Transcript Getting My Generals Out of the Way

GETTING MY GENERALS
OUT OF THE WAY
8th Annual Conference of the
National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students
January 28, 2010
JoAnn Moseman & Cindy Cammack
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
What is General Education?
• Has your campus asked this question recently?
• How do students answer the question?
• AAC&U said, “…develops skills, knowledge
and a sense of responsibility.”
• Student learning outcomes
http://www.aacu.org/membership/documents/2009MemberSurvey_Part2.pdf
Why does it Matter to Transfer
Students?
• Challenges…
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Decide where to transfer
Undeclared or major change
Some start in AAS
Part time—requirements change
Self advising
Late decisions
First generation
Why does it Matter to Transfer
Students?
• Transfer students must plan carefully to
succeed and graduate in a timely manner.
• The Generals will haunt you if you don’t have
a degree plan and follow it.
Challenges in Nebraska
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430 miles E to W and 210 miles N to S.
No Statewide General Education
No Statewide Core Curriculum
No Statewide Common Course Numbering
System
• University & State College systems uses
Semesters
• 2 largest Community Colleges use Quarters
Nebraska has…
• One University system
– But campuses are independent
• Six Community College areas
– But they are governed independently
• Space for transfer students
– But some programs require more than minimum
admission requirements
Gen Ed Reform at UNL
• Simple, Elegant, & Transferable
• Kept Transfer Students in the discussion
• Transfer Friendly Policies
– Transfer course satisfies same outcome
– Flexibility --Transfer students can elect 08-09
bulletin for 2 years
• Impetus for increased communication with
statewide partners
Summer 2008 Road Trip
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Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Director of General Education
Transfer Coordinator
Met with Chief Academic Officers
– Traveled to 2 & 4 year public institutions in NE
– Dialogue about general education
• several other institutions were in reform process
– Progress and challenges
ACE is UNL’s new 30-hour general education program. It is designed to give students
opportunities to develop and to apply relevant skills, knowledge, and social
responsibilities no matter what their majors or career aspirations are.
• Dual focus on student learning: acquiring and using knowledge
• Designed to help students:
o develop skills
o build knowledge
o exercise social responsibility
o integrate and apply these capabilities
• 10 student learning outcomes (30 hour program)
• Shared by all 8 UNL undergraduate colleges
Office of Undergraduate Studies
http://ace.unl.edu
Implemented at UNL Fall 2009
400+ courses certified to meet outcomes
Summer/Fall 2009 Road Trip
• Assoc. Director of Admissions for Transfer
• Transfer Coordinator
• Met with Faculty & Advisers
– Traveled to Nebraska community colleges
– Described changes to UNL Gen Ed and how it
would affect their students
– Demonstrated new on-line resources
– Discussed new policies
– Reinforced admissions deadlines
2009 Road Trip
Six 1-day-trips
Two-day Western Swing
1712 miles
Community College Advisers
• Know General Education programs at multiple
institutions
• Help students see relevance of General
Education
• Help students navigate admission requirements
and degree planning
• Essential partners for student success
• Need the best resources we can provide
Improved on-line resources
Created separate web pages
Transfer Advisors Page
Southeast Community College English Equivalents
SCC Course
UNL Equivalent
hours
ACE
outcome
ACE General Education Guide for Community College Students
Description of each
ACE Outcome
List of SCC courses which meet each of
9 outcomes for each college or program.
Southeast Community College/ UNL College of Business Administration
Road Trip Results
• Stronger relationships
– Appreciation for on-site visits
– Increased trust
• Increased communication
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Good contacts at partner institutions
Better information at their fingertips
Know where to go for answers
Adviser newsletter more effective
Other opportunities
• Annual Statewide Articulation Conference
• NACRAO and NACRAO @ AACRAO
• Present with community college partner at
ISTS and Regional NACADA (proposed)
• Annual Statewide Agriculture A to B
Articulation Conference
Local partnerships
• UNL Transfer Day at SCC Lincoln
• UNL Academic Adviser and Admissions
Counselor @ SCC Lincoln registration
• Community College Transfer Fairs organized
through NACRAO
Continuing Steps
• Keep on-line resources current
• Send data to community colleges
– Success data (grades—aggregate data)
– Demographic data (by college/major)
– Future—retention/graduation data
Links
• For Transfer Students
– http://admissions.unl.edu/transfer/index.aspx
• For Transfer Advisors
– http://admissions.unl.edu/transfer_advisors/index.aspx
• Transferring Credit
– http://admissions.unl.edu/transfer/credit/index.aspx
• Undergraduate Admissions
– http://admissions.unl.edu/index.aspx
• Undergraduate Studies-Transfer Students
– http://www.unl.edu/ous/student_programs/transfer.shtml
Contact information
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• JoAnn Moseman
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Academic Transfer Coordinator
Office of Undergraduate Studies
402-472-9455
[email protected]
• Cindy Cammack
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Associate Director for Transfer Programs
Office of Admissions
402-472-5153
[email protected]