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Meeting Minutes
Second
General Education Forum
November
11, 2005
About 50
people attended this forum held in the Student Union.
Susan Keefe
announced that there will be a second small discussion group in
the Hubbard Center on November 18 with Task Force member
Alexandra Hellenbrand leading it.
In response
to questions raised at the last open forum about class size, it
was announced that the average class size overall at the
university is 24 students. In 1000 level courses, it is
somewhat larger at 31 students; in 2000 level courses it is 30
students. This average class size has not changed much in the
past ten years, although we may have made choices in the way
resources have been distributed that has led to increasing class
size in certain offerings. Obviously, class size may seem
larger in the individual student’s experience if s/he is taking
more than one large core curriculum section.
Keefe also
stated that the proportion of SCH taught by non-tenure track
faculty is 43% of the total in 2004-5. For 900 level courses,
79% of SCH are taught by non-tenure track; for 1000 level
courses, 61%; for 2000 level, 42%. These statistics differ by
department. Of the core curriculum courses, 56% of SCH are
taught by non-tenure track faculty. Another way to look at
this, is that the majority of SCH in 16 of 24 departments
offering core curriculum courses were taught by non-tenure track
faculty. Clearly, we have given the responsibility of our core
curriculum to part-time and temporary instructors.
Freshman AP
credit hours at ASU were said to be the third highest in the UNC
system, with 41% of freshman entering with AP credits. These
students experience the core differently if they are exempt from
the requirements.
Keefe gave an
overview of the general principles and goals of the task force.
The Gen Ed Task Force is made up of 23 individuals from 14
departments, the College of Education, the College of Arts &
Sciences, General Studies, the Library, the Office of
Institutional Research, and 2 students. We are working at
uncovering the educational principles shared by our faculty. We
want to find out what is most important for our students to
learn, and what qualities we want to cultivate. We conducted
focus groups in September, and we are holding open forums
throughout the year. We have been collecting information from
throughout the university, and asking the departments and
disciplines to contribute to the discussion formally. You are
invited to contribute answers to what contributions your
discipline makes of value to a person in the 21st
century. We need to find values we have in common; it’s a long,
hard process.
This month
departments will be receiving a letter inviting them to
contribute to the discussion. We will be asking departments to
evaluate their current contribution to the core curriculum and
changes they might want to make. This is an opportunity for
faculty to contribute ideas through their department.
Keefe
compared slides describing ASU’s current educational goals as
listed in the catalogue and the consensus on educational
outcomes by the Association of American Colleges &
Universities. Several things are missing from ASU’s statement
including “hands-on experience,” “collaborative” skills, civic
“responsibility,” and “integrative thinking.”
AAC&U’s Key
liberal education outcomes: The emerging consensus.
-Analytic,
communication, quantitative and information skills.
-Understanding of and hands on experience with disciplines that
explore the natural, social, and cultural world.
-Intercultural knowledge and collaborative problem solving
skills.
-Civic,
social, and personal responsibility.
-Integrative
thinking, ability to transfer knowledge from one setting to
another.
It was
emphasized that these forums are not intended to be considered
as linear, but experimental. Today we will be discussing models
that have not been considered by the task force before but will
engage us with the idea of educational models that differ from
ours. We encourage you to ask questions and make comments, to
move toward some consensus. There will be another forum January
27 to continue this work.
Second speaker, Dave Haney “Overview of Gen-Ed Models”
We have to
look at universal and particular at the same time, and how
others have put their goals into models.
Ranges in Gen
Ed structures include dimensions of:
-Commonality
of student experience (from menu driven to specific core
courses)
-Interdisciplinary
-Career stage
(vertical model?)
-Relation to
major (completely separate?)
-Content
(varying?)
-Co-curricular relations (service learning?)
-Percentage
of degree in core courses
ASU’s is
menu-driven, disciplinary, horizontal, somewhat separate, varied
in content, not much co-curricular relations, and about 36% of
the degree.
Other
colleges that differ from these outcomes are described. Grand
Valley State has thematic groups (take 3 courses) and a cultural
emphasis requirement.
Farleigh
Dickinson has a four course core: A. Global Challenge. B.
Perspectives on Individual. C. Cross Cultural Perspectives.
