omprehensive Education
The professional lives of this year’s freshmen will extend to the
mid-twenty-first century. Given the rapidity of change today, it is almost
impossible to predict what professions will be in demand that far into the
future. Certainly many of the careers that will be in demand do not yet exist.
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that this generation of
college students will change careers on the average of three times. Thus it is
important to provide a broad, comprehensive education, fostering skills that
will not become obsolete and will be transferable from one profession to
another.
Skills for a Lifetime
Communications skills are vital in almost all careers and professions and are
central to the development of that capacity for lifelong learning that the 21st
century demands. The refinement of our students’ reading, writing, speaking, and
listening skills along with facility in the use of communications technologies
is among the most important objectives of our programs in the Humanities.
Challenging yet reasonable reading assignments are designed to inform, enhance
understanding, and stimulate curiosity. Students come to regard books and
professional journals as tools for their continued learning after graduation. It
is important to note that they learn to read and understand publications based
on sophisticated research methodologies and quantitative analyses.
While the English Department has special responsibilities in the teaching of
writing and our Communications Program offers work in introductory and advanced
speech, all departments and programs make extensive use of writing assignments
as well as formal and informal opportunities for the refinement of oral
communications. Essay examinations, research papers, journals, speeches and
debates enhance students’ abilities to “think on their feet” and communicate
well. Many classes make use of sophisticated electronic audio and video
equipment and integrate modern computer technology into the curriculum.
Increasingly, students and faculty enjoy connectivity with one another and the
world outside the classroom through the use of the Internet, e-mail, list serves
and the like.
Equally important are the skills of analysis and synthesis, as well as the power
to think critically and independently and to make sound ethical decisions and
judgments. Courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences complement the
University’s Core of Discovery to help our students hone these abilities.
Quantitative as well as qualitative reasoning is encouraged, and all curricula
in the Humanities require at least one math course.
The typical class size permits discussions in which students have the
opportunity to express their ideas. Group work, class discussion, and other
means of interactive learning encourage students to take responsibility, learn
teamwork, and become active rather than passive learners.
International Education
Our students will have to live in a world community and compete in a global
economy. Thus Humanities is committed to the notion that we are all
international students; that we must know and appreciate our culture as well as
those of others; and that we must learn to speak and understand a foreign
language.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures is the heart of international
education at Gannon, and every humanities student in a four-year major must take
a minimum of six credits of a foreign language. This requirement must be
fulfilled no later than the fall semester of the junior year. International
education is additionally enhanced by courses in history, political science,
anthropology, sociology, geography, philosophy and literature.
Fields of Specialization
In addition to career preparation through a comprehensive, international
education, the Humanities offers several majors through which students develop
the specialized skills of particular professions. The Department of Theatre and
Communication Arts prepares students for careers in radio and television, while
English majors may explore career options in journalism and other types of
professional writing. Through programs in political science, sociology, social
work, psychology and criminal justice, students may develop careers in public
service or the private sector. The legal profession is served by the Pre-Law and
Paralegal Programs, while the International Studies Program, based in the
Department of Foreign Languages, leads to careers in government, business and
industry. Future teachers participate in these programs, since students pursuing
careers in secondary education major in the subjects they wish to teach.
Integration of Knowledge
One of the hallmarks of the Humanities education is a commitment to the
integration of knowledge, and a focus on the interrelationships of the various
subject areas. The Departments of Philosophy and Theology play a central role in
the synthesizing effort, and also perform a special function in the ethical
education of Gannon students. They help to develop professionals who are capable
of distinguishing between right and wrong in complex situations, enabling
students to become moral leaders in our society.
Fine Arts
Humanities is committed to instilling appreciation of the arts and fostering the
development of aesthetic values in our students, including a variety of Fine Arts courses offered through the Department of Theatre, Communications, and Fine Arts. The Schuster Theatre, the
Schuster Art Gallery and student poetry readings sponsored by the Department of
English provide students with opportunities to showcase their talent and to
appreciate the work of their peers. Field trips to the internationally renowned
Cleveland Museum of Art and the Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo, the Erie Art
Museum, Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Erie Chamber Orchestra are
extraordinarily beneficial to students’ cultural growth.
Experiential Education
In the Humanities it is accepted that a great deal of student learning can and
should take place outside the classroom. We are committed to the idea of the
integration of experiential education throughout the curriculum. Students are
encouraged to engage in a wide range of activities in service learning,
fieldwork, practical research, internships, and cooperative education. This is
facilitated by Gannon’s location in Erie’s center, close to City Hall, the
County and Federal courthouses, other government offices, numerous businesses,
banks, health facilities and non-profit organizations.
Co-curricular Activities
Many activities are sponsored which complement formal course work and provide
opportunities for student leadership. Humanities students organize and lead
Gannon’s Model United Nations each year, and play leadership roles in student
publications such as the literary magazine, Totem, and the student newspaper,
The Gannon Knight. Co-curricular activities provide the opportunity for students
to meet and interact with elite members of various professions and disciplines.
The Faculty
