Section 4: Federal Requirements

4.2 The institution maintains a curriculum that is directly related and appropriate to the purpose and goals of the institution and the diplomas, certificates or degrees awarded.

Judgment of Compliance:
Compliance

Narrative/Justification for Judgment of Compliance:
Christopher Newport University is in compliance with this federal requirement.

The Liberal Learning Curriculum
CNU students complete Liberal Learning requirements that spring from the vision and mission of the university as they appear in the Undergraduate Catalog:

VISION
Christopher Newport University, a small academically selective public university, is grounded in the principles of liberal learning and dedicated to the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. We celebrate the values inherent in the liberal arts and sciences and live as a community of honor to inspire our students to lead lives of significance. We aspire to be a preeminent, public liberal arts and sciences university. We will pursue excellence in all that we do and dedicate ourselves to those initiatives that will strengthen our teaching, our scholarship, our academic programs and disciplines, and our campus community. We will build an intimate, diverse, residential community which will attract the most academically talented, inquisitive, and intellectually adventuresome students. We will ignite in our students a love of learning and instill a sense of responsibility and civic duty that will give our graduates the knowledge and confidence to engage as responsible leaders and citizens in their communities, the nation and the world.

MISSION
The mission of Christopher Newport University is to provide educational and cultural opportunities that benefit CNU students, the residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nation. CNU provides outstanding academic programs, encourages service and leadership within the community, and provides opportunities for student involvement in nationally and regionally recognized research and art programs. Our primary focus is excellence in teaching, inspired by sound scholarship. At CNU, personal attention in small classes creates a student-centered environment where creativity and excellence can flourish. Our primary emphasis is to provide outstanding undergraduate education. We also serve the Commonwealth with Master's degree programs that provide intellectual and professional development for graduate level students. We are committed to providing a liberal arts education that stimulates intellectual inquiry and fosters social and civic values. CNU students acquire the qualities of mind and spirit that prepare them to lead lives with meaning and purpose. As a state university we are committed to service that shapes the economic, civic, and cultural life of our community and Commonwealth.

The general education program at CNU is based on the conviction that every dimension of human life improves when guided by active intelligence. Putting “students first” requires offering an education that maximizes the ability to navigate successfully a future marked by rapid and profound change.

The curriculum prepares students to become informed, productive members of society, to succeed in their majors, and to make active learning a lifelong vocation. The marks of an educated person are, first, a respect for the relevant knowledge and thinking skills across the spectrum of human experience; second, the disposition and ability to think critically about the information and perspectives that pertain to a wide variety of issues; and third, a foundation of relevant knowledge that supplies frame­works of understanding with which to interpret current developments, and to make informed and constructive choices in personal, professional, and civic life.

This philosophy of education requires a curriculum that develops the following intellectual competencies:

1. The ability to communicate with words and numbers. a) To write and speak clearly and effectively in English. b) To convey numerical information clearly and effectively.
2. The ability to analyze, interpret, and think clearly. a) To understand and apply effectively mathematical concepts and methods. b) To understand and apply effectively scientific concepts and methods. c) To analyze and evaluate information logically.
3. An understanding of how science operates and the nature and role of science in society. a) To understand how the scientific method is used to comprehend the nature of the world. b) To appreciate the historical aspects of science and the impact and limitations of science and technology.
4. A global perspective of the world's history, cultures and societies. a) To understand human experience through an historical perspective. b) To understand cultural diversity. c) To understand the foundations, structures, and processes of contemporary societies.
5. An understanding of the human condition and the significance of the individual. a) To understand the interdependency between the individual and society. b) To understand and value individual creativity, choice, and responsibility in being a member of society.
6. An understanding and practice of health and wellness.
7. The ability to use information technology for research and communication.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The mission of each academic department appears prominently in the Undergraduate Catalog under the departmental designations. Liberal Learning is at the core of the missions of all entities within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences that appear in “The Academic Organization of the University” in the University Handbook. Characteristic of liberal arts and sciences institutions, the majority of degrees offered are either Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. Narrowing degree options in the past five years has sharpened the purpose and goals of Christopher Newport University.

Luter School of Business
The Luter School developed its mission statement in the context of the University's liberal arts mission. Course content and pedagogy in the business curriculum are designed to enhance the values and intellectual skills students develop in their first two years (disciplined inquiry, reflective thought, reasoned judgment, and responsible citizenship):

Our mission is to educate and prepare undergraduate students for graduate studies and for leadership in business and community. We accomplish this by building on students' liberal academic foundation and enhancing communication, analytical, and technological skills through individual attention, intellectual growth, and applied learning.

Our vision is to become a model for excellence in the application of liberal education to the study of business disciplines. We seek to develop students intellectually, professionally, and personally through a rigorous program that will distinguish our graduates as innovative thinkers, articulate communicators, and ethical business leaders.

We value

• The disciplined inquiry, reflective thought, reasoned judgment, and responsible citizenship engendered by a liberal arts curriculum;
• Honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic;
• A learning-centered approach to professional education in which the professor leads inquisitive students to understanding and appreciation;
• An academic environment characterized by its small class size and collaborative relationship between teacher and student;
• The lifelong pursuit of knowledge and understanding, by both faculty and students, through continued learning and development;
• Supportive student programs focusing on students career and personal development;
• The willingness to shoulder responsibility, to celebrate success, to learn from failure, and to continue to aspire to excellence; and
• A strong relationship with the business community that recognizes the mutual interests uniting us.

The December 2005 AACSB accreditation confirms that the core curriculum and curricula for the five specializations are appropriate to and consistent with good practices in higher education. AACSB standards include:

•  Perspectives that form the context for business
    --ethical and global issues,
    --the influence of political, social, legal and regulatory, environmental and technological issues, and
    --the impact of demographic diversity on organizations
•  Foundation knowledge for business
    --accounting
    --behavioral science
    --economics
    --mathematics and statistics
•  Written and oral communication skill development
•  Core and specialty curricula consistent with the mission of the institution and resource availability

The specialization areas are designed for focus; rather than including a few required courses and a lengthy list of electives, all students in each 'major' are required to study the same six courses. The majors offered by the Luter School and the focus of each follow:

• Accounting prepares students for careers as CPAs and managerial accountants.
• Economics prepares students for careers in firms that perform economic forecasting and governmental agencies that provide economic data, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Finance focuses on investment and banking careers.
• Management prepares students broadly and includes courses in a variety of areas. The capstone course is the Small Business Institute, in which student groups provide consulting to small businesses in the region, preparing students for careers in consulting and other broad areas of application.
• Marketing focuses on direct/interactive marketing. The program prepares students whose abilities are both technical and creative for careers in advertising agencies, marketing firms, and any other type of firm that is a provider of marketing services. The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation uses this curriculum as the standard for programs in this rapidly growing field.

Graduate Studies
As the mission statement states, Christopher Newport University serves the Commonwealth with Master's programs that provide intellectual and professional development for graduate-level students. CNU provides educational and cultural opportunities that benefit CNU students, the residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation. Two of the three graduate programs, the Masters of Science in Applied Physics and Computer Science and the Masters of Science in Environmental Science, are an outgrowth of CNU undergraduate programs. While the undergraduate programs provide a liberal arts education, the graduate programs provide professional level course work and research opportunities. Students from these programs are employed in environmental fields and technology enterprises around the state. Finally, the interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Teaching degree builds upon undergraduate degrees that support the teacher licensure in Virginia, including fine arts, music, theater, psychology, history, mathematics, English, sociology, biology, and physics.

Support Documentation:
University Handbook 06-07
Undergraduate Catalog 06-07
Undergraduate Catalog : Luter School Business Curriculum and Degree Requirements
Graduate Catalog 06-07
Flowchart for Business School Programs

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