D. The American Experience.
-Totally
unrelated to major. Only 10% of the degree.
Kalamazoo
College:
-Requires
freshman seminar (Foundations)
-2 courses in
cultures abroad
-Connections:
vertical with everyone taking a comprehensive exam in his or her
major.
-Encourages
study abroad programs with credit in core
-Heavily
interdependent between core and major.
-Smaller
school than ASU.
(By the way,
the most radical models were chosen to illustrate things.)
Millikin
University:
-The most
radically co-curricular.
-Requires
three hours of off campus service learning.
-Very
vertical model.
-Required
courses – interlocked with major.
Second Speaker, Sammye Sigmann, “James Madison University’s Gen
Ed”
James
Madison: The Human Community.
Planning for
the current program began in 1994 and implementation started in
1997. The budget was $100,000 (excluding faculty salaries); no
new faculty were acquired. Grant monies were acquired for
revision of courses.
What JMU does
well:
The
definition and relevance of the core is clearly conveyed to the
students. It is given the same level of importance as the
major. In fact, the core is called The First Major (41-45
hours). They test competency in writing, information literacy.
Their goals reflect the AAC&U with 4-point mission. Appears on
their website.
There are
five thematic clusters. In each cluster, students complete a
set of courses called a package. Cluster #1 is Skills for the
21st Century, such as Information Competency.
Students choose from three areas. Cluster 2 is Arts and
Humanities (participation in study abroad will fulfill this).
Cluster 3 is The Natural World, where students recognize the
relevance of science and math. Cluster 4 is Social and Cultural
Processes. Cluster five is Individuals in the Human Community
(includes wellness, social relations).
JMU has been
evaluated once. Recommended breaking up some of the packages.
Third
Speaker, Ray Williams, UNC-Charlotte
This is a new
general education program, started fall 2003. There are 20,000
students, with 16,000 undergrads, twelve doctoral programs. It
is a Doctoral/Research Intensive university. There are 34-37
semester hours in Gen Ed. This is not a vertical model. The
goal is to complete this model by the end of the sophomore
year.
Four areas of
Liberal Studies:
I.
Development of
Fundamental Skills and Inquiry
-writing,
information literacy, math
II.
Inquiry in the
Sciences
-11 semester hours
-not linked in sequences
-options such as “sports physics”
-only one lab science course
required
III.
Themes of Liberal Education
-12 semester hours
-Their signature part of gen.ed.
Created new courses, approaches.
IV.
Arts and Society
-Dance
-Film
-Music
-Theater
-Visual Arts
-Western Culture, Historical Awareness
38 sections, 10 departments
Varied in content.
-Global and International Connections
39 sections, 12 departments
V. Ethical Issues and Cultural Critique
-lots of choices for students
VI.
Communication Skills
-have communication skill
designators (W,oral,FL)
-6 hours writing in the
discipline
-One course on oral
communication skills.
-Foreign language:
Department specific (many require it)
Issues and Solutions:
-
Transition from old program
- Staffing
offered sections
-
Crediting departments
-
Articulation agreement with community colleges
Exempted transfer students from
taking requirements but they have to take more credit hours.
It was
advised that we get an administrative structure (they have Dean)
in place 2 years before to start the transition process.
Transition to new core takes 3-4 years. The institution must
commit to resources for the new core. The Dean of Gen. Ed. had
to work on getting faculty and departments to commit to the
core.
Open for
questions:
Joni
Petschauer: Did anyone find a campus where all faculty are
responsible for the core?
Dave Haney:
Ursinus. There’s a required faculty course that all faculty
must teach. JMU involves the whole faculty.
Jim Barnes:
Where do languages fit in?
Sammye
Sigmann: Students can test out of them at James Madison.
Dave Haney:
Semiotic systems are an alternative to language requirements.
Ray
Williams: UNCC students work with international students to
translate poetry. This integrates language with the cultural
aspect.
Laurie
Semmes: What’s an articulation agreement?
Sue Keefe:
Universities will accept two-year A.A. programs in place at
community colleges.
Dave Haney:
We tried to put in a junior level writing requirement at Auburn,
but the there was a state law made against it. It is difficult
to require gen. ed. above the sophomore level.
RW: In some
programs courses are identified that allow them to be exempt.
