Katelyn Tenuto, Josie Trainor, Alicia Wodika, Illinois State University
Abstract
Students in higher education are at a critical time of their lives when they are learning the importance of civic engagement and community. Presenting students with the principles of global health, ethics, health disparities, key content issues of communicable disease, gender, and women’s rights, are essential pieces of knowledge for developing the whole person and global citizen. At a mid-sized university in the Midwest, a global health course is an option for students to complete as a general education credit. After institutional review board approval was obtained in Summer 2024, a pre/post cross-sectional survey methodology was used to measure student (n = 179) attitudes (n =10, α = 0.878) and behaviors (n = 6, α = 0.845) and engagement (n = 17, α = 0.953) based on their learning in a global health general education course across four semesters. Results indicate a statistically significant increase in civic attitudes, behaviors, and engagement, with students having a strong sense of empathy and moral cosmopolitan views.