undergraduate bulletin - LaGrange College

CORE CURRICULUM
INTEGRATIVE STUDIES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The Core Curriculum of LaGrange College is designed to improve students‘ creative, critical,
and communicative abilities, as evidenced by the following outcomes:
Students will demonstrate creativity by approaching complex problems with innovation and
from diverse perspectives.
Students will demonstrate critical thinking by acquiring, interpreting, synthesizing, and
evaluating information to reason out conclusions appropriately.
Students will demonstrate proficiency in communication skills that are applicable to any field
of study.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS (CORE)
*CORE 1101 First-Year Cornerstone. (3) Fall and Spring
The academic Cornerstone program has as its main goal to introduce entering first-semester
students to what LaGrange College values in an interdisciplinary liberal arts education. The
course balances the instructor‘s selected academic theme with a common set of assignments and
academic skill sets. Together, these components strive to enhance the creative, critical, and
communicative abilities of students while engaging ethical living through servant leadership and
sustainability.
*CORE 1102 First-Year Orientation. (1) Fall and Spring
This extended orientation course will improve students‘ academic success and ease the transition
into college life. First-year students develop study skills, practice time management, understand
the services offered by the college such as career development and selection of major, learn
about academic support, and understand the traditions and policies of LaGrange College.
* Transfer students with 30 or more attempted hours may be exempted from the
CORE 1101/1102 requirement.
CORE 1120 Problem Solving. (3) Fall and Spring
Individual and small-group problem solving geared toward real-life situations and nontraditional
problems. The course focuses on a number of problem-solving strategies, such as drawing a
diagram, eliminating possibilities, making a systematic list, looking for a pattern, guessing and
checking, solving an easier related problem and sub-problems, using manipulatives, working
backward, acting it out, unit analysis, using algebra and finite differences, and others. Divergent
thinking and technical communication skills of writing and oral presentation are emphasized.
Prerequisite: MATH 1101 or higher
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