PDP 150 - Course Overview
PDP 150: Critical Inquiry and the Liberal Arts
An Introduction to the Liberal Arts
A liberal arts education is more than the broad skills and knowledge acquired from studying such areas as literature, history, philosophy and the arts. On a deeper level, a liberal arts education refers to the development of critical thought, the ability (and desire) to question, to examine and to understand issues and ideas with increasing clarity and depth. This process is reflection, and it is a process at the very heart of a liberal arts education.
This is part of what we mean when we speak of educating the whole person - acquiring these transformative skills and apply them to our lives as a whole.
Course Topics
Course topics for PDP 150 are extremely varied and diverse, from sustainability and music to zombies in culture and pet ownership. Scott Jost covers “Narrative Community Mapping,” while Brandon Marsh takes you “Into the Abyss: The World Crisis of the 1930s.” Transfer students have unique courses to choose from as well, on social media and the U.S. economy, and Flory Fellows can choose honors sections covering the Bill of Rights and the Coal Wars of Appalachia.
Choose the top three courses that intrigue you and BC will work to pre-register you in a class that meets your interests. All courses will have an emphasis on critical reading and a similar writing requirement.
Overview of the PDP Program
During the freshman year, then, the emphasis is on introducing the fundamental concepts of the liberal arts and the necessary skills needed for serious reflective thinking. Beyond the first semester, students will keep a record of their activities, both curricular and co-curricular. During the senior year, students attend a special convocation and workshop in preparation for the senior portfolio. The mature senior portfolio then becomes a powerful and meaningful record of growth and development over the entire college experience.
