Lower Division Administered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 358 Little Hall General Statement The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the gateway college for entering freshmen and other students with fewer than 64 credits, pro- viding for their academic advisement and their general education. It also provides advanced education leading toward degrees in a variety of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary fields in arts and sciences. General Information For Freshmen and Sophomores Entering freshmen are classified LS. Stu- dents should apply for admission to the college of their major at an appropriate point, usually when they have earned 64 credits but earlier in the case of some colleges. Each college specifies admissions requirements in its section of the catalog. Academic Advisement Freshmen entering each summer B or fall term are registered during advance registration, Preview, held in the preceding summer months. Students and their parents have an opportunity to attend one of approximately 30 two-day pro- grams. Notices concerning this orientation are mailed in the late spring to those students who have been admitted by the University Office of Admissions. At these summer registration pro- grams, students and parents attend sessions relating to career choice, student activities, help- ing services, and course selection. Each student meets with an academic adviser who assists in selecting courses to take summer B or fall. Those students who cannot attend a summer registration program may confer with academic advisers as a part of the registration period held in the week prior to the beginning of classes. Students entering college in the spring and sum- mer A semesters also will have access to advise- ment conferences as part of the registration period prior to classes. In the latter part of each semester students register for their next term. Again academic advisers are available to discuss course selec- tion. It is expected that students shall accept responsibility for fulfilling curricula require- ments as stated in the catalog, and students who are making successful progress are not required to see an adviser when registering. Students who are changing majors or who are not main- taining a "C" average often are required to talk to an adviser about course selection. In the first few days of each semester (see deadlines in the front of this catalog) students should review their course selection and add or drop courses as needed. If during the semester students feel they must drop a course because of illness or other emergency, they will find aca- demic advisers available for discussion of the problem. Advisers also are available during reg- ular business hours in the Academic Advise- ment Center, 358 Little Hall, to help students define any other academic problems and find corrective measures. College Level Academic Skills Test All students who attain junior standing (60 semester hours) are required to take the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST). A student may take the CLAST at any time after comple- tion of 18 credit hours. The awarding of AA cer- tificates and registration after earning 60 hours are contingent upon students passing all sub- tests of the CLAST. Required Courses in Communication and Computation Skills (Gordon Rule) Students must complete (with grades of C or higher) 12 hours in designated courses that involve substantial writing. This requirement can be met by selecting at least 12 hours from among those designated Composition, Litera- ture and the Arts, Historical and Philosophical Studies, International Studies and Diversity, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Educa- tion courses which are listed in the current Schedule of Courses. CLEP credit may not be used to satisfy the writing requirement. In addi- tion, each student must complete with grades of C or higher six hours of courses that involve computational skills. Three of these hours must be in a mathematics course with the remaining three in acceptable courses in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or PHI 2100, PHI 3130 or EGM 3311. The courses acceptable for the requirement are identical to those autho- rized for the General Education Mathematical Sciences Requirement. Any student satisfying College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) requirements in mathematics for post-admission exemptions of course work shall be allowed to exempt three (3) hours of mathematics required by this rule. This requirement is sometimes called the Gordon Rule, a reference to its history in the Florida State Legislature. General Education The General Education program offers stu- dents an opportunity to develop as individuals and as members of society and to gain an appre- ciation of the world around them. The pro- gram's goals are to introduce students to the major areas of academic study and to help stu- dents develop intellectual maturity. Under the General Education program, stu- dents will take courses in the following areas: Composition (C)-The ability to read and to think critically is essential to learning and to developing as a productive member of society. Writing is a mode of thinking that involves making choices and ordering those choices effectively. Courses in composition can be found in the English department. Literature and the Arts (L)-Familiarity with various forms of the arts provides students with an appreciation of the human condition and the cultural and artistic values of others. Courses in this area can be found extensive- ly, although not exclusively, in the departments of Art, Germanic & Slavic Languages & Litera- tures, Classics, African & Asian Languages & Literatures, English, Music, and Romance Lan- guages & Literatures. Historical and Philosophical Studies (H)- By exploring the nature of history and culture, students learn to think critically about the past and about traditions and values that have shaped our world. Students also will address moral and ethical issues and will examine the evolution of science, society, and culture. Courses in this area can be found extensive- ly, although not exclusively, in the departments of History, Religion, Philosophy, Anthropology, Architecture, and Germanic & Slavic Languages & Literatures. International Studies and Diversity (I)- The General Education program at UF recog- nizes that, beyond the basic areas of academic study, there are other contexts of knowing: e.g., language, gender, culture, race, ethnicity, and class. The International Studies and Diversity requirement seeks to make students aware that the United States is part of a world community; to provide them with the means to understand the significance of world events; and to help them develop an appreciation for diversity through the study of nations, gender, culture, race, ethnicity, and class. Courses in this area can be found extensive- ly, although not exclusively, in the departments of History, Classics, African & Asian Languages & Literatures, Romance Languages & Litera- tures, Germanic & Slavic Languages & Litera- tures, Art, Anthropology, Political Science, Religion, Sociology, and English. Social and Behavioral Sciences (S)-In this area, students explore human behavior in its social context, analyze the structure of societies, cultures, and institutions, and assess the pro- cesses by which individuals and groups allocate resources. Courses in this area can be found extensive- ly, although not exclusively, in the departments of Psychology, Political Science, Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Geography, and Sociology. Mathematical Sciences (M)-By taking courses in mathematical sciences students acquire skills in logic, inductive and deductive reasoning, and abstract and quantitative think- ing. The mathematical sciences also teach stu- dents to reason critically, think creatively, assess evidence, and form conclusions based on evi- dence.