When is a Program?Alchemy and

Assessment in GE Redesign

Bill Lokerand Lori Beth Way

representing the Chico State General Education Advisory Committee,

GE Design & Implementation Teams

When is a Program?

• We would argue …. Not THIS!

• A collection of courses, no matter how good, is NOT a program, and …

• Is NOT assessable as a program

When is a Program?

• We would argue …. THIS is a program!

• A structured, coherent set of courses delivered by faculty in dialogue with one another...

• IS assessable as a program

The Alchemy of Assessment

• Assessment is the “Philosopher’s Stone” that turns base metals – an incoherent collection of courses – into GOLD – a coherent program via the catalyst of Student Learning Outcomes….

• SLOs are necessary to know what one is assessing … SLOs should emerge from deep deliberation on the Mission, Values of GE

Role of Assessment in GE Redesign at Chico ….

Bookends• Assessment impelled

GE redesign:• WASC pressure First effort at

GE assessment: Core competency approach, 2006-07, 07-08

• New Provost “Meta-analysis” of GEAC course assessment

• EO 1033 Explicit call for

GE Assessment

• LEAP Contributed to definition of GE SLOs

Design: Charge!

Design: Consultation!!

Design Process

Design TeamCONSULTATIONS/

COMMUNICATIONS

EO

1033

Campus GE

Reports

Provost’s Charge and Creation of

Design Team 11/08

EPPC Senate

Committee 11/09-

12/09 4

meetings

Full Academic

Senate 12/09-2/10 4

meetings

President

Signs EM

2/11/10

Provost Charges

Implementation Team

2/12/10

Student Survey

AS Student Leaders Academic

Senate

Council of Academic

Deans

Student

Affairs Directors

Resident Advisors

GEACUniversity Advisory

Board

Campus-wide

Fora: 4

Library Faculty

Dept Meetings

: 18

Proposal Sent to all Campus

Alumni Survey

College Meetings

of Chairs:

12

General Education Program:Coherent and Distinctive

Today, a coherent general education program can be defined as one where students are able to make connections and integrate their knowledge..., rather than one that merely provides them with isolated pieces of information... These connections should occur within disciplines, among disciplines, to real life and the world, and to majors and careers…

Boning (2007) “Coherence in General Education: A Historical Look”

MissionThe GE program at Chico State prepares students for continual learning and application of knowledge to career as well as personal life. It provides the education necessary for success as a lifelong learner and civically engaged individual in the twenty-first century.

General Education Program

StrategyChico State students acquire a strong foundation in critical thinking, written and oral communication and the arts and sciences through inquiry about and engagement with the social and natural worlds we inhabit. This is achieved through study, reflection, synthesis and action related to knowledge from varied historical, cultural, scientific and political perspectives. In combination with the major field of study, GE completes the breadth of university education.

GE Program Values 

The GE Program incorporates and seeks to foster the values of:

Active Inquiry— a spirit of curiosity to ask questions, seek answers, contemplate, and pursue investigations with intellectual rigor, while making connections between cognitive and personal development, both inside and outside traditional instructional settings.

 Personal and Social Responsibility— the knowledge to take responsibility for one’s own

life and actions, and to recognize responsibilities to our various local, regional, national and international communities.

 Sustainability— an understanding of the environmental dynamics associated with human

activities and of the value of balancing social justice and human economic demands with the Earth’s ability to sustain physical and biological resources and cultural diversity.

Diversity—an understanding of and facility with different intellectual viewpoints as well as the unique perspectives of others based on varied experiences, identities and social attributes.

 Creativity—the generation of new ideas and original expressions in light of past innovations,

traditions, and the history of ideas, accompanied by a willingness to take intellectual risks and consider novel approaches.

 Global Engagement—the cultural, linguistic, and analytic skills necessary to understand

and engage with diverse cultures, people, and the global marketplace, and to contribute as responsible global citizens.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

1. Oral Communication: Demonstrates effective listening and speaking skills necessary to organize information and deliver it effectively to the intended audience.

2. Written Communication: Demonstrates the ability to question, investigate and draw well-reasoned conclusions and to formulate ideas through effective written communication appropriate to the intended audience.

3. Critical Thinking: Identifies issues and problems raised in written texts, visual media and other forms of discourse, and assesses the relevance, adequacy and credibility of arguments and evidence used in reaching conclusions.

