General Education Program

College of the Ozark’s Quest: Philosophy and Scope of the General Education Program

A journey becomes a quest when one undertakes it with a clear purpose; such travel is meaningful because of the end, the goal that the traveler has in mind. So it is with education. At College of the Ozarks, education does not resemble tourism - a casual glance at disparate facts or an introduction to discrete disciplines - so much as it does a quest. Education, to be meaningful, must have a goal, and for the College of the Ozarks that goal is our five-fold mission and vision statement:

• To provide a sound education, based in the liberal arts. (Academic Goal)
• To promote a strong work ethic, encouraging the development of good character and values. (Vocational Goal)
• To foster the Christian faith through the integration of faith with learning, living, and service. (Christian Goal)
• To encourage an understanding of American heritage, civic responsibilities, love of country, and willingness to defend it. (Patriotic Goal)
• To cultivate an appreciation of the fine arts, and understanding of the world, and adherence to high personal standards. (Cultural Goal)

Through this five-fold mission College of the Ozarks seeks to develop citizens of Christ-like character, who are well-educated, hardworking, and patriotic. (Vision Statement)

Further, the General Education program is necessarily purposeful because a Christian vision of reality recognizes a purposeful universe. Consequently, the Triune God who has revealed himself to humanity in the Bible and the created order is the starting point for the College’s General Education Program. Truth, goodness, and beauty - our guides for this quest - exist in him and are reflected in his creation, including human beings who are made in his image. Our sin and rebellion against God marred his image in us and deeply impaired our capacity to perceive and practice these virtues; also, humanity’s fall subjected the earth and all human endeavors to corruption, decay, and death (Romans 8:20-21). God, however, did not abandon his creation; he acted to restore human beings and all creation through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. When we surrender to his Lordship and authority, we are called to embody his kingdom rule in every dimension of our lives and to become visible expressions of his truth, goodness, and beauty in this fallen world. Furthermore, we are empowered to perceive these virtues in the created and human order, to apprehend their value (Philippians 4:8), and to craft works of truth, goodness, and beauty. This understanding of our place in God’s created order transforms education into a sustained quest for God and his purpose for our lives.

At College of the Ozarks the General Education Program plays a role in the full restoration of students to what it truly means to be a human being created in the image of God. Students will be taught to recognize and pursue key virtues in the Christian and Western traditions by faculty and staff who understand a Christian worldview and join their students in the quest, which includes academic courses, Christian life on campus, in the Work Education Program, travel opportunities, convocations, and special activities. The General Education Program integrates the entirety of a student’s education and purposefully unites the students and the College community in a quest directed by the five-fold mission and the vision statement.

Through this program the College seeks to fulfill the following objectives and learning outcomes, which primarily relate to the College’s Academic Goal of providing a sound education, based in the liberal arts. 

1. Students will understand, recognize the value of, and critically assess the Western liberal arts tradition.
   1. Students will demonstrate competency in the core subject matter of the General Education curriculum that provides the foundation for future learning and a life of flourishing in God’s creation. 
   2. Students will develop and critically apply a biblically informed Christian worldview to their academic learning.
2. Students will show evidence of essential skills and abilities that mark a person as being educated, including:
   1. the ability to communicate effectively in writing, speaking, and other creative endeavors;
   2. the ability to think critically in solving problems;
   3. the ability to gather, evaluate, interpret, and use information.

The Keeter Center for Character Education:

Founded in 1997, The Keeter Center for Character Education at College of the Ozarks was created to provide programs and activities to enhance the development of character and good citizenship. In so doing, the Center reflects the principle upon which the College was established: that character in young people is best developed from an education of the head, the heart, and the hands.

The Center serves as the programmatic arm of The Keeter Center facility on campus. Both students and community members benefit from the wide variety of programs. The Gittinger Community Convocation Series has brought noted speakers to campus including Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, Franklin Graham, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sarah Palin, and Laura Bush.

The Center hosts a forum each year with a theme that rotates among the topics of character, citizenship, and the work ethic. In addition to a group of the College’s students and those of visiting colleges and universities, cadets and staff from each of the U.S. Military Academies benefit from small group discussions and a question and answer session with each distinguished speaker. Forum speakers have included Tommy Franks, Ken Starr, Bob Dole, J. C. Watts, Newt Gingrich, and George W. Bush.

The Center developed and oversees a character education initiative called First PLACE! (Partners Linking Arms for Character Education). First PLACE! is a partnership among the homes, school, and communities of Stone and Taney Counties and focuses on intentionally teaching and modeling good character. Over 500 First PLACE! community partners support the initiative, which is being used as a model around the state of Missouri.

The S. Truett Cathy Poverty Summit provides an opportunity for the College and the greater community to learn about the issue of poverty and gain valuable tools for helping people in poverty learn how to transition effectively into the middle class.

In 2009, College of the Ozarks began the Patriotic Education Travel Program, designed to provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences for students and veterans. The program pairs College of the Ozarks students with veterans, taking them back to the battlefields of Europe, the Pacific, Korea, and Vietnam. The effort is designed to reinforce the patriotic mission of the College by honoring the veterans and educating the younger generation about the sacrifices of American soldiers so that their stories will never be forgotten. 

Other programs include School of the Ozarks Laboratory School, the College of the Ozarks Academy of Lifestyle Leadership, the Joan Kalimanis Citizens Abroad Program, Character Camp, and Camp Lookout.