Model Gold - A Strands Model

The proposed strands model (Model Gold) consists of ten courses, beginning with a first-year experience (FYE) “transformative texts” seminar centered on well-known works of literature, philosophy, history, and social thought that invite deep, sustained reading and reflection. Students also take five foundational courses in writing, formal reasoning, human connection and communication, difference and power, and global citizenship. 

To fulfill the four-course strand requirement, students choose a theme from a variety of offerings. Examples of strand themes might include Citizenship and Responsibility, Sustainability and the Environment, Human Creativity, Digital Storytelling, and Health and Wellness. Students complete one course each in that theme from four disciplinary groupings: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities, Arts, and STEM. Each of these courses approaches the strand theme from a distinct disciplinary perspective. For example, a student might fulfill requirements in the Sustainability and the Environment strand by taking courses in environmental health and safety (Healthy Workplace: Protecting People and the Environment), environmental science (Introduction to Environmental Studies), art history (Visual Representations and the Nuclear Experience), and English (Indigenous Literature of North America).

What distinguishes the strands model of general education from the current distribution model is its integrative emphasis, as it allows students to apply different disciplinary knowledges, perspectives, and methodologies to a single theme. In addition, while the strands model encourages conversations between instructors from different disciplines and departments, it does not require intentional coordination among those instructors, nor does it force them to teach outside their area of disciplinary expertise.