beth e. barnett scott e. evenbeck sara b.varhus aac&u general education and assessment 3.0: next...
TRANSCRIPT
Beth E. Barnett Scott E. Evenbeck
Sara B.Varhus
AAC&U General Education and Assessment 3.0: Next Level Practices Now
March 3, 2011 Chicago, Illinois
Pre-Conference Workshop 5
Contacts
Sara B. Varhus Vice President for Academic Affairs
Nazareth College 4245 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618 585-389-2010
Deans and other administrators are partners with faculty in the design, implementation, and assessment of general education; the articulation of learning outcomes; and the development of curricular and cocurricular connections. This workshop will use multi-institutional case studies to focus on the role deans and other administrators can play in fostering innovative practices and policies to enhance student learning. Participants willcontextualize approaches to their own campus contexts.
Contexts for Collaboration and Support of Student Learning:
The Roles of Deans and Administrators
Sponsored by the American Conference of Academic Deans
Presentation
Welcome and Introduction Ramapo Nazareth College New Community College The Role of Deans and Administrators Lessons Learned Discussion Resources
RAMAPO COLLEGE
Beth E. Barnett
Ramapo College Curricular Enhancement Project Move to a 4-credit-course curriculum (need to
redesign all program curricula) Redesign general education
Align with refreshed mission statement Incorporate suggestions from AAC&U – LEAP Provide foundational skills in the liberal arts Make additional use of the FT faculty
Teaching load adjustment
Ramapo College of New JerseyMission StatementRamapo College of New Jersey is a comprehensive
institution of higher education dedicated to the promotion of teaching and learning within a strong liberal arts based curriculum, thus earning the designation “New Jersey’s Public Liberal Arts College.” Organized into thematic learning communities, Ramapo College provides academic excellence through its interdisciplinary curriculum, international education, intercultural understanding and experiential learning opportunities.
Ramapo CollegeAll College Learning Goals Mission Pillars
Interdisciplinary Analysis Experiential Learning Intercultural/International Perspectives
Skills Critical Inquiry Communication
Knowledge In-Depth Knowledge (major) Understanding of the World in Which We Live
Values and Responsibilities Awareness Engagement
LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes
Structure of General Education at Ramapo CollegeRequired Courses First Year Seminar (100 level) College English (100 level) Social Issues (100 level) Readings in Humanities (200 level)Categories History (100 level) Mathematical Reasoning (100 level) Science with experiential component (100 level) Intercultural North America (200-300 level) International Issues (200-300 level) Topics: Arts and Humanities/Topics: Social Science (200-300 level) Major Capstone Course (400 level)
Challenges
Conflict between “Public Liberal Arts College” designation and mission classification as a comprehensive institution.
Focus on outcomes (student learning) vs. inputs (courses).
Projected staffing of courses. National model vs. home grown model. Time, leadership, and governance.
The Ramapo College Case
Scope of the Project.
Shared Governance.
Generalized concerns vs. unique concerns.
Take away …
NAZARETH COLLEGE
Sara B. Varhus
Core Revision from the Perspective of the VPAA
2013 Core
Reflects College Mission and Vision Incorporates national best practices Provides for connection between LAS and
Professional Study Connects academic learning to experience Is intentionally integrative
(Structure of Core)
Foundations
Perspectives/Enduring Questions
Integrative Studies
Reflective Portfolio
http://www.naz.edu/academic-affairs/documents/Approved.Master.doc.16Apr10.pdf
Can also be found on the Academic Affairs web page, under “For Faculty”
Challenges
Organization of higher education institutions
Faculty expertise and experience
Characteristics/history of the institution
The lens of Bolman and Deal
Role of VPAA
Inspire and educate
Attend to process
Adhere to a few broad goals
Open the purse
The Process: 2006-2013
Phase one: Mission and Vision, Strategic Plan, Discovery and Development, Model for discussion
Phase two: Reorganizing the process, Discovery and Development, Student Learning Outcomes approved Spring 2009
Core model approved, spring 2010
Implementation, 2010-2013
Studying the Nazareth Case
Credibility of the Process Faculty Leader Building Expertise Broad Input vs. Consensus Implementation as Program Development Comprehensive Reform vs. Incremental
Change
“Such is the nature of strategic thinking in the academic sphere. As a form of leadership, it moves through conflicts and disagreements to find the shared values and concepts to which people are willing to make commitments.”
