What Is the Good Life Uf Arts and Humanities

GAINESVILLE — The Academy of Florida wants its undergraduates to get an idea of the proficient life before they get wrapped upward in their majors.

UF is seeking legislative approval to be able to require freshmen to take a set of general education courses, even if they fulfilled those requirements by earning advanced credits in loftier school. The university has already been testing one class, a multi-disciplinary humanities course called "What is the Good Life?"

Students in the course consider the question through an examination of the arts, architecture, literature, history, organized religion and philosophy. The class is being touted equally a way to provide a shared feel for students, other than football, that also serves as an entry indicate to the humanities and cultural offerings on campus.

"That's the goal hither: to make certain that students who come to the university have a rich feel rather than an entirely specialized one," said Ferdinand Lewis, a lecturer in urban planning and one of the instructors of the class.

He added, "A university is not a merchandise school and, although specializing is of import, specializing too shortly tin can be a error."

UF President Bernie Machen told the Faculty Senate final month that freshmen enter the academy with about 28 advanced credits on boilerplate, through Avant-garde Placement classes, dual enrollment and other programs.

That allows them to apace accelerate to classes in their majors without taking general teaching courses, he said.

"Sometimes students never cantankerous paths in the classroom setting," he said.

He said he's seeking legislative approval for UF to be able to require nine or 12 general instruction credits.

The "Skillful Life" course could be i of those required, with the requirement starting as before long equally the upcoming Summer B semester, when a new crop of freshmen enter the university.

UF showtime offered the grade to about 30 students in fall 2010. It has grown to more than 340 students taking the form last semester. The class includes big lectures on subjects from various humanities disciplines, small discussion classes and required activities such as taking museum tours and attending lectures and performances.

Lecture topics in one section offered this semester include a range of topics including the effect of Barbie dolls on body paradigm and the pattern of suburbs.

"We want all aspects of the humanities to exist represented in this course," said music professor Brenda Smith, a grade instructor.

Smith'southward recent lecture on music in Western Civilization covered everything from Mozart to the musical "West Side Story." The class considered the diverse purposes of music and culminated with music professor Ronald Burrichter singing the UF alma mater, as he traditionally does at start.

Smith said the course also exposes students to music and the arts outside of the classroom. Some students don't even realize where the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is located earlier beingness required to attend a functioning, she said, but later volition be more comfortable in going at that place.

She said the course exposes students to the humanities early on, giving them an idea of classes that they make take later. Information technology also provides a way to join freshmen who might experience lost in a university of nearly fifty,000 students, she said.

"Down the road we promise that people volition exist saying when they graduated, 'I knew y'all from the Skilful Life class,' " she said, "and that some of these themes will keep through life."

Contact Nathan Crabbe at 338-3176 or nathan.crabbe@gvillesun.com. For more stories on the University of Florida, visit world wide web.thecampussun.com.

UF's class examines the question of what constitutes the good life from the perspective of the humanities. The syllabus for one class section includes: Lectures on topics in the arts, architecture, literature, history, religion and philosophy, followed by small discussion classes further exploring those topics. Students are assigned a variety of readings and enhancement materials, including podcasts and audio and video files. Requirements include attending a performance at the Phillips Eye for the Performing Arts, visiting the Harn Museum of Art and participating in a humanities lecture. Grades are based on tests, participation and essays including a topic related to an exterior experience and the question, "What is the toll of the Skillful Life?" UF plans to crave class on 'the Good Life' It would exist among a series of humanities classes required of all freshman students.

WHAT IS THE GOOD LIFE?

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Source: https://www.ocala.com/news/20120210/uf-plans-to-require-class-on-the-good-life

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