The Great Books Colloquium is an integrated sequence of four courses, I to IV, in which students read and discuss some of the most influential and thought-provoking books ever written. From the ancient Greeks to the twentieth century, these works stimulate thought and conversation on ideas that require our best critical analysis and insights about big questions and timeless issues. In addition to reading, students engage in class discussion and writing interpretative essays. Over the sequence, they will grow as thinkers, writers, and communicators: a solid educational foundation not simply for college, but also strong skills towards future employment and, indeed, for life.
Assigned texts in this sequence encompass literature, philosophy, theology, politics, history, and psychology. Among the issues addressed are the complexities of justice, the grounds of moral choice, the experiences of human and divine love, and the ideals and challenges of political leadership. Authors range from Homer to Toni Morrison, Plato to Dostoevsky, Dante to Austen to Virginia Woolf, among many others. The courses emphasize an open forum for sharing ideas, intellectual growth, and rigorous academic inquiry. Our goal is not for students to think like the authors we read, but for students to build on the readings to think for themselves.
Quality Assurance: Every institution should ensure that its degree programs undergo periodic reviews that incorporate an analysis of student achievement according to program learning outcomes (CFR 2.4). Faculty are responsible to exercise effective academic leadership on a consistent basis and be involved in ensuring that the program's quality and educational purposes are upheld (CFR 2.6). Program reviews also incorporate components of faculty activity relative to the mission of the program (CFR 2.8), achievement of learning outcomes (CFR 2.9), tracking and support for timely degree program completion (CFR 2.10), post-graduation monitoring and success (CFR 2.11), and assurance of prompt, accurate, and complete advising (CFR 2.12). - WSCUC 2023 Handbook, Standard 2