General Education at USFSM – Our Stamp on the Future

1. General Education at USFSM – Our Stamp on the Future Erin P. Martin, Ph.D. Instructor of Biology Coordinator of General Education

2. 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.

3. 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

4. What is a Generally Educated Person?

5. 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.

6. What’s the secret? • The combination of general education with the major leads to innovation and creativity in American graduates.

7. 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.

8. 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)

9. Current Views – The Hart Survey • 89% of institutions are in some stage of assessing or modifying their general education program. Source: Hart Research Associates. 2009. Trends and Emerging Practices in General Education. 16pp.

10. 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.

11. Course Design and Outcomes Course Scheduling Program Requirements General Education Program New Hires Assessment Accreditation Courses Faculty Teach Our Students

12. Do you see your role as an educator as….. • Filling the vessel • Igniting the fire • I don’t do either

13. Have you ever wondered why some students arrive in upper division courses lacking the skills necessary to succeed? • Yes, often • Yes, sometimes • No, never

14. The General Education Task Force Erin Martin Coordinator of General Education/ College of Arts and SciencesKeith Cavedo College of Arts and Sciences Heather Lively College of Business Andrew Whitmore College of Business Lynn McBrien College of Education Stephen Rushton College of Education John Walker College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership Rick Walsh College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership Mary Beth Wallace Dean of Students

15. 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

16. Reporting process for USFSM General Education Task Force Academic Programs Committee All Colleges, Students, Stake holders General Education Task Force (subcommittee of APC)

17. General Education Assessment Loop 4. Use for improvement 1. Set goals, ask questions 3. Interpret findings 2. Gather evidence

18. Think-Pair-Share • What are our institution’s values, intellectual traditions, or guiding principles that should be evident in the general education program?

19. Think-Pair-Share • What do you think all students graduating from our institution, regardless of their major, should know and be able to do?

20. Think-Pair-Share • Are there any other particular competencies that would be needed to prepare our students for today’s complex, diverse, and globally interdependent world?

21. Think-Pair-Share • What could make our general education program distinctive from those at comparable campuses?

22. Part II: USFSM - General Education Workshop

23. The “Old” USF Gen. Ed. Requirements General Education Requirements - 36Sem. 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

26. State Mandated Changes 2012 Florida Statutes: Title XLVII 1007.25 I. Limiting the Course Offerings in the Gen Ed Curriculum

27. State Mandated Changes II. Decreasing the Amount of Credits Required for the Gen Ed Curriculum

28. Proposal 1: Require USFSM students to take 2 courses in each subject area. Rational: • Students still need to take 30 GE credits • Maintains breadth • Practical: course offerings/ scheduling

29. Proposal 1: Require USFSM students to take 2 courses in each subject area. Vote: • Support proposal • No, do not support • Abstain

30. Discipline Group Discussions 1. Decide which five courses USFSM will offer in each subject area of the General Education Curriculum. – Input needed by 9/17/2012

31. Discipline Group Discussions Proposed courses were selected based on: • need (requirements for our majors) • educated guess (what 5 courses the state will mandate in each subject area). • faculty resources to teach

33. Working Group Discussions 2. Faculty in each program should decide whether: a. certain general education courses will be required for their major • if other lower-level courses need to be pre-requisites for the major. Input needed by 9/17/2012

34. Example – Draft Biology Curriculum • ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 will be pre-requisites for all students in the major. • Transfer students • What about oral communication?

35. 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.

36. General Education Tasks - Fall 2012 • 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

37. General Education Tasks – Spring 2013 • Design assessment tools for General Education outcomes. • Create an assessment cycle/process to implement in Fall 2013. • Communication with advisors

38. What’s next for General Education • What will make General Education at USFSM unique? Source: Hart Research Associates. 2009. Trends and Emerging Practices in General Education. 16pp.

39. 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.

40. 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