4. Mathematical Reasoning: Demonstrates knowledge of and applies mathematical or statistical methods to describe, analyze and solve problems in context.

5. Active Inquiry: Demonstrates knowledge of and applies research techniques and information technology appropriate to the intellectual and disciplinary context. 6. Personal and Social Responsibility: Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to take responsibility for one's own life and actions, and to recognize opportunities and responsibilities to become engaged in our various local, regional, national, andinternational communities.

7. Sustainability: Describes and explains the environmental dynamics associated with human activities, and assesses the value of balancing social and economic demands with the Earth’s ability to sustain physical and biological resources and cultural diversity.

8. Diversity: Demonstrates an understanding of and facility with different intellectual viewpoints as well as the unique perspectives of others based on varied experiences, identities and social attributes. 9. Creativity: Takes intellectual risks and applies novel approaches to varied domains. 10. Global Engagement: Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to engage global cultures and peoples.

Coherent StructureGE Pathway Model

A Pathway structurally connects courses that are:

• Intellectually cohesive

• Explore an issue/area from a multidisciplinary perspective

• Schema for students to understand the general education experience

48 units of GE: Foundation + AI + Pathways

• 18 units in Foundation (Area A, B)

• 6 units in AI (Area C, D)

• 15 units Lower Division:

Arts, Humanities, 2 Social Sciences, Lifelong Learning

No more than 3 courses per disciplinary area in that Pathway

No more than 3 per department per Pathway

• 9 units Upper Division GE:

Arts/Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences

3 courses per disciplinary area from different departments

upper division GE Capstone course (Writing Intensive)

Pathway Minors• 10 Pathways, defined by faculty: Diversity, Ethics, Justice

& Policy, Food Studies, Gender & Diversity, Global Development, Great Books & Ideas, Health & Wellness, International Studies, Science, Technology & Values, Sustainability

• 24 units per Pathway (including 9 upper division units)

• 18 units (including 9 upper division) taken in a single Pathway

Interdisciplinary Minor

DESIGN: FALL 2008-2/11/10

IMPLEMENTATION:2/12/10-Fall 2012

Implementation Activities, Spring 2010

Implementation Activities, Fall 2010

Implementation Activities, Spring 2011

Implementation Activities,

Fall 2011

Assessing by Design: FLC on GE Assessment,

2010• Programmatic – Based on Program-level SLOs

… not individual course-based assessment  • Pathway-based – All SLOs must be

demonstrated/ achieved in each Pathway … not in each course!Pathways must demonstrate intellectual coherence.

 • Direct – Based on authentic products of student

work produced in context;

• Capstones as (potential) sites for assessment

Getting to Gold on GE Assessment: Who, What…

• Who? – Curriculum Advisory Board

(CAB) + Pathway Coordinators

• What? – “Assessment of the GE

program will be driven and guided by the program's Mission and Values, and the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) derived from these. “ EM 10-01

Getting to Gold on GE Assessment: When, How?

• How? – “Pathway coordinators, working

with faculty teaching in the pathways … will designate a set of SLOs to be assessed each year. Pathway coordinators will work with faculty to determine an assessment plan that is accessible and efficient in assessing those SLOs that are under review.” EM 10-01

• When? – Continuous. EM to be reviewed

in 5 years.

Thanks to Chico State faculty, staff, and students for the many hours of consultation, work and their dedication to a better GE program. Thanks also to the AAC&U, the Compass project and Ken O’Donnell for guidance and support.

Team members (n = 22)GEAC: Charley Turner, POLS, Chair; Kathryn Barth, Evaluations, Matt Blake, JOUR, Chris Fosen, ENGL, John Mahoney, BIOL, Jason Nice, HIST, Jim Sager, BSIS, Mitch Johns (11-12) AGRI, Bill Loker, UED

GE Design: Sara Trechter, ENGL and Bill Loker, UED, co-chairs, Troy Berry, Advising, Margaret Owens, Assoc Dean, CNS, Chela Mendoza Patterson, EOP, Shekhar Misra, MKTG, Robert Tinkler, HIST, Lori Beth Way, POLS, Chuck Zartman, EDUC

GE Implementation: Lori Beth Way and Bill Loker, co-chairs, Cindy Bumgarner FLNG (S10-F10), Ken Chapman, MKTG, Jennifer Lilibridge, NURS, Kate McCarthy, RELS, Chela Mendoza Patterson, Thia Wolf, FYE, Chuck Zartman