Wesleyan Global Leaders Program
Through the Wesleyan Global Leaders Program (WGL), students will focus particular attention upon core skills that are in demand in a host of professional areas. By being part of the WGL, students will be able to cultivate skills that will separate them from others within the employment marketplace, as they embark upon careers in a variety of fields.
WGL is independent of a student's major, but offers students the opportunity to receive separate certification for their completion of core skill sequences that evidence the acquisition of abilities in demand by both regional and national employers. Any student majoring in a discipline across the campus is eligible to be a part of this program, subject to standard requirements.
Within the WGL program, students will have the opportunity to focus attention on up to five Core Skills.
These key areas of emphasis are:
- Core Skill Area 1 - Critical Thinking and Research Analysis
- Core Skill Area 2 - Community and Business Communications
- Core Skill Area 3 - Global Cultural Engagement
- Core Skill Area 4 - Civic and Ethical Understanding
- Core Skill Area 5 - Experiential Learning and Service
The Core Skills
Through a specifically selected and structured set of individual courses, students will engage theories and experiential opportunities that will help them to develop specific core skills. Students will be awarded a certification memorialized in a digital badge and certificate upon the completion of a specified sequence of designated courses and/or experiences, followed by successful completion of a skill acquisition assessment. These certifications will be reflected upon student transcripts following graduation, and an official document describing the core skill achievement will be provided to students. This document can be retained a portfolio and shared with prospective future employers.
The Global Leader Designation
Students who complete requirements for certification in Global Cultural Engagement, Experiential Learning and Service and at least one more of the five Core Skill areas, will be designated as a Wesleyan Global Leader. This designation will be recorded in the student’s transcript and on the student’s diploma. A cord identifying this student as a Wesleyan Global Leader will be awarded to the student, to be worn during commencement festivities. Most importantly, a letter from the Dean of the School of Arts & Letters, explaining this designation and the skills gained by the student will be issued to her/him. Again, this letter may be used in future employment application processes.
Academic Requirements
In order to obtain the designation of Wesleyan Global Leader, students would be required to satisfy the following requirements:
- Meet all requirements for Core Skill Area 3 – Global Cultural Engagement
- Meet all requirements for Core Skill Area 5 – Experiential Learning and Service
- Meet all requirements for one of these: Core Skill Area 1 – Critical Thinking and Research Analysis; Core Skill Area 2 – Community and Business Communication; or Core Skill Area 4 – Civic and Ethical Understanding
The requirements for each Core Skill Area are as follows:
Core Skill Area 1 – Critical Thinking and Research Analysis
Complete at least two of the following Courses:
| ENG 3318 | Survey of British Literature I | 3 Credits |
| ENG 3319 | Survey of British Literature II | 3 Credits |
| ENG 3320 | Survey of American Literature | 3 Credits |
| ENG 3340 | Literary Theory & Criticism | 3 Credits |
| ENG 3352 | Research Methods | 3 Credits |
| HUM 2340 | The Human Experience I | 3 Credits |
| MCO 2342 | Communication & Rhetoric | 3 Credits |
| MCO 4301 | Communication Laws & Ethics | 3 Credits |
| REL 1312 | Introduction to Christian Scriptures | 3 Credits |
And obtain the minimum score on the Core Skill Area assessment.
Core Skill Area 2 - Community and Business Communications
Complete at least two of the following Courses:
| ENG 3310 | Advanced Writing | 3 Credits |
| ENG 3372 | Argument for Professionals | 3 Credits |
| ENG 4345 | Topics in Professional Writing | 3 Credits |
| ENG 4364 | Web Cult & New Media Writing | 3 Credits |
| MCO 2310 | Digital Production | 3 Credits |
| MCO 2399 | Special Topics | 3 Credits |
| MCO 2345 | Integrated Media Reporting | 3 Credits |
| MCO 3310 | Advanced Digital Production | 3 Credits |
| MCO 3316 | Feature Writing and Production | 3 Credits |
| MUS 2224 | Introduction to Music Education | 2 Credits |
| MUS 3311 | Prin Mus Educ Elem | 3 Credits |
| MUS 3418 | Inst Assess Classrm Mgt Instru | 4 Credits |
| SPN 3326 | Commercial Spanish | 3 Credits |
And obtain the minimum score on the Core Skill Area assessment.
Core Skill Area 3 - Global Cultural Engagement
Complete at least two of the following Courses:
| ENG 3322 | Survey of World Literature | 3 Credits |
| ENG 4330 | Topics in World Lit | 3 Credits |
| ENG 4337 | Shakespeare | 3 Credits |
| HUM 2341 | The Human Prospect | 3 Credits |
| MCO 4318 | Intl & Intercultural Communica | 3 Credits |
| REL 1321 | Introduction to Comparative Religions | 3 Credits |
| REL 2321 | Encountering Asian Traditions | 3 Credits |
| REL 2322 | Encountering Abrahamic Traditions | 3 Credits |
| REL 3322 | The Buddha and His Teachings | 3 Credits |
| REL 3323 | Exploring Islamic Tradtions | 3 Credits |
| SPN 3315 | Hispanic History & Culture | 3 Credits |
And obtain the minimum score on the Core Skill Area assessment.
Core Skill Area 4 - Civic and Ethical Understanding
Complete at least two of the following Courses:
| ENG 4342 | Composition Theory and Practice | 3 Credits |
| MCO 4301 | Communication Laws & Ethics | 3 Credits |
| PHI 1313 | Introduction to Ethics | 3 Credits |
| REL 4343 | Saints, Sages & Social Reformers | 3 Credits |
And obtain the minimum score on the Core Skill Area assessment.
Core Skill Area 5 - Experiential Learning and Service
Students will meet the requirements of this area by completing two three-credit-hour internship programs, service-learning volunteer hours undertaken through a university sponsored or sanctioned program, a university sponsored study abroad program that adheres to learning objective requirements for this area, or a combination of these.
Students will be required to keep and submit a portfolio representing work undertaken as a part of the experiential learning process. These portfolios will be evaluated against a common rubric, and must meet a minimum standard, as a part of the assessment process for this Skill Area. If students are seeking to meet the requirements of this Core Skill Area by participating in service projects, it will be recognized that forty (40) hours of service focused upon a university-sanctioned project will serve as the equivalent of a three-hour course. All service hours must be verified through the office of the Dean of Students in order to apply to requirements under this section.
Courses that would be deemed as qualifying under this section would include:
An appeal may be made to the Office of the Dean of the School of Arts & Letters to have an additional course that does not appear in this listing of requirements, considered for credit within this program. Such courses may include period offerings made through the Honors program. Any course accepted to meet any requirement under this program must satisfy the learning objectives for the applicable Core Skill Area to which it will apply.
Other courses may be included as options within the various Core Skill Area, upon approval by the faculty advisory committee appointed to oversee the program. Any application for the addition of a course to this program must include: 1) a request that identifies that the appropriate designated Learning Outcomes will be incorporated into the course; 2) a summary description of how the designated course will meet these Learning Objectives; and 3) a brief description of a cumulative assignment incorporated within the course that can produce a student artifact capable of being used to meet assessment requirements under the program.