CORE CURRICULUM FACULTY MEETING August 11, 2009 1:30-3:00 p.m. Cypress Room, University Center

1. CORE CURRICULUM FACULTY MEETINGAugust 11, 20091:30-3:00 p.m.Cypress Room, University Center

2. Trends and Emerging Practices in GeneralEducation Based on aSurvey among Members of the Association of American Colleges and Universities Conducted by Hart Research Associates May 2009 • The second of two reports summarizing findings from a surveyconducted in late 2008 and early 2009 of chief academic officers at AAC&Umember institutions. For other survey reports, see www.aacu.org Hart Research Associates 1724 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20009

3. Executive Summary Of Key Findings 78% of AAC&U member institutions have a common set of intended learning outcomes for all undergraduate students. The skills most widely addressed are: • Writing • critical thinking • quantitative reasoning • oral communication skills The knowledge areas most often incorporated are: • Humanities • Sciences • Social Sciences • Global Cultures • Mathematics

4. Executive Summary of Key Findings 56% of administrators say general education has increased as a priority for their institution.

5. Executive Summary of Key Findings 89% of institutions are in some stage of assessing or modifying their general education program: • formally reviewing their program (19%), • discussing proposals for change (22%), • implementing changes adopted in the past five years (18%), and • conducting assessments of learning outcomes in general education (30%).

6. Executive Summary Of Key Findings Institutions placing a higher priority on general education today compared with five years ago are placing more emphasis on many engaged learning practices: • undergraduate research • first year experiences • service learning • internships

7. Trends & Emerging Practices at VSU 78% of AAC&U member institutions say they have a common set of intended learning outcomes for all their undergraduate students.

8. VSU’S Eight General Education Outcomes: • Students will demonstrate understanding of the society of the United States and its ideals • Students will demonstrate cross-cultural perspectives and knowledge of other societies. • Students will use computer and information technology when appropriate • Students will express themselves clearly, logically. and precisely in writing and in speaking, and they will demonstrate competence in reading and listening • Students will demonstrate knowledge of scientific and mathematical principles and proficiency in laboratory practices.  • Students will demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultural heritages in the arts, the humanities, and the social sciences. • Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze, to evaluate, and to make inferences from oral, written. and visual materials • Students will demonstrate knowledge of principles of ethics and their employment in the analysis and resolution of moral problems

9. 56% of administrators say general education has increasedas a priority for their institution. In July 2008, VSU formed the General Education Council to address issues central to the Valdosta State University's General Education Curriculum: • Overseeing and maintaining the integrity of VSU's core curriculum; • Promoting the importance and quality of core curriculum courses in VSU's colleges and departments; • Providing guidelines, assistance, and review to departments proposing new courses in the core curriculum; • Establishing and reviewing policies related to the transfer of core curriculum courses; • Collecting, examining, and reporting on current assessment data on the core curriculum, in particular looking at how well student learning outcomes for the core curriculum are currently being met; and • Developing and implementing an assessment plan specific to the core curriculum.

10. 89% of institutions are in some stage of assessing or modifying their general education program

14. Phase I Pilot Project Team PSYC 2500 5.Students will demonstrate knowledge of scientific and mathematical principles and proficiency in laboratory practices • 5a-understand the basic concepts and principles underlying scientific methodology 7. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze, to evaluate, and to make inferences from oral, written, and visual materials • 7c-be able to analyze arguments critically

15. 5a-understand the basic concepts and principles underlying scientific methodology • 10 item MC Quiz given on research methods chapter • Exceeds expectations (9 -10) - 139 (35.2%) • Meets expectations (7 – 8) - 160 (40.5%) • Fails to meet expectations (0 – 6) - 96 (24.3%) • For future assignments – need to evaluate the questions to ensure appropriate difficulty level.

16. 7c-be able to analyze arguments critically • Application of material to real life – dream journals Correctly match dream with appropriate theory (meet expectation) and explain in detail why selected theory best fit for dream (exceed expectation) • 95 (87.2%) students exceeded expectation • 9 (8.3%) students met expectation • 5 students were absent for course-embedded assignment. • For future evaluations – States of Consciousness chapter is not one of the chapters required to be covered in Intro course. Future assignments will be focused on chapters instructors are required to cover. Also, we have discussed having options for faculty

17. IN WHAT WAYS MIGHT VSU STRENGTHEN ITS GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM? • How do you help your students realize the importance of the core curriculum classes that they must take? • Are VSU’s eight general education outcomes sufficient to represent the knowledge and skills appropriate for ALL undergraduate students? • What strategies will help departments and faculty assure that students meet the general education outcomes? • How can we help students draw the link between other classes in the core and the class or classes that you teach? • What are some strategies to help connect faculty who teach core curriculum courses? • How can we help students see the link between their general education classes and those in their major? • What new challenges are rising that all core faculty need to consider? • What would help make core curriculum teaching and learning more valued in the university?

18. Recommended New USG Core Curriculum Policy, May 18, 2009.Informal Comparison of Current and Proposed Cores

19. Key Rule Changes 1. All institutions are required to develop and assess learning outcomes for each area of the core. 2. Three new learning goals, US Perspectives (US), Global Perspectives (GL), and Critical Thinking (CT), are added to the core. The US and GL are incorporated as overlay requirements. Each institution would designate some courses in Areas A-E as US courses and some courses in Areas A-E as GL courses. In fulfilling the Area A-E requirements, every student must take at least one US course and at least one GL course. CT is added by requiring each institution to develop a plan to insure that students who complete Areas A-E acquire foundational critical thinking skills. 3. Students successfully completing a course in one institution’s Areas A-E will receive full credit in Areas A-E for the course upon transfer to another System institution (even if the Area has not been completed) as long as (a) the course is within the Area hours limitations of either the sending institution OR the receiving institution and (b) the student does not change from a non-science major to a science major

20. FUTURE STEPS? Information from this presentation can be found at: www.valdosta.edu/sacs/gec/