General Education at USFSM – Our Stamp on the Future

General Education at USFSM – Our Stamp on the FutureErin 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.


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.

General Education Program

Course Design and Outcomes

Program Requirements

Course Scheduling

Assessment

Accreditation

Our Students

New Hires

Courses Faculty Teach

Do you see your role as an educator as…..

A. Filling the vessel B. Igniting the fireC. 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, oftenB. Yes, sometimesC. No, never

The General Education Task ForceErin Martin Coordinator of General Education/ College of Arts and SciencesKeith Cavedo College of Arts and Sciences Heather Lively College of BusinessAndrew Whitmore College of BusinessLynn McBrien College of EducationStephen Rushton College of EducationJohn Walker College of Hospitality and Technology LeadershipRick Walsh College of Hospitality and Technology LeadershipMary Beth Wallace 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

General Education Task Force

(subcommittee of APC)

Academic Programs

Committee

All Colleges, Students,

Stake holders

General Education Assessment Loop

3. Interpret findings

2. Gather evidence

1. Set goals, ask questions

4. Use for improvement

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. RequirementsGeneral 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 Changes2012 Florida Statutes: Title XLVII 1007.25 I. Limiting the Course Offerings in the Gen Ed Curriculum

FROM TOAn unlimited number of courses qualified in each area

Allowing a limit of 5 courses to qualify in each area

Institutional latitude to create and approve courses

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

Humanities

Rational: - Students still need to take 30 GE credits- Maintains breadth- Practical: course offerings/ scheduling

Proposal 1: Require USFSM students to take 2 courses in each subject area.



Social Sciences

Humanities

Vote:a. Support proposalb. No, do not supportc. Abstain

Discipline Group Discussions1. Decide which five courses USFSM will offer in each subject area of the General Education Curriculum. – Input needed by 9/17/2012



Social Sciences

Humanities

Discipline Group DiscussionsProposed 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



Social Sciences

Humanities


Communication Mathematics Natural Sciences Social Sciences Humanities

ENC 1101 – Composition 1

MAC 1105 - Algebra

BSC 1005 – Intro. Biology for non-

majors

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 Macroeconomics

/ ECO 2023 Microeconomics

AMH 2010 - American History 1 /

AMH 2020 - American History 2

Working Group Discussions

2. Faculty in each program should decide whether:

a. certain general education courses will be required for their majorb. if other lower-level courses need to be pre-

requisites for the major.

Input needed by 9/17/2012

• ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 will be pre-requisites for all students in the major.

• Transfer students • What about oral

communication?

Example – Draft Biology Curriculum

• 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.

- 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 - Fall 2012

- Design assessment tools for General Education outcomes.

- Create an assessment cycle/process to implement in Fall 2013.

- Communication with advisors

General Education Tasks – Spring 2013

What’s next for General Education• What will make General Education at USFSM

unique?


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

Documents

General Education at USFSM – Our Stamp on the Future