The general education curriculum at East Tennessee State University inspires students to fulfill their potential as socially responsible, informed, and self-aware members of society. The specialized knowledge and skills that ETSU students acquire through their major areas of study equip them to excel professionally, contribute to the functioning of local and global communities, and pursue lives of purpose and ambition. Such competencies become far more powerful, however, when they are embedded within the broader contexts that the general education curriculum provides.
General education at ETSU provides such contexts. General education at ETSU exposes students to new ideas, scholarship, and attitudes, and demonstrates the value of approaching shared interests and concerns from the perspectives of all branches of the arts, humanities, and sciences. General education integrates learning experiences across disciplines, and as a result, students become more curious, more adept with information-driven forms of inquiry, and more capable of adapting well to complex, diverse problems and a rapidly changing world. General education at ETSU creates a cohesive program of study that adopts best practices, spanning the undergraduate experience, utilizing high-impact teaching methods, and encouraging students to take ownership of their own education, all while remaining accessible, inclusive, and equitable. Completion of this program enhances students’ capacity for critical and innovative thinking, effective communication, and collaborative problem-solving. General education at ETSU empowers students both to transform their own lives and impact their communities in ways that are lasting and meaningful.