelve differrubrics and reading choices ent classes of Foundations in order to ensure “equity and 112 taught in the upcoming fairness across the sections” of spring semester, and many of the program. them are cross–listed for credit Foundations 112 is the within other departments. The second section of the program offerings for next semester will and is taught in the spring. include classes in the areas Unlike the unified front of of biology, women’s studies,
education, communication, history, classics, art and religion. The Foundations 112 class is also an opportunity for faculty to teach a class in an area that they are knowledgeable about that wouldn’t necessarily fit into a degree program. “It gives the faculty an opportunity to teach the discipline in a more creative way,” said Emerick. Students who have completed the program and have gone on to upper–level classes within their disciplines have strong feelings both for and against the program. Alysha Bodenbender, a senior chemistry major, has less than favorable feelings toward the program, stating that “We have other classes that do the same thing, and those classes are required to take with gen eds. We have religion, philosophy and literature classes that we are required to take for gen eds. These classes go over similar readings and do literature analysis. And you learn how to write papers in English 111/112.” Fellow senior and biology major Melissa McQuilling disagreed, stating that “ I think it’s a great idea because let’s be honest, a lot of people are ter-
rible writers.” McQuilling also pointed out that “I didn’t know about counterarguments until I took Foundations. I had never even heard of such a thing. I remember sitting in Foundations thinking ‘What do you mean you want me to include the other side? What kind of parallel universe is this?’” Junior and English and theater/film major Fiona McElrath spoke in favor of the Foundations program. She said that it’s “good to teach that reading and writing [in Foundations classes] because it’s not usually taught in English 111.” When asked how the Foundations program could be improved, she suggested that there be “more step by step instruction on how to analyze readings because they [professors] typically hand you the readings and assume that you already know what to do.” The Foundations program and its mission to prepare incoming students for critical thinking and coherent expression of ideas formed through this manner, is a vital part of the core program and serves as one of the many factors that gives Georgetown its liberal arts identity.
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