Transcript General Education at USFSM – Our

General Education at USFSM –
Our Stamp on the Future
Erin P. Martin, Ph.D.
Instructor of Biology
Coordinator of General Education
Exciting Times for USFSM
• Our first freshman!
• Design and teach courses never taught on our
campus.
• Develop a meaningful and intentional
curriculum with transparent goals and
outcomes.
• Provide students with an additional edge for
their future endeavors.
USFSM General Education Workshop
• Part 1
– General Education 101
– General Education at USFSM
– Goals and Outcomes
• Part 2
– The old requirements
– New State regulations
– Group curriculum discussions
– The future
What is a Generally Educated Person?
Many countries look to us
“At the same time that many in the United States
are encouraging higher education to emulate
existing European models, numerous international
universities have the opinion that graduates of
American Universities are more innovative, more
able to transfer knowledge across disciplinary
boundaries, and more adept at applying their
knowledge to unscripted problems and situations.”
– Paul Gaston, General Education & Liberal
Education Principles of Effective Practice.
What’s the secret?
• The combination of general education with
the major leads to innovation and creativity in
American graduates.
Current Views – The Hart Survey
• 78% of AAC&U member institutions say they have
a common set of intended learning outcomes for
all their undergraduate students.
• 56% of administrators say general education has
increased as a priority for their institution.
Source: Hart Research Associates. 2009. Trends and
Emerging Practices in General Education. 16pp.
Current Views – The Hart Survey
Business executives felt the following
areas were most in need of increased
emphasis at higher education
institutions:
• Science and technology (82% more
emphasis
• Applied knowledge (73% more
emphasis)
• Critical thinking and analytical
reasoning skills (73% more
emphasis)
• Communication skills (73% more
emphasis)
• Global Issues (72% more emphasis)
Current Views – The Hart Survey
• 89% of institutions are in some stage of assessing
or modifying their general education program.
Source: Hart Research Associates. 2009. Trends and
Emerging Practices in General Education. 16pp.
Intentionality and Coherence
• Institutions, faculty, and students have a clear idea
of what should be accomplished in general
education.
• Students are able to make connections and
integrate their knowledge.
Course Scheduling
Course Design and
Outcomes
Program
Requirements
Assessment
General
Education
Program
New Hires
Accreditation
Courses Faculty
Teach
Our Students
Do you see your role as an educator
as…..
A. Filling the vessel
B. Igniting the fire
C. I don’t do either
Have you ever wondered why some
students arrive in upper division
courses lacking the skills necessary to
succeed?
A. Yes, often
B. Yes, sometimes
C. No, never
The General Education Task Force
Erin Martin
Keith Cavedo
Heather Lively
Andrew Whitmore
Lynn McBrien
Stephen Rushton
John Walker
Rick Walsh
Mary Beth Wallace
Coordinator of General Education/
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Business
College of Business
College of Education
College of Education
College of Hospitality and Technology
Leadership
College of Hospitality and Technology
Leadership
Dean of Students
Timeline – Fall 2012
• Develop the philosophy and purpose of the
General Education program at USFSM
• Propose General Education Program goals and
outcomes
• Plan General Education Curriculum – Courses
that fit within the program
Reporting process
for USFSM General
Education Task Force
Academic
Programs
Committee
General Education
Task Force
(subcommittee of APC)
All Colleges,
Students,
Stake holders
4. Use for
improvement
1. Set goals,
ask questions
General Education
Assessment Loop
3. Interpret
findings
2. Gather
evidence
Think-Pair-Share
1. What are our institution’s values, intellectual
traditions, or guiding principles that should
be evident in the general education
program?
Think-Pair-Share
2. What do you think all students graduating
from our institution, regardless of their
major, should know and be able to do?
Think-Pair-Share
3. Are there any other particular competencies
that would be needed to prepare our
students for today’s complex, diverse, and
globally interdependent world?
Think-Pair-Share
4. What could make our general education
program distinctive from those at
comparable campuses?
Part II: USFSM - General
Education Workshop
The “Old” USF Gen. Ed. Requirements
General Education Requirements - 36 Sem. Hours
• English Composition - 6
• Quantitative Methods - 6
• Natural Sciences - 6
• Social Sciences - 6
• Historical Perspectives - 6
• Fine Arts - 3
• African, Latin American, Middle Eastern or Asian
Perspectives (ALAMEDA) - 3
State Mandated Changes
2012 Florida Statutes: Title XLVII 1007.25
I. Limiting the Course Offerings in the Gen Ed
Curriculum
FROM
An unlimited number of
courses qualified in each
area
Institutional latitude to
create and approve
courses
TO
Allowing a limit of 5 courses to
qualify in each area
State-wide consensus among
institutions on which 5 courses
should exist in each area
* Until statewide consensus is
reached, we should move forward
on our own.