Richard L. Morrill, Strategic Leadership
NEW COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Scott E. Evenbeck/Tracy Meade
New Community College Model Pre-College & Transition Engagement
New Community CollegeFirst-Year Program Required Full-time Enrollment in the First Year Learning Communities, Contextualize Skills Instruction,
Embedded Student Support, ePortfolio First-year Core Curriculum
City Seminar (NYC-based case-study curricula;12 hours/week) Statistics (6 hours/week); Ethnographies of Work (3 hours/week)
Curricular Links to Programs of Study Curricular Links to Careers Context & Connections
Theme of Sustaining a Thriving NYC Office of Partnerships (Experiential & Career Connections to NYC) Center for College Effectiveness (Faculty Development & Assessment)
City Seminar
Content
Learning Outcomes
Assess-/Assign- ments
GWS
GWS
GWSReading/
Writing (CS I)
Composition I (CS II)
Case Study
Qu
an
tita
tive
R
ea
son
ing
Ethnographies of Work
Statistics
Office of Partnerships
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Student Development
New Community College First-Year Core
A learning community comprised of:Fall SpringCity Seminar I City Seminar II & Composition IEthnographies of Work I Ethnographies of Work IIStatistics Statistics
Staff in Student Development and the
Office of Partnerships will provide significant support
for the model.
INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Scott E. Evenbeck
Sustaining a Mature General Education Program
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis RISE to the IUPUI Challenge Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
RISE to the IUPUI Challenge
IUPUI developed goals for excellence in: Teaching and learning Research, scholarship, and creative activity Civic engagement
Consistent with those goals, IUPUI is challenging each student to have at least two curricular learning experiences that augment the typical curriculum and that fall within the four areas of curricular excellence that are consistent with the mission of IUPUI
RISE to the IUPUI Challenge
Research International Study Abroad Service Learning Experiential Learning
The challenge: Every student earning a bachelor’s degree will complete at least two of the four types of educational experiences which qualify for appearing on the student’s transcript.
Why RISE?
RISE emphasizes four critical dimensions of experiential learning that are the hallmarks of an IUPUI degree—integrating important high impact programs into the student experience in an intentional way, while advancing the Principles of Undergraduate Learning.
RISE will brand an IUPUI degree as unique and in touch with “Employer Identified Skills” for new graduates (AAC &U, 2007) and will be an integral part of “My IUPUI Experience.”
Personal Development Plan (PDP)
Personal development planning is a process which will enable first year students at IUPUI to understand, implement, and mark progress toward a degree and career goal by creating and following a personalize plan that is open to revision and reevaluation every semester in collaboration with an academic advisor or faculty member.
The PDP is designed to foster:
Goal commitment (student commitment to earning a degree)
Academic achievement (through goal setting and planning)
Curricular coherence and meaning in the first-year seminar
Student development for students in the first year and beyond.
PDP Components
Each PDP will have three components:
Semester in Review – reflection on individual strengths, goals, challenges and strategies for success
Principles of Undergraduate Learning – identification of how the PULs are explicitly connected to academic and career goals
Peak Performance Plan – A plan for specific action steps, courses, and experiential activities leading to the achievement of academic and career goals
YOUR TURN
Questions before the Process: Understanding the Institution and Building Expertise
How does the mission and vision of the institution “describe” the core educational values of the institution? How few learning goals can we use to address the institutional mission and vision?
Questions before the Process: Understanding the Institution and Building Expertise
What national models are available and may any of these be used as a foundation for the new general education? What unique/distinctive characteristics (historic, mission or location driven) of the institution must be incorporated into a national model?
Questions before the Process: Understanding the Institution and Building Expertise
What governance structures must be involved in the consultative/consensus building process? In the decision making process? Who will be key players in the process?
Questions before the Process: Understanding the Institution and Building Expertise
What external or internal factors will delimit the process or the product (fiscal, human, and capital resources, student recruitment pool, and current faculty experience/expertise)? What resources/support is needed to initiate the process?
Questions during the Process: Building a Sustainable General Education Program
Are we discussing courses or learning goals?
Questions during the Process: Building a Sustainable General Education Program
Are we creating vertical and horizontal integration?
Questions during the Process: Building a Sustainable General Education Program
What resources/ support will be needed to implement the new general education? Can we find these resources?
Questions during the Process: Building a Sustainable General Education Program
How will we know if the new program is successful (building the assessment program)?
Questions for Implementation: Comprehensive vs. Incremental Change
What impact will the new general education have on each major/minor program?
Questions for Implementation: Comprehensive vs. Incremental Change
What time frame will be used for implementation?
LESSONS LEARNED
Lessons Learned
AAC&U is Right Student Learning Outcomes Principles of Excellence
Lessons Learned
Student Learning Outcomes Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural
World
Intellectual and Practical Skills, including
Personal and Social Responsibility, including
Integrative and Applied Learning, including
Lessons Learned
Principles of Excellence Aim High – Make Excellence Inclusive Give