General Education, Philosophy & Ethics Division
Contact Information
L. Bryan Williams, Ph.D.
email: bryan@mccallcollege.org
office: 127 - 106 E. Park Street, McCall, ID 83638
Faculty
Williams, Bryan, Ph.D. bryan@mccallcollege.org
Overview
The General Education, Philosophy & Ethics Division offers an Technical certificate in General Education (leading to the GED). Students enrolled in the general education program at McCall College develop skills in both theoretical and applied forms of knowledge, facilitating their growth as life-long learners and leaders. Students build a strong foundation of critical and analytic thinking skills as well as a familiarity with the discipline of philosophy and an ability to think creatively about the topics they encounter. Students have the opportunity to exhibit their skills through community and environmentally engaging projects, as well as research papers, presentations, and debates.
The General Education, Philosophy & Ethics Division is an integral part of McCall College's core curriculum and is responsible for administrating the college's ethics courses. The department also collaborates with all other departments as part of our mission to integrate learning across disciplines and domains of life so that learning at McCall College benefits the whole student.
General Information
General Education students are preparing to take the GED (General Education Diploma).
In addition to McCall College's Core Requirements, Philosophy students complete a total of 22 hours of philosophy courses as described in the course catalog in order to cultivate their character and skills as life-long learners and inquirers and meet the following expectations and goals. Students are expected to take their training beyond the classroom and engage themselves with external projects in order to meet some course requirements.
Professional Technical Certificates
General Education (leading to GED)
Expectation of Students
- Students will cultivate the ability to express ideas in a clear, concise, logical, grammatically correct written English.
- Students will cultivate the ability to understand how to obtain information in order to identity, retrieve, and use resources for study and research.
- Students will cultivate the ability to express ideas clearly, correctly, logically, and persuasively in spoken English.
- Students will cultivate the ability to understand how philosophical and moral literature explores the human condition and examines values.
- Students will develop a basic familiarity with major philosophers' views on epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics.
- Students will cultivate critical thinking skills. This involves the ability to analyze and synthesize concepts, as well as apply deductive reasoning skills. Students learn to recognize formal and informal fallacies. Students learn to identify logically valid argument structures
- Students will show intent and purpose in becoming a morally good person.
Assessment
- Student Evaluations (end-of-course evaluation form)
- Program Evaluation by Graduating Students (Graduate Exit Survey)
- Program Evaluation by 3-to-5-Year Alumni (Alumni Survey)
- Evaluation by the.Ethics.Center
- Meeting with Current Students
- Transcript data analysis
- Program outcome assessment data
Advising
Faculty advisors work with students to ensure that their academic needs are met and that appropriate academic and career goals are progressed towards or achieved.
Planning Your Studies and Career Options:
The study of philosophy is an excellent way to develop and hone critical thinking, abstract and linguistic reasoning abilities, communication skills, and other aspects of a life long learner's intellectual tool kit. An certificate in philosophy provides an excellent platform for further studies and projects, in philosophy, other academic pursuits, or other forms of applied knowledge such as business or public service.
A professional certificate in Philosophy & Ethics prepares students for rewarding careers in many areas, including social and community services, research, participation in non-profit organizations, entrepreneurial endeavors, and beyond. A professional certificate in Philosophy is also useful for those interested in continuing on towards clergy, teaching, law, business, or writing. An professional certificate in Ethics prepares a professional to serve as an Ethicist in fields such as health care, business, politics, and religious settings.