Guidelines for Approval of Critical Thinking Courses

by the Academic Policies Committee
 

The criteria the APC will use to approve critical thinking designated course proposals  are the following:

1.      Content should emphasize one or more of the critical thinking themes included in the 2003 Bush grant (analysis, evaluation and inference.)

2.      Assessment should include

a.       Assessment of students (the development of their critical thinking skills their understanding of what is meant by critical thinking. 

b.      Assessment of the course.

c.       Use of the rubric form and standards from the Bush 2003 grant is encouraged. Each faculty member teaching a critical thinking course is asked to submit an evaluation report to the Faculty Development Committee at the end of the academic year in which the course is offered.

3.      Evidence that the instructor is qualified in the teaching of critical thinking through training opportunities or other avenues.

4.      The process as well as the content of critical thinking needs to be conveyed to students.

Additional Information: 

If a course is once approved, offered and evaluated, subsequent offerings of the course do not require new approval if there is no major change in syllabus or course instructor