General Education Review Creation Meetings Fall 2016

Ground Rules

Model should align well with ISLOs. The general education curriculum should not be so large that it overwhelms the rest of the curriculum, including majors and electives. Students must continue to be able to graduate in four years. A two-semester common learning experience in the first year should be retained. Experiential learning components are to be considered. (Study Abroad, Undergraduate Research, Internships, Service Learning)

The question of how many requirements can be fulfilled by one course should be considered. General Education requirements, rationale, and value must be understandable and explainable. The general education curriculum must allow for broad faculty participation and should largely be able to be staffed by existing faculty. The continued utilization of the current curriculum exactly as it is now is not an option, because the current curriculum does not align well with our ISLOs (e.g. quantitative reasoning, oral communication, creative expression, wellness, diversity, self- knowledge, personal ethics, and civic engagement).

The general education curriculum must align with our distinct institutional identity and mission. The ISLOs, the Carthage identity, and the general education curriculum should all fit together seamlessly. Students will be engaged in an intentional and progressive series of learning and communal experiences that engage them in our community at the same time as they help to create it. The general education curriculum should enhance and support majors and the co-curriculum. The credit system and the class schedule are to be considered.

Characteristics of Possible Models

Distribution Models Traditional models that require X credits from this discipline and X credits from that discipline, etc. When people talk about attending a community college to “get gen eds out of the way,” this is the kind of curriculum they are picturing.

Competency-Based Models Curriculum is built around skills/competencies, rather than courses from specific disciplines. The desired competencies should be articulated clearly, and may mirror ISLOs. The desired competencies may be addressed in a common core or in a variety of classes across disciplines.

Competency-Based Example Alverno College: “Abilities for today and tomorrow” Alverno uses “8 Core Abilities,” and these competencies are addressed in general education designated courses and across the curriculum. Specifics aren’t super clear on their website!

Thematic Models Curriculum centers around a common theme for the whole institution. A theme may be expressed in a common core or distributed across disciplines.

Thematic Example: Carroll University Pioneer Core: Culture 5-course Cross-Cultural Component sequence Cultural Seminar Writing Seminar Cross-Cultural Development Cross-Cultural Experience Global Perspectives Colloquium Distribution Component (may not tie in to theme) The theme is “Culture.”

Integrative Models Curriculum aims to integrate multiple ways of knowing. Frequently also thematic or competency-based.

Integrative Example University of Mount Union: Integrated Core First Year Seminar – communication & critical thinking 4 Foundations courses Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Arts Completed by end of sophomore year 2 Themes courses – junior year, theme-based Capstone course – senior year, address real-world problem with a group Students must also meet proficiency requirements in math and modern language, and they develop a Writing and Oral Communication Portfolio in their sophomore year.

Introductions Participants should introduce themselves and their initial ideas/interests for the Gen Ed Review. You may want to take note of this on the whiteboard or on paper and assign groups accordingly.

Idea Generation Emphasize that we are seeking big ideas to inform our next steps as a committee. All ideas will be considered. Working with a small group, not individually, is HIGHLY encouraged, and the groups can be assigned by the facilitator, determined by the participants, or some combination of the two.

Prompts Do you know of an innovative model used elsewhere that could be of interest for us at Carthage? What part of the current General Education model do you think needs to be re-envisioned? How would you do it differently? What theme might be most appropriate for Carthage’s General Education plan? How could that theme be expressed across the curriculum? How could the General Education be integrative?

Sharing Ideas Invite groups to present their thoughts to the large group. If time allows, members of other groups may provide feedback or ask questions.