Transcript Slide 1

General Education Outcomes
(GEOs)
JOE TERRERI
Professor of Mathematics
General Education Outcomes Coordinator
Main Objectives of GEO Initiative
1. Improve our General Education curriculum
to benefit our students.
What is General Education?
General Education is the distinguishing feature of
higher education. It is a broadly-based core of
humanistic knowledge and abilities, the
acquisition of which is the distinctive
characteristic of the educated person.
Note: Refer to Philosophy Statement in the
“General Education Requirements” handout.
Main Objectives of GEO Initiative
2. Measure our institutional effectiveness.
Relevant part of the Mt. SAC Mission Statement:
“Provide quality transfer, career, and lifelong
learning programs that prepare students with the
knowledge and skills needed for success in an
interconnected world.”
GEO Committee Members
Joe Terreri - General Education Outcomes Coordinator
(Co-Chair)
 Barbara McNeice-Stallard - Director, Research &
Institutional Effectiveness (Co-Chair)
 Debbie Boroch - Interim Dean, Instructional Services
 Darrow Soares - Student Learning Outcomes Coordinator
 Priya Chaplot - Educational Research Assessment Analyst
 Kate Scott - Information Technology Representative
 John Vitullo - Faculty Representative Area A
 VACANCY – Faculty Representative Area B
 Kristine Allende - Faculty Representative Area C
 VACANCY – Faculty Representative Area D
 Melinda Bowen - Faculty Representative Area E
 Terry Krider – Vocational Area Representative

Today’s Objectives

Promote understanding of the GEOs
Initiative.

Obtain input for establishing GEOs at
Mt. SAC.
What is a GEO?
Student Learning Outcome (SLO): a statement
about what a student will think, know, feel, or be
able to do as a result of an educational experience.
 General Education Outcome (GEO): a statement
that defines the characteristics that we would like
to see in a student who satisfies our general
education requirements. They can be classified as
relating to content knowledge from a range of
disciplines, to expected intellectual abilities or to
the development of values commensurate with
those of an educated citizen in a democratic
society. *A GEO IS A TYPE OF AN SLO.*

Life Cycle of a GEO
Reassess/
Revise
GEO
Gather
Evidence
Use of
Results
Interpretation
Course-level SLO
MATH
Math ___
Math 181
SLO: __________
SLO: Students will be
able to compute a
fluid force integral.
NOTE: SLOs
stay within the
discipline!
Math ___
SLO: __________
SLO: __________
GEO
GEO
Discipline A:
GE Course
Discipline B:
GE Course
SLO: __________
SLO: __________
NOTE: GEOs
cross disciplinary
boundaries!
Discipline C:
GE Course
SLO: __________
SLO: __________
Characteristics of a GEO
Shared - reinforced throughout and across
the GE curriculum
 Central to role of GE curriculum in
accordance with the college mission
 Quantifiable - assessable
 Well-defined
 Reviseable

Activity 1
Length: 10 minutes
 Purpose: data collection.
 Task: Break out into groups. Discuss
material so far. Come up with 3-5 key
GEOs, guided by commonalities of what is
taught. Record results.
 Report out.

GEOs and Accreditation

“General Education has comprehensive
learning outcomes for the students who
complete it, including the following:...”
Note: Refer to the “GEO Accreditation
Standard II.A.3” handout.
Solano Community College
Upon completion of Solano Community College’s
General Education program, a student will
demonstrate competency in the following areas:
1. Communication
2. Critical Thinking and Information
Competency
3. Global Awareness
4. Personal Responsibility and Professional
Development
Reference: www.mtsac.edu/administration/research/pdf/SolanoCC-CoreCompetenciesforGeneralEducation.pdf
SCC: A Core Competency

Communication
– Read
 Students will be able to comprehend and interpret various
types of written information in (1) expository prose...
– Write
 Students demonstrate the ability to communicate thoughts,
ideas, information, and messages in writing
– Listen
 Students will be able to receive, attend to, interpret, and
respond appropriately to (1) verbal and/or (2) nonverbal...
– Speak and Converse
 Students have the ability to organize ideas and communicate
verbal or non-verbal messages appropriate to the audience
and the situation
Activity 2
Length: 10 minutes
 Task: Break out into “interest groups” to
further define GEOs created during
Activity 1. Record results.
 Report out.

Tentative Timeline
November survey results + Flex Day inputs

Presentation of initial draft to Senate by late
March

Dissemination through the campus community
for review and input

Senate adoption of GEOs for Mt. SAC by the
end of Spring 2008
Contact Information
Joseph Terreri
Professor of Mathematics
General Education Outcomes Coordinator
ext. 4642
General Education Outcomes Committee webpage:
http://inside.mtsac.edu/organization/committees
/generaled/