Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture General Education
Faculty
Eric Reed, Ph.D., Academic Lead, Associate Professor
MISSION
The mission of the General Education Division is to provide broad intellectual knowledge, awareness, and critical thinking skills in the liberal arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences directed toward the successful pursuit of students’ personal and career goals as citizens and leaders in agriculture enterprises.
PHILOSOPHY
General education is part of the academic experience that builds students’ growth as citizens and professionals. General education instruction engages students in independent, critical, and creative thinking; promotes open-mindedness and understanding; gives confidence and inquisitiveness to challenge assumptions and explore ideas and values; promotes the passing of sound judgment; encourages the consideration of ethical and practical consequences of actions; and facilitates wisdom.
Associate of Applied Science Curriculum
General Education Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communication; Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| 3 hours required: | ||
| TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION I | ||
| WRITING & INQUIRY | ||
| Oral Communication | 3 | |
| 3 hours required: | ||
| INTERPERSONAL SKILLS FOR LEADERSHIP | ||
| SALES COMM | ||
| PUBLIC SPEAKING | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | 3 | |
| 3 hours required: | ||
| STATISTICS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA | ||
| AGRICULTURAL MATHEMATICS | ||
| COLLEGE ALGEBRA | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS | ||
| MATH FOR VET TECHS | ||
| Problem Solving | 4 | |
| 4 hours required: | ||
| FUND OF ANIMAL BIO | ||
| GENERAL BIOLOGY & LAB | ||
| PLANT SCIENCE and AGRONOMIC PLANT SCIENCE LABORATORY | ||
| CHEMISTRY IN CONTEXT I | ||
| CHEMISTRY IN CONTEXT II | ||
| GENERAL CHEM I | ||
| GENERAL CHEM II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO LABORATORY SCIENCE | ||
| Civic Engagement; Intercultural Knowledge & Competence | 4 | |
| Take one of the following: | ||
| AG BUSINESS FOUNDATIONS | ||
| AGRONOMY ORIENTATION | ||
| SUCCESS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE | ||
| CAREER STRATEGIES | ||
| Take one of the following: | ||
| HUMAN RELATIONS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 17 | |
Associate of Science Curriculum
General Education Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communication; Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| 3 hours required: | ||
| TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION I | ||
| WRITING & INQUIRY | ||
| WRITING & ARGUMENT | ||
| Oral Communication | 3 | |
| 3 hours required: | ||
| INTERPERSONAL SKILLS FOR LEADERSHIP | ||
| PUBLIC SPEAKING | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | 3 | |
| 3 hours required: | ||
| STATISTICS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA | ||
| COLLEGE ALGEBRA | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS | ||
| Problem Solving | 8 | |
| 8 hours required: | ||
| FUND OF ANIMAL BIO | ||
| GENERAL BIOLOGY & LAB | ||
| PLANT SCIENCE | ||
| AGRONOMIC PLANT SCIENCE LABORATORY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE LABORATORY | ||
| CHEMISTRY IN CONTEXT I | ||
| CHEMISTRY IN CONTEXT II | ||
| GENERAL CHEM I | ||
| GENERAL CHEM II | ||
| Civic Engagement; Intercultural Knowledge & Competence | 7 | |
| Take one of the following: | ||
| AG BUSINESS FOUNDATIONS | ||
| AGRONOMY ORIENTATION | ||
| SUCCESS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE | ||
| CAREER STRATEGIES | ||
| Take both of the following: | ||
| AMERICAN HISTORY AFTER 1877 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 24 | |
Description: Examination of fundamental principles of plant and animal biology including cell biology, genetics, development, diversity, and ecology.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Description: Biology of plants grown for food, fiber, fun, or fuel. Plant life cycles in managed ecosystems, and their role in global carbon and water cycles. Mechanisms plants use to drive and control their growth, propagate, and change to compete with other organisms in their environment.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Growth, development, morphology, and staging of annual and perennial monocot and dicot plants produced for grain, forage and grazing. Evaluation of seed, grain and forage quality for plants of agronomic importance.
| Credit Hours: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 1 |
| Max credits per degree: | 1 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:1
ACE:
Description: Introduction to and practical experience in the production and usage of horticultural plants.
| Credit Hours: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 1 |
| Max credits per degree: | 1 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:1
ACE:
Prerequisites: 1 year of high school algebra or 1 semester of a college math course.
Description: The extraordinary chemistry of ordinary things. The chemical model of solids, liquids, gases, molecules, and salts. How these models are used to explore chemical aspects of biological, social, or economic situation.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Prerequisites: CHEM 1014: Introduction to Chemistry I.
Description: How organic chemistry and biochemistry complement one another. Chemical aspects of biological, social, or economic situations.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Prerequisites: Two years of high school algebra and one year of high school chemistry or two years of high school algebra and CHM 1014.
Description: Lecture and laboratory serving as an introduction to chemical reactions, the mole concept, properties of the states of matter, atomic structure, periodic properties, chemical bonding and molecular structure.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Prerequisites: CHM 1104: General Chemistry I
Description: Lecture and laboratory serving as an introduction to inter-molecular forces, kinetics, chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Description: This course allows students who have not achieved minimum placement scores in writing and reading (minimum 18 ACT in English & minimum 18 ACT in Reading or equivalent) to develop skills in those areas before taking a required English course.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Pass No Pass |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: This course emphasizes the principles and strategies of written communication about technical subject matter using various media. It is designed to prepare the student to present technical and scientific documents in a clear and informative manner.
This course is a prerequisite for: ENG 2203
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: A refinement of writing skills and critical reading, emphasizing the relationship between purpose and form, clarity, accuracy of expression, the development of the writer's voice and style, the elements of critical thinking, and the development of the research paper to prepare for university studies.
This course is a prerequisite for: ENG 2203
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: The study of one or more film genres-such as Western, Gangster, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, or film noir-from its inception to the present day. Students will use knowledge, theories, and methods appropriate to the art of film to understand the films, their context, and their significance.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Introduction to the writing of poetry, fiction, and screenplays. Lectures and discussions emphasize the principles, processes, and techniques of creative writing. Students develop their ability to respond to literature and scripts through workshops, discussions and written assignments requiring them to analyze professional and peer works. Emphasis on literary (as opposed to "slick") writing.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Examines the economic, political, social, and cultural development of the United States from the end of the Reconstruction era through the modern era. Through lectures, readings, assignments, and discussion, students will be asked to interpret and critically evaluate historical documents, perspectives, concepts, and events.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Test Placement
Description: Properties of real numbers, factoring, exponents and radicals, linear and fractional equations, linear and nonlinear inequalities, quadratic equations, and functions and graphs. This course may not be accepted in transfer toward the general education requirement for a baccalaureate degree.
This course is a prerequisite for: MTH 1503
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: A study of mathematics, geometry and algebra that are utilized in the agricultural industry. Problems will include examples from crop production, horticulture, livestock management and agricultural business.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: 21 ACT in Math or equivalent test score; MTH 1203: Intermediate Algebra; or instructor permission
Description: Functions, inverse functions, graphing of linear and quadratic functions, the conic sections, polynomial functions, rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, systems of equations, determinants and matrices, and higher degree equations.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: 24 ACT in Math or equivalent test score; MTH 1503: College Algebra; or instructor permission
Description: Frequency distributions, elementary probability theory, measures of dispersion and central tendency, normal distributions, confidence intervals, hypotheses testing, regression, and correlation.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: 24 ACT in Math or equivalent test score; MTH 1503: College Algebra; or instructor permission)
Description: Designed for students who plan further study at the calculus level. Numerical trigonometry, trigonometric analysis, inverse trigonometric functions, and complex numbers.
| Credit Hours: | 2 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 2 |
| Max credits per degree: | 2 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:2
ACE:
Description: This course studies the psychology of humans and their relationships with others. Emphasis is placed on one's ability to get along with others in a working relationship.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: This course encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to the community. The course also supports intercultural knowledge and competence providing, effective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: This course will instruct students in retail and service salesmanship, emphasizing the purpose of selling, the characteristics and functions of the salesperson, sales promotion, locating and qualifying prospects, and the steps in making a sale. Students are required to select a product, develop a sales manual and make a sales presentation.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: This course contains a study of the methods of developing and presenting oral communications. It includes techniques in speech making and other methods of communicating orally in the business world.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Associate of Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.) and associate of science (A.S.)
Outcomes
Upon completion of the Associate of Applied Science degree students should be able to demonstrate the following skills and abilities (as defined by the Association of American Colleges & Universities VALUE Rubrics):
Program Outcomes
- Written Communication. Written communication is the development and expression of ideas in writing. Written communication involves learning to work in many genres and styles. It can involve working with many different writing technologies, and mixing texts, data, and images. Written communication abilities develop through iterative experiences across the curriculum.
- Oral Communication. Oral communication is a prepared, purposeful presentation designed to increase knowledge, to foster understanding, or to promote change in the listeners’ attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors.
- Quantitative Literacy. Quantitative Literacy (QL) – also known as Numeracy or Quantitative Reasoning (QR) – is a “habit of mind,” competency, and comfort in working with numerical data. Individuals with strong QL skills possess the ability to reason and solve quantitative problems from a wide array of authentic contexts and everyday life situations. They understand and can create sophisticated arguments supported by quantitative evidence and they can clearly communicate those arguments in a variety of formats (using words, tables, graphs, mathematical equations, etc., as appropriate).
- Problem Solving. Problem solving is the process of designing, evaluating and implementing a strategy to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal.
- Civic Engagement: Civic engagement is “working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.” (Excerpted from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, published by Oryx Press, 2000, Preface, page vi.) In addition, civic engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to the community.
- Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion.
- Intercultural Knowledge and Competence: Intercultural Knowledge and Competence is "a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.” (Bennett, J. M. 2008. Transformative training: Designing programs for culture learning. In Contemporary leadership and intercultural competence: Understanding and utilizing cultural diversity to build successful organizations, ed. M. A. Moodian, 95-110. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.)