State Mandated Changes
II. Decreasing the Amount of Credits Required
for the Gen Ed Curriculum
FROM
TO
36 credits, 12 courses
30 credits, 10 courses
10 of the 12 courses prescribed
(2 per area)
5 of the 10 courses prescribed
(1 per area)
Proposal 1: Require USFSM students to
take 2 courses in each subject area.
The Five Subject Areas
Communication Mathematics
Natural
Sciences
Social
Sciences
Rational:
- Students still need to take 30 GE credits
- Maintains breadth
- Practical: course offerings/ scheduling
Humanities
Proposal 1: Require USFSM students to
take 2 courses in each subject area.
The Five Subject Areas
Communication Mathematics
Vote:
a. Support proposal
b. No, do not support
c. Abstain
Natural
Sciences
Social
Sciences
Humanities
Discipline Group Discussions
1. Decide which five courses USFSM will offer in
each subject area of the General Education
Curriculum. – Input needed by 9/17/2012
The Five Subject Areas
Communication Mathematics
Natural
Sciences
Social
Sciences
Humanities
Discipline Group Discussions
Proposed courses were selected based on:
a. need (requirements for our majors)
b. educated guess (what 5 courses the state will
mandate in each subject area).
c. faculty resources to teach
The Five Subject Areas
Communication Mathematics
Natural
Sciences
Social
Sciences
Humanities
The Five Subject Areas
Communication
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Humanities
ENC 1101 –
Composition 1
MAC 1105 Algebra
BSC 1005 – Intro.
Biology for nonmajors
PSY 2012 –
Psychology
LIT 2030 – Intro to
Poetry
ENC 1102 –
Composition 2
MAC 1140 –
Pre-calculus
BSC 2010/L –
Cellular Processes
SYG 2000 Sociology
FIL 1002 – Intro to
Film Studies
MAC 2311 –
Calculus 1
BSC 2011/L –
Biodiversity
ANT 2000 –
Intro.
Anthropology
REL 2300 –
Introduction to
World Religions
MGF 1106 –
Finite Math
CHM 2045/L –
Chemistry 1
POS 2041 –
American
National
Government
PHI 1600 – Intro to
Ethics
STA 1022 –
Basic Statistics
/STA 2023 Introductory
Statistics I
EVR 2001/L –
Intro to
Environmental
Sciences
ECO 2013
AMH 2010 Macroeconomics American History 1 /
/ ECO 2023
AMH 2020 Microeconomics American History 2
Working Group Discussions
2. Faculty in each program should decide
whether:
a. certain general education courses will be required
for their major
b. if other lower-level courses need to be prerequisites for the major.
Input needed by 9/17/2012
Example – Draft
Biology Curriculum
• ENC 1101 and ENC 1102
will be pre-requisites for
all students in the major.
• Transfer students
• What about oral
communication?
• Students taking the MCAT must take PSY
2012 and SYG 2000
• In Biology, we will strongly advise
students take courses based on their
occupational goals.
General Education Tasks - Fall 2012
- Use information generated today to draft
goals and outcomes of the General Education
curriculum at USFSM.
- Use feedback from faculty to select which
courses are part of General Education
General Education Tasks – Spring 2013
- Design assessment tools for General Education
outcomes.
- Create an assessment cycle/process to
implement in Fall 2013.
- Communication with advisors
What’s next for General Education
• What will make General Education at USFSM
unique?
Source: Hart Research Associates. 2009. Trends and
Emerging Practices in General Education. 16pp.
What’s next for General Education
• General Education design and assessment as
scholarly work.
• Continued evolution of our General Education
Program.
• Formation of learning communities and/or
workshops focused on best practices.
Have a Wonderful Semester!
Special Thanks --Stephanie Fuhr, Barbara Melfi, Dina Kathman,
Marilyn Nunan
and members of the General Education Task
Force:
Keith Cavedo, Heather Lively, Andrew
Whitmore, Lynn McBrien, Stephen Rushton,
John Walker, Rick Walsh, Mary Beth Wallace