Liberal Studies : a Proposal

1. Liberal Studies:aProposal Academic Senate Northern Michigan University March 22, 2011

2. Statement on Liberal Learning* The ability to think, to learn, and to express oneself both rigorously and creatively, the capacity to understand ideas and issues in context, the commitment to live in society, an the yearning for truth are fundamental features of our humanity. In centering education upon these qualities, liberal learning is society’s best investment in our shared future. *AACU

3. Program Goals • Ability to write and communicate clearly and effectively • Ability to evaluate various forms of evidence and knowledge • Ability to engage in analytical reasoning and argumentation • Ability to engage in quantitative analysis • Ability to engage in scientific inquiry and processes • Ability to see across disciplinary boundaries • Understanding cultural diversity within the United States • Understanding the world as a diverse and interrelated community • Understanding the relationship of the individual to society and its culture and institutions • Understanding the role of the fine and performing arts and the humanities in shaping and expressing a culture’s values and ideals • Understanding natural phenomena and the physical world • Understanding multiple problem-solving perspectives Abilities Understandings

4. Main Features of the Proposal • Lower level foundations courses • 2nd Year Seminars organized around “understanding” goals • Paired with upper-division courses addressing the same broad issues • Expanded Division I to include foreign language and public speaking • Elimination of Division V • Creation of Departmental Option • Merging of Divisions II, IV and VI

5. Restrictions on Any Proposal • Any proposal must be credit-hour neutral • 40 credit hours in a 4 credit system • Program must accommodate fact that most students will have 8 credit hours of composition • Any proposal must account for ways in which other program use (and abuse) Liberal Studies • Department option recognizes this reality, but also impinges on credit hours available to the rest of the program

6. The 290 Seminar and Theme • Provide transition from lower level to upper level college work • Supplements rather than conflicts with First Year Experience program (popularly: UN 100) • Provides an integrative experience in which students bring to bear on a particular topic skills and knowledge gained in the lower-level Liberal Studies courses • Contributes to Retention at a critical juncture (3rd and 4th Semesters) – and, potentially, of Community College Transfer Students • Students would subsequently take an upper-division course which substantively addresses the same “understanding”

7. Institutional Examples • American University in Washington D. C. has a lower-level (but not First-year) seminar in place as part of its general education curriculum. Typically it is a Sophomore or Junior experience. • Portland State in Oregon requires Sophomores to take three interdisciplinary courses, and then to take clustered courses in the Junior and Senior years. • NOTE: only 14% of Bachelor granting institutions in the United States offer a “distribution only” program (our current program); 68% offer a “distribution plus integration” program (the proposed program) while 16% offer a clearer core or purely integrative program (AACU, 2009). • Also note that Portland State’s overhaul was much more far reaching than just the integrative seminar

8. Revision Divisions I and V • Composition plus either public speaking/ performance or“a language other than English” (this is not intended to include computer languages but is intended to include American Sign Language) • Rename EN 111 and 211 as “College Composition” • LS receives Persistent complaints about Division V—but it cannot be revised without impacting other divisions • Division I would become a broader “communications” division, not just composition • Division V would be abolished (some classes could be moved to Division III)

9. Departmental Option • Departments shall have the option of specifying an additional course or range of courses • The Departmental Option Courses may not be counted as fulfilling any other requirement within the Liberal Studies Program • All students must fulfill a Departmental Option in order to obtain 40 credit hours within the program • Established in recognition that many departments and programs already mandate specific courses be taken and double counted • Intended to ease the transition and allow shift to new program without adding to credit hours to any impacted program

10. Humanities and Social Sciences • Division II, IV and VI would come under one division • Most seminars and most upper division courses would fit into these categories • Advantages of Integrative features of Seminar and associated Theme course offset the disadvantages of fewer autonomous (and disconnected) courses in these divisions

11. No Math Requirement • Goal specifies “quantitative reasoning” which can be mastered in classes other than Math • LSC is neutral on a math requirement BUT believes it would be better done as a graduation requirement if it is to be done • Allows passing through testing or by a course, not just by a course • Minimizes impact on “non-lab” sciences

12. Questions?