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THE BEGINNING: FACULTY CONCERNS

THE BEGINNING: FACULTY CONCERNS. Cornerstone General Education Needs Review Too large Unfocused Check-box Senior capstone course doesn’t work First-year experience course not focused Not Enough Time for Students May Term Doesn’t Work. June 2006.

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THE BEGINNING: FACULTY CONCERNS

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  1. THE BEGINNING: FACULTY CONCERNS • Cornerstone General Education Needs Review • Too large • Unfocused • Check-box • Senior capstone course doesn’t work • First-year experience course not focused • Not Enough Time for Students • May Term Doesn’t Work June 2006

  2. COLLEGE-WIDE STRATEGIC PLAN AND REVIEW OF COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT RESULTS IN FIVE INITIATIVES • Intellectual and Practical Skills • Integrated Learning • Living and Working in a Global Context • Leadership • Personal and Social Responsibility Academic Year 2006-2007

  3. STEP 1: Volunteer working groups are formed to respond to the strategic initiatives and answer the question, “Do we need to change?” • Academic Structures—10 faculty • Focused on credit structure, calendar, etc. • General Education—10 faculty • Focused on problems and opportunities in existing Cornerstone Program Summer 2007

  4. STEP 2: Two elected working groups are formed to develop proposals for structural changes and general education changes • One focused on academic structure issues, the other on general education (approx. 30 faculty) • Together, both form the Learning Programs Working Group (LiPWAG) • The academic structures group was the first to bring its proposals to the full faculty

  5. STEP 3: Faculty Approve Structural Changes Yes No Abstain April 2, 2008

  6. STEP 4: The general education working group adopts principles for a new general education curriculum • FOCUS ON STUDENT NEEDS • BE DELIBERATE AND INTENTIONAL • BE INTERDISCIPLINARY • FOCUS ON INTELLECTUAL AND PRACTICAL SKILLS AND PERSONAL/SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY • CONTAIN A FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE COURSE • CONTAIN BUILT-IN ASSESSMENT

  7. STEP 5: The faculty considers potential general education models • Exposure Model (revision of Cornerstone Program) • Ways of Knowing Model • Big Questions/Enduring Questions Model • Great Books Model • Integrated/Concentration Model • Problem-based Model • Interdisciplinary Model Early 2008

  8. STEP 6: Faculty select a focus and a model • What does it mean to be an engaged citizen? • How can Simpson College best prepare students to be engaged citizens? • Interdisciplinary Approach

  9. STEP 7: The faculty approve the framework for general education • Component A: First-Year Experience Course A course to help students adapt to college life and work • Component B: Areas of Engagement Courses that answer the question, “What do I need to know to be an engaged citizen?” • Component C: Embedded Skills Courses that answer the question, “What do I need to be able to do to be an engaged citizen?” • Component D: Senior Capstone in Major A course in the major to demonstrate understanding and ability within a discipline August 21, 2008

  10. STEP 8: 16 working groups (approx. 70 faculty) create learning objectives and criteria. The faculty unanimously approve the Engaged Citizenship Curriculum (ECC) • I SIMPSON COLLOQUIUM • II AREAS OF ENGAGEMENT • The Arts • Civic Engagement • Diversity and Power in the United States • Ethics and Value Inquiry • Global Perspectives • Historical Perspectives in Western Culture • Scientific Reasoning • III EMBEDDED SKILLS • Written Communication (4) • Quantitative Reasoning (2) • Critical Thinking (2) • Information Literacy (2) • Oral Communication (2) • Collaborative Leadership (2) • Intercultural Communication (1) • IV SENIOR CAPSTONE IN THE MAJOR April 2009

  11. Area of Engagement: Civic Engagement Required Course Characteristics A course in this area will meet three of the following four requirements: • explore and critically evaluate the nature and definition of civic engagement and citizenship • foster knowledge of important issues in civic and political life • explore and critically evaluate pathways to social change • examine historic or contemporary groups or individuals who model civic engagement and active citizenship Area of Engagement Learning Objectives Through completion of a CE course, students should be able to: • demonstrate an understanding of information, values, processes and theories that are essential to building just and democratic societies • evaluate historical and current political and social issues in local, national and global contexts • apply the perspective of an academic discipline to civic initiatives • articulate the importance of being civically engaged individuals throughout their lives

  12. THE NEW CURRICULUM MEETS AAC&U LEARNING OUTCOMES

  13. THE NEW CURRICULUM MEETS THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES OF THE COLLEGE

  14. THE BIG PICTURE • Built on learning objectives and criteria • Focus on what students need to be productive and engaged citizens • Students take fewer courses, but go into more depth • More time outside of class for faculty and students working on hands-on projects • More time demonstrating ability

  15. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF ECC • Faculty development needed for Embedded Skills • Encouraging new course development rather than adapting existing courses • Making sure enough courses meet the criteria • Holding true to the criteria • Transfer and Evening, Weekend, and Graduate Programs • Complications with reprogramming degree audits, billing, transcripts, etc.

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