Colloquia

The ILS Program requires students to complete a 3-hour introductory colloquium and a 4-hour senior capstone colloquium. The Liberal Studies Introductory Colloquium (LSIC) is taken at the beginning of a student’s education at UNC Asheville and the Liberal Studies Senior Colloquium (LSSC) is taken at the end. Liberal Studies courses will ordinarily carry the prefixes of the departments out of which they are taught, but may not be used to fulfill major or minor requirements. Courses taken at other institutions cannot be used to satisfy these requirements.

Students participate in a Liberal Studies Introductory Colloquium (LSIC) in their first semester at UNC Asheville. Freshmen and transfer students who have less than 25 hours of college credit enroll in LSIC 179; students transferring with 25 or more semester hours enroll in LSIC 379. All LSIC courses are designated as Writing Intensive; LSIC 379 courses are also Information Literacy Intensive. Faculty teaching LSIC 179 serve as academic advisors for their students.

Both courses integrate information and intellectual approaches from different disciplines, directly addressing the nature of liberal studies. To introduce students to opportunities specific to our campus, the students will be encouraged to see the campus within the civic community and the academic community, understanding how it has the possibility to affect each. They can explore the responsibilities of the liberally educated through Service Learning and the opportunities for active learning available through the Undergraduate Research experience. They should also have an opportunity to experience cultural events and special opportunities offered by the campus.

LSIC course offerings vary by semester. For information about this semester's offerings, click the appropriate link at the right side of this page.

The Liberal Studies Senior Colloquium engages students in a capstone liberal arts experience. LS 479, is also topical and is intended to be taken in a student’s final semester at UNC Asheville. It will incorporate content and insights from both the ILS Program and each student’s major and elective courses. In this way, it attempts to provide a capstone liberal studies experience in which students will be able to integrate the knowledge they have acquired through their major with the wider perspectives provided in their general education. Students will also be required to complete a self-directed project that demonstrates this level of integration. All seniors take either LS 479 or HUM 414.