In February 2005, the Faculty Senate approved principles for a new core curriculum, including a set of "Signature Courses" that all students would take.
That undergraduate education at Seton Hall University be distinguished by two central elements: a common grounding in the questions central, but not exclusive, to the Catholic intellectual tradition, broadly understood, and the consistent and systematic development of students’ competencies, capabilities, and literacies.
Syllabi for two signature courses are ready for piloting. During Fall 2006 eleven sections of CORE 1101 Journey of Transformation will be piloted by full time faculty and 200-some entering freshmen. Another group of full time faculty will implement the syllabus for CORE 2101 Christianity and Culture in Dialogue, piloting it with sophomore students in 20007-2008, while an expanded group of faculty prepare to teach 20 or more sections of CORE 1101 for first year students. The theme of the second course, Christianity and Culture in Dialogue, complements the theme of the first course on the Journey of Transformation. This second course is about the journey of Christianity itself as it dialogues with cultures in each age - and the moral of the story for all of us is that we journey, change, and are enriched as we dialogue with the cultures we encounter.
Students will take a third course that will be developed in various formats within particular departments and piloted in 2008 - 2009. This course seeks to extend the community of conversation to include applications and questions in a particular discipline.
CORE 1101 Journey of Transformation
This first course in the University Core Curriculum seeks to forge a community of conversation inspired to explore perennial questions central but not exclusive to the Catholic intellectual tradition. People throughout the different cultures and traditions of the world strive to understand the transcendent mysteries of the human journey that are addressed by the world’s religions, philosophies, art, and literature. The first signature course invites students into this conversation via some of the great texts and other cultural artifacts that focus on transformative journeys as they are portrayed in Catholic, Greek, Islamic, Hindu, and other traditions. Classes meet twice a week for 75 minutes. This course is linked with the 1-credit University Life course.
CORE 2101 Christianity and Culture in Dialogue
This course considers the relationship between Christianity and culture through an approach based on principles of dialogue, development, and community. Texts from the Christian tradition paired with texts from non-Christian traditions demonstrate direct connections across cultures that influence the development of the Catholic intellectual tradition. The course seeks to sustain Seton Hall’s community of conversation through a focus on key questions that continue to animate the Catholic intellectual tradition, and the important texts that address these questions.
Classes meet twice a week for 75 minutes. Prerequisites: CORE 1101, ENGL 1201, ENGL 1202.
Qualifications of the instructors
Application to teach a signature course is open to full time faculty. Before teaching the course, faculty participate in a preparatory seminar.