Draft Plans for Gen Ed Revision: A Comprehensive Overview

First-Stage Draft Plans for Gen Ed Revision A Very Brief Overview

What's Coming Next Week Three draft proposals for revising General Education Available both in short form, and full form (with all details and rationales) Each draft proposal takes a different strategy for revising Gen Ed: Conservative to keep the present model's structure but change details to address perceived problems and needs and include new best practices Direct LEAP to use the LEAP categories directly to structure the program, but maintain interdisciplinary core courses Flexible Choice also to use the LEAP categories, but return to a traditional distributional model and include multiple choices in every category

The Purpose of These Draft Proposals Current problems and needs can be addressed in multiple ways; various alternatives should be considered, since faculty views/priorities differ These are intended for public discussion at all levels, and are not intended as final proposals; these should be discussed as wholes and also as regards the details; further revisions will be made as a result of feedback The timetable for the first stage discussion will be the next two months; the current goal is to then to revise for stage two Elements present in one draft plan can be transferred to others, so the boundaries are not fixed

Basic Goals in Gen Ed Plans Limit overall credit hours to 30-33 Use LEAP & faculty/student priorities as the bases for deciding what to include/not include in all three cases Provide a public rationale for all inclusions/exclusions based on (2) Integrate desirable high-impact practices into the curriculum (e.g., first- year seminars, community engagement) Make sure each plan makes use of the resources for teaching available from full-time, tenure-track faculty; impact on full-time faculty is essential to consider Include reinforcement & integrative learning (e.g., upper-level integrative courses in each unit), with progressively more challenging application and standards (integration being an essential LEAP learning outcome)

Upper-Level Integrative Courses Courses can be already in the units or developed anew (should meet specific major requirements); purpose is to apply basic Gen Ed skills consciously and explicitly, move to higher levels in a manner relevant to disciplines and programs They must explicitly include learning outcomes from at least two of the fundamental literacies/intellectual and practical skills The upper-level integrative course can only be taken after the relevant fundamental Gen Ed courses are completed (in junior or senior year) The course is to aim for higher-level performance on chosen Gen Ed skills, to be assessed via non-disciplinary VALUE rubrics developed by the AAC&U The course must involve teamwork, group projects, and/or problem-solving (where students have to generate their own solutions and strategies, rather than following a pre-set procedure learned by rote)

Basics of the Conservative Plan Keeps the following basic fundamental literacies: Writing, Critical Thinking, Oral Communication, and Quantitative Reasoning (12 cr.) Information Literacy to be integrated into other courses (preferably other 100-level Gen Ed classes) and "tagged" as such The Common Core is the same (12 cr.) Includes an upper-level integrative course in the units Cultural and Social Values (9 cr.) Contemporary Global Cultures added (replacing non-Western) (3 cr.) Diversity in US Culture (3 cr.) (same as now) Health & Wellness (increased to 3 credits, with choice of 3-credit course or 2-credit + 1-credit activity)

Special Needs Courses Csci-A 101 Basic Computer Literacy (a new 1-credit course) available as a option for students without expected preparation; focuses on basic skills needed to function successfully as students Eng-W 130 required for students not ready for Eng-W 131 Educ-U 100 required for new students admitted conditionally

Included High-Impact Practices First-year seminar required of all students entering with less than 30 credit hours (new and transfer students) Students have to take at least one course "tagged" as having a Community Engagement component

Basics of the Direct LEAP Plan Overall structure (taken directly from LEAP essential learning outcomes): I. Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world Through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts II. Intellectual and practical skills Inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative literacy, information literacy, and teamwork and problem solving III. Personal and social responsibility Civic knowledge and engagement (local and global), intercultural knowledge and competence, ethical reasoning and action, and foundational skills for life IV. Integrative learning Synthesis and advanced accomplishment in advancing knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems

Specific Structure (in Brief) I. Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world (12 cr.) Four interdisciplinary courses in (a) the Social Sciences, (b) the Arts, (c) the Humanities, and (d) the Natural Sciences and Mathematics (12 cr.) II. Intellectual and practical skills (13 cr.) A basic introductory course each in (a) critical thinking, (b) written communication, (c) oral or interpersonal communication, (d) quantitative literacy, and (e) information literacy (1-credit, to be linked with other courses) (13 cr.) III. Personal and social responsibility (8 cr.) One course each in (a) Intercultural Knowledge, (b) Ethical Reasoning, (c) Nutrition and Health (1 credit), and (d) Financial Literacy (1 credit) IV. Integrative learning Provided at various levels, e.g., the interdisciplinary knowledge courses, and the upper- level integrative course in the units

Similarities with Previous Model The same special needs courses are present First-year seminars are also required The Upper-Level Integrative Course is required This particular model does not include a course "tagged" for Community Engagement (this is something to debate)

Basics of the Flexible Choice Model Uses the same categories as the Direct LEAP model, but with these differences: I. Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world (12 cr.) Four traditional introductory courses in (a) the Social Sciences, (b) the Arts, (c) the Humanities, and (d) the Natural Sciences and Mathematics, chosen from an approved list (12 cr.) II. Intellectual and practical skills (13 cr.) Courses chosen from an approved list for (a) Critical Thinking (3 cr.), (b) Communication (6 cr., with Eng-W 131 required and a choice of oral, interpersonal, or visual communication), (c) Quantitative Literacy (3 cr.), and a linked Information Literacy course (1 credit) III. Social responsibility (9 cr.) Courses chosen from an approved list for (a) Intercultural Knowledge (6 cr., with one course in Contemporary Global Cultures and the second in Diversity in US Society) and (b) Ethical Reasoning (3 cr.) IV. Integrative learning Provided by the upper-level integrative course in the units

Other Features Same special needs courses First-year Seminar and Community Engagement as "tagged courses" from the above Upper-level integrative courses in the units to meet the fifth LEAP essential learning outcome (as in the other two models)