Emily Fox<\/a> · Editor-in-Chief<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe class of 2029 will be the first to take the four new required courses of the college’s reenvisioned humanities (HUMA) curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college designed each of the new classes to give students a greater understanding of Biblical texts and how their themes can apply to Christian life and interact with modern culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college revisited the HUMA core in adherence with the 2017 GCC strategic plan requiring academic programs to be reevaluated after so many years. The process of developing the new curriculum began four years ago when the college gathered an interdisciplinary group of faculty members to analyze the former program. They then split into subcommittees to develop the new courses added to the core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“After assessing the previous core, gathering data from the entire faculty and other stakeholders and benchmarking the Grove City core against other Christian colleges, we determined that the Biblical and theological context in the core should be expanded,” Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Peter Frank said. “The GCC faculty, administration and the Board of Trustees believe that all Grove students should be thoroughly grounded in the Christian liberal arts, and this framework will provide the foundation for all majors and all vocational pathways that students pursue.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new core requires students to take seven courses. Students will no longer take Biblical Revelation or Christianity and Civilization. They will instead take four new courses designed to teach them about the Biblical narrative, faith and ethics. Students will continue to take Western Civilization, Civilization and Literature and Civilization and the Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The HUMA core is one of the aspects of Grove City that I’ve most been looking forward to,” freshman Lillian Foos said. “I appreciate that Grove City isn’t just focused on developing my experience in my major, but also my understanding about what it means to be human, what morality is and what truly matters. Throughout the HUMA core, I’ll be in classes that are made up of students from all majors, backgrounds and experiences which allows me to gain new perspectives on important topics.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The HUMA core’s new introductory course, HUMA 100, Becoming Wise: A Christian Vision of Learning and Living, will familiarize students with the Biblical account of creation, the fall and redemption. The course will also explore the study of liberal arts as it relates to these themes. HUMA 100 will cover material from Cornelius Plantinga’s book “Engaging God’s World.” Christianity and Civilization, the former capstone course of the HUMA core, references the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HUMA 261, Scripture and Theology for the Christian Life I, will focus on who God is, the meaning of being a human, what it means to be people of God and God’s mission and students’ roles within it. Students will study themes found within Biblical texts and consider how they relate to the Christian life and modern culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This discussion will continue in HUMA 271, Scripture and Theology for the Christian Life II. This course answers who Jesus is and the ponders the shape of the Christian life in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The new HUMA 261\/271 courses will offer students a more in-depth introduction to the Bible and Christian theology,” Dean of the Calderwood School of Arts and Letters Paul Kemeny said. “The professors have designed the course in a way that we think will help equip students with tools for reading intelligently, interpreting correctly and applying accurately the Bible for the life now at the college and after college.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new capstone, HUMA 300, The Gospel and the Good Life: A Christian Vision for Ethics, will close the core by considering ethical topics and what the “good life” looks like for Christians. Students will study critical responses to ethical frameworks counter to the Christian vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We hope that students will first see that these courses all fit together as part of the larger story of God’s work in this world and that they will see how they fit into this story. Also, studying the Christian liberal arts provides students with a set of tools and a way of thinking about the world that will help them in any career they pursue,” Frank said. “The HUMA core is an important set of courses that were established to root students in understanding the world correctly, as it really is, and thus helping them to more deeply experience life in this world and a vision for the world to come.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While freshmen have already begun taking some of the new courses, upperclassmen will continue to follow the old framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’m kind of sad that they aren’t offering the New and Old Testament alternative for Bib Rev. I hope that the new courses are able to cover Biblical texts as deeply as those two courses did for me,” senior Mackenzie DiCello said. “I have high hopes for the new courses though, and I’m excited that they were designed intentionally to give students the ability to think practically about how we can apply what we learn in the classroom.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those interested in reading a more detailed breakdown of the new HUMA core should visit gcc.edu and look for the humanities core in the Majors & Departments section of the website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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