General Education Changes

1. General Education Changes Dr. Cheryl Robinson Student Affairs Professional Development Conference February 28, 2013

2. What is the purpose of Gen Ed? • Well rounded students…set of skills/aptitudes: • Navigate culture • Appreciate other cultures • Reason clearly - make objective decisions • Core of classes to be well rounded • Preliminary to more specialized courses---exposure to many areas • Functional literacy • Component of curriculum that is not vocational/career focused • Learn to think critically in other areas (other than major) • Diversify cognitive abilities • Broaden perspective of individual

3. Gen Ed OutcomesApproved December 2007 Cultural and Historical Understanding: Demonstrate understanding of the diverse traditions of the world, and an individual's place in it Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning: Use processes, procedures, data, or evidence to solve problems and make effective decisions Communication Skills: Engage in effective interpersonal, oral, written communication Ethical Responsibility: Demonstrate awareness of personal responsibility in one's civic, social, and academic life Information Literacy: Locate, evaluate, and effectively use information from diverse sources Critical Thinking: Effectively analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and apply information and ideas from diverse sources and disciplines

4. What are our Gen Ed Principles? Courses within the General Education Program will: 1. be able to meet the A.A., A.S., and A.A.S. degree requirements; 2. significantly contribute to Valencia's general education outcomes; 3. not narrowly focus on those skills, techniques, and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession; 4. be transferrable for all programs 5. contribute significantly to breadth of knowledge

5. How do we determine breadth? In order to ensure consistency with decisions regarding the addition of courses to the General Education program, the following questions will be addressed: 1. Does the course contribute significantly to satisfying the General Education Outcomes? (Yes) 2. Does this course, when added to the General Education program, satisfy the mission of Valencia College (Yes) 3. Is this course specific to a particular faculty member? (No) 4. Does this course focus on a specific occupation? (No) 5. Will this course, if added, be transferable to upper division programs? (Yes) 6. Does this course have prerequisites that are not General Education courses? (No)

6. Who is responsible for Gen Ed? Procedures: In keeping with SACS Comprehensive Standard 3.4.10, the institution places primary responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness of the curriculum with its faculty, the Curriculum Committee will serve as the eligible voters for changes to the General Education program. However, effective collaboration and communication will be a part of all General Education decisions made at the college. 1. When deciding course additions to or deletions from the General Education program, the discipline-specific voter eligibility list will serve as a means of communication and collaboration. 2. In matters which relate to major changes across the five General Education areas, there will be communication from the faculty Co-Chair of the Curriculum Committee to all tenured and tenure-track faculty at the college. This communication will include the proposed change, the timetable for decision-making, access to resources for decision input, identification of opportunities to provide input, and required date of response.

7. House Bill 7135Passed 2012 Legislative Session To be implemented in the 2014-15 academic year Required for all SUS and FCS institutions Intent is to form a more consistent Gen Ed experience for all public higher edstudents Reduces Gen Ed from 36 hours to 30 hours 15 hours will come form state core 15 hours can be institutionally determined (as we do now)

8. 15 Hour Core Breakdown • Still 5 discipline areas: • Communications • Humanities • Math • Natural and Physical Sciences • Social Sciences • A maximum of 5 courses per discipline must be established at the state level (remember goal to create commonality) • Students must take one class from the core in each of the discipline areas

9. Process to Choose Proposed Core Classes Work teams were established with both SUS and FCS representatives in all disciplines Each work team developed discipline outcomes and course recommendations Karen Borglum chaired Communications work team for the state Kevin Mulholland served on the Humanities work team John Niss served on the Math work team Valencia was well represented at the state meeting!

10. Communications • Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively. • Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze communication critically. •  Course: • ENC X101 English Composition I

11. Humanities • Students will demonstrate interpretive ability and cultural literacy. • Students will demonstrate competence in reflecting critically upon the human condition. •  Courses: • ARH X000 Art Appreciation • HUM X020    Introduction to Humanities • LIT X100    Introduction to World Literature • MUL X010 Introduction to Music Literature/Music Appreciation • PHI X010    Introduction to Philosophy

12. Mathematics • Students will determine appropriate mathematical and computational models and methods in problem solving, and demonstrate an understanding of mathematical concepts. • Students will apply appropriate mathematical and computational models and methods in problem solving. • Courses: • MAC X105    College Algebra • STA X023    Statistical Methods • MGF X106    Liberal Arts Mathematics I • MGF X107    Liberal Arts Mathematics II

13. Sciences • Students will demonstrate the ability to critically examine and evaluate scientific observation, hypothesis, or model construction, and the use of scientific method to explain the natural world. • Students will successfully recognize and comprehend fundamental concepts, principles, and processes about the natural world. • Courses: • BSC X005 General Biology • CHM X020 Chemistry for Liberal Studies • PHY X020 Fundamentals of Physics • ESC X000  Introduction to Earth Science • EVR X001 Introduction to Environmental Science

14. Social Sciences • Students will demonstrate the ability to examine behavioral, social, and cultural issues from a variety of points of view. • Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic social and behavioral science concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavioral, social, and cultural issues, past and present, local and global. • Courses: • PSY X012    Introduction to Psychology • SYG X000    Principles of Sociology • WOH X040    20th Century World History • CPO X001    Comparative Politics • ANT X000    Introduction to Anthropology

15. What about the other 15 hours? We still get to choose what we want that to look like Agreement that each discipline will get 6 hours – 3 of which has to come from the state core We are having discipline meetings college wide to come up with recommendations for the institutional hours It is an excellent time to review all the courses currently in Gen Ed (we have one of the largest lists in the state). We did this in 2007 when we first adopted the principles but it is time to do it again You can get involved in these discussions!

16. Complicating factor:The Gordon Rule House Bill 7135 does not address the Gordon Rule Students will still need 6 hours of Communications/writing and 6 hours of Math/quantitative factors Each institution gets to determine how to meet the Gordon Rule requirement What will Gordon Rule look like at Valencia? This will be part of the discussion of our new Gen Ed

17. Concerns/Things to Consider Concern: Will we come up with “graduation requirements”? Concern: How will this impact A.S. Degrees? We also need to make sure we address our Gen Ed Outcomes

18. The Current Map of General Education based on Assessment Plans developed from 2009 and 2010

19. Next steps • State will finalize their recommendations in July • Discipline meetings for institutional hours will start soon • In order to meet catalog and SACS deadlines, we’ll need the institutional list completed by February 2014 • 2013 legislative session “glitch bill” • Postpones implementation to 2015-16 academic year • Restores credit hours to 36 • Notes that not all institutions have to offer every course • Adds and defines “or higher” language

20. Questions? Concerns? Thanks for coming!  Call me if you have any further questions, think of an additional comment or just want to say “hi” (x6883)