At UNC-C you pretty much don’t have to take the core if you
transfer.
Why use the
term “Western culture?”
It is a
self-conscious effort to include both the West and non-Western
cultures.
James Ivory:
Are there other examples of how to evaluate the effectiveness
(assessment) of education at James Madison?
Sammy
Sigmann: There is a website and they have One Book that
describes the requirements. “You need to sign up this day for
taking your placement test.” They walk them through it.
JP: ASU’s
“First Connections” does the same thing. We could give out
bookmarks, put it on the syllabus. Lots of things to strengthen
identifying the core.
-We could
have academic celebrations.
JI: I like
the idea of 1st major.
Why is
assessment necessary?
SK: It has to
be built into any model these days. SACS requires it.
Peter Wachs:
JMU has a great model of assessment. They are nationally
recognized. They have a doctoral degree in higher education on
assessment. Assessment is fairly well integrated at James
Madison. Assessment has to do with accountability.
Jill Ehnenn:
What happens if students don’t pass comprehensive exams given
for assessment purposes?
SS: JMU has
many dates for you to take exams. You can take them over and
over. They offer tutoring. Don’t know if it affects retention.
JE: How many
students get in the career of their choice would be an
interesting topic to address.
Who
administers the exams and what do they cost?
PW: They have
a large assessment and do it one day a semester. JMU creates
its own exams. All materials are created on campus.
Bob White:
JMU is working on an internationalization and collaborative
efforts in gen. ed..
Dave Haney:
Kalamazoo has comprehensive exams that count for 1 to 2 units.
How were
these schools chosen as models for today?
SK: JMU is a
model program identified by AAC&U. UNC-C is a comparable
university in our university system. At this point, we are
trying to cast the net broadly for ideas.
DH: The five
models in my presentation were all from the top nine that the
AAC&U has recommended as best practices. These models
represented the extremes of possible models.
Chris Eklund:
At JMU, you just take one cluster?
SS: You take
five clusters; the first cluster must be completed in the first
year.
JI: Did we
look at feedback from the non-academic or private sector?
SK: A couple
of sub-committees exist for the purpose of gathering such
information through surveys and focus groups.
To what
extent do employers want service learning in students’
experience?
We don’t know
yet.
All these
programs list a variety of competencies and skills. I didn’t
see any mention of reading. I wonder if we’re missing out on
something here?
Tim Harris: I
saw a description of information gathering skills. But this is
not reading.
JE: I have a
problem with thinking that information is reading and
communication is writing.
SS: Reading
is included at JMU under writing.
Tom
McLaughlin: Are there any business classes in the core at these
places?
Yes, at both
JMU and UNC-C. The business faculty teach in the core, but not
much.
TM: Students
need to learn about business.
Where is the
media literacy? Literacy about screens? Students come to us
woefully ignorant. They need to be able to evaluate web sites,
film, TV. They should know how visual images can be
manipulated.
David
Humphrey: Also, our focus groups noted a lack of fiscal
responsibility and knowledge about household debt. Needs to be
addressed in core.
Have you
surveyed faculty and alumni?
SK: No. We
may do that.
DH: We’re
going to work with the alumni office to see about their list.
We want to talk about how they view the kinds of skills and
knowledge that we have.
Tina Hogan:
Every year we do a senior survey; there are sophomore surveys.
What about
the administrative structure?
That is
something that will have to be addressed. Currently, only the
Core Curriculum Council is responsible for the integrity of the
core. They typically are reactive and do not generate
cucciculum.
Where are the
students developmentally?
The core
cannot do it all.
The new core
should reflect our students today. Not as they were 20 years
ago.
What are the
specific questions you want the departments to answer?
SK: We are
asking what you currently do in your department; what changes
you would like to undertake in the core; and what shape you
think the core should take.
JP: Gen Ed
does not have a faculty advocate. We need to have a strong
faculty led organization that generates information focused on
the core and accountable for it.
SK: You can
email me and attend small group discussions. We are gathering
information in multiple ways. There are lots of ways to
contribute ideas, and we are reaching out for ideas. We’re
interested in hearing from students and staff to find out what
kinds of things they see.
Tim Harris:
We’re also sharing information with everybody. Complete
summaries of focus group things that we do are being put on the
website.
Forum
adjourned. |
