All Iḷisaġvik certificates (30 credits or more) and degree programs include a general education component, a combination of courses and associated outcomes, which the College considers foundational to developing essential competencies in today’s college graduate. The General Education curriculum gives students critical reasoning skills to explore complex questions, grasp the essence of social, scientific, and ethical problems, and arrive at nuanced opinions. Collectively, the courses comprising the General Education component address the following four areas:
Evaluation and Decision Making
Students will develop and augment the following skills:
- Critical thinking, interpretation, and inference
- Computational theory and techniques
- Scientific inquiry and methodology
- Synthesis and application
- Innovation and problem solving
Communication of Ideas
Students will develop and augment the following skills:
- Oral, written, and visual expression of ideas
- Application of technology
- Collaboration
- Rhetoric and discourse
Society and Ethical Engagement
Students will develop and augment the following skills:
- Ethical reasoning and social engagement
- Understand citizenship and civic duty
- Understanding of law and government
- Placing present-day institutions in historical context
Cultural Perspectives
Students will develop and augment the following skills:
- Critical thinking about the human experience
- Traditional Iñupiaq knowledge and values
- Native/indigenous ways of knowing
- Appreciation and expression of art and creativity
General Education courses can be found in the first three categories of the Certificate (30 cr or more) and Degree program charts. They are located under the black header rows that say Communication, Math/Science/Technology, and Humanities/Social Sciences.