Compliance
Certification
Core Requirements
2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.7.1 | 2.7.2 | 2.7.3 | 2.7.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.10 | 2.11

Quality Enhancement Plan
2.12

Comprehensive Standards
3.1.1 (Mission)

3.2.1 | 3.2.2 | 3.2.3 | 3.2.4 | 3.2.5 | 3.2.6 | 3.2.7 | 3.2.8 | 3.2.9 | 3.2.10 | 3.2.11 | 3.2.12 | 3.2.13 | 3.2.14 (Admin.)

3.3.1 (Effectiveness)

3.4.1 | 3.4.2 | 3.4.3 | 3.4.4 | 3.4.5 | 3.4.6 | 3.4.7 | 3.4.8 | 3.4.9 | 3.4.10 | 3.4.11 | 3.4.12 | 3.4.13 | 3.4.14 (Educational Program)

3.5.1 | 3.5.2 (Undergraduate Program)

3.7.1 | 3.7.2 | 3.7.3 | 3.7.4 | 3.7.5 (Faculty)

3.8.1 | 3.8.2 | 3.8.3 (Library)

3.9.1 | 3.9.2 | 3.9.3 (Students)

3.10.1 | 3.10.2 | 3.10.3 | 3.10.4 | 3.10.5 | 3.10.6 | 3.10.7 (Resources)

Federal Requirements
4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.8

>Signature Page
>Summary Report
>Report Abstract

Link to Quality
Enhancement
Plan (PDF)

References & Resources

Home

Davidson > Administration > Home

Compliance Certification Report

Core Requirement 2.7 - Degree program length, course of study, general education program, and contractual agreements for instruction

2.7.2 Program Content
Offers degree programs that embody a coherent course of study that is compatible with its stated purpose and is based upon fields of study appropriate to higher education.

Judgment of Compliance

Davidson College is in compliance with Core Requirement 2.7.2.

Rationale for Judgment of Compliance

Davidson College is a traditional liberal arts college with carefully selected undergraduate programs. Academic programs are selected to advance the College's primary Statement of Purpose "to assist students in developing humane instincts and disciplined and creative minds for lives of leadership and service."

All degree programs at Davidson College are carefully reviewed both internally and externally, not only at their inception but also on a regular basis thereafter. These reviews incorporate three criteria:

• their coherence as discrete programs
• their compatibility with the mission of the institution
• their appropriateness as a proper field of inquiry in a liberal arts undergraduate education
        

The Faculty has general responsibility for the planning and guidance of the Educational Program and Policy of the College as defined in Article III of the Constitution.

The College’s Education Policy Committee reviews all academic degree programs including, but not limited to, proposed new courses, changes in the curriculum for each major and proposed changes to the College’s core requirements. Any proposed change is brought forth to the entire faculty for their vote and approval. (See Davidson College Constitution, Article III.1)

The sequencing of courses in the undergraduate program is drawn from an organizing framework that begins with a general education core curriculum of at least 10 courses. The student’s chosen major requires, at minimum, an additional 10 courses. The major within each department includes required courses that department faculties select to represent the discipline or interdisciplinary field, and elective courses that expose students to the breadth and depth of the discipline or field.

As stated in the “Academic Program and Policies: The Curriculum” section of the College Catalog:

The liberal arts curriculum at Davidson College is dedicated to the intellectual and personal growth of students. This curriculum affirms the intrinsic worth of a broad exposure to intellectual and artistic achievement and strives to nurture students’ capacities for knowledge, understanding, judgment, and compassion. Teaching is the primary activity and responsibility of the faculty, which is also active in research and service. Developing skills in the methods by which knowledge is acquired, evaluated, and appropriately applied is the primary activity and responsibility of students.

Credit is granted on a course credit basis, with a course being equivalent (for transfer purposes) to four semester or six quarter hours. The curriculum consists of six general areas of study: Literature, Fine Arts, History, Religion and Philosophy, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Social Sciences. To encourage the excitement and self-discipline that come from probing a subject in depth, the College requires a major in one of the following departments:

Students also may develop an interdisciplinary major through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.

In order to make connections among courses and disciplines, the curriculum includes opportunities for students to pursue a concentration or a minor as well as a major. A concentration is an interdisciplinary cluster of courses which addresses a specific area of study. A student may choose a concentration to complement the major, but concentrations are not required. Davidson offers concentrations in Applied Mathematics, Asian Studies, Computer Science, Education, Ethnic Studies, Film and Media Studies, Gender Studies, Genomics, International Studies, Medical Humanities, Neuroscience, and Southern Studies. Students pursuing a concentration may not pursue a double major or a minor.

Some departments offer a minor, a designated set of five or six courses. Students are allowed to declare one and only one minor.

The College offers courses but no major in Chinese, Communication, Computer Science, Humanities, Military Studies, Physical Education, Pre-medicine, Russian, South Asian Studies, and Education, although students may obtain a teaching license through the Teacher Education Program. Students have various opportunities for independent and interdisciplinary studies, for study abroad, and for participation in off-campus programs.

The Davidson curriculum stresses competence in reading, writing, fundamental mathematical skills, oral communication, and use of computers. Students develop oral communication skills through class discussion, seminar presentations, and formal speech courses. To develop their skills in writing and analysis, students may select one of the following options to satisfy the College composition requirement: English 100W or 101W, the four-course humanities sequence, the two-course Cultures and Civilizations sequence, or a departmental 100W (COMP) First-year Seminar. Departmental first-year seminars (100W or 101W) are discussion-based, writing-intensive courses rooted in a discipline. The courses normally require completion of five to seven shorter writing assignments and a longer research paper. Readings for each course span and exemplify different approaches to writing. The courses address elements of style and revision, processes of peer review, word-processing skills, library-based and Web-based research techniques, and conventions of documentation. Some 100W sections may also satisfy a core requirement in the departmental area.

External reviews provide additional evidence of program coherence through program review procedures. Each program participates in an external review every 7-10 years. 

Supporting Documentation

• Davidson College Catalog
• Statement of Purpose
• Davidson College Constitution, Article III
• External Review Schedule

Return to Table of Contents for Compliance Certification Report