Asian Studies

Welcome to the Asian Studies webpage. On this page you'll find the mission of the department, departmental student learning goals, a curricular map and assessment schedule, and progress made from the most recent Program Review Action Plan (2013-2014). If you have questions about the assessment findings or questions about the department, please contact Carol Brash, Asian Studies Department Chair, at [email protected].

MISSION

ASP prepares students for engagement in and with Asia by integrating interdisciplinary (humanities, fine arts, social sciences, and natural sciences) and experiential learning into an understanding of Asia's great traditions, modern transformation, and pivotal role in today's globalizing world.

The Asian Studies major is rooted in the belief that "the growing awareness of the value of integrating coordinated courses on Asian life and thought into [liberal arts] college curricula. . . [is essential to] enabling students to understand, and contribute to, an increasingly mobile world of diverse societies and cultures."  It intends to prepare students for personal and professional involvement in the newly-dawned "Asian Century" by affirming the Benedictine ideals of service, learning in community, multiculturalism, and global engagement as well as CSB/SJU's commitment to new models of international education, exceptional classroom and experiential opportunities, increased intercultural competence, and global citizenship and by enabling our majors to become "Asia Hands."

STUDENT LEARNING GOALS

Graduates of the 48-credit major will be able to demonstrate an ability to:

1. Understand and apply at least two different disciplinary theories, approaches, and methods used in Asian Studies scholarship.
2. Analyze the role of internal and external influences within Asia's many constructs.
3. Articulate how coursework and experiential learning promoted effective adaptation and engagement in Asian contexts.
4. Examine the relationship between personal identity, Asian constructs, and diaspora.

CURRICULAR MAP and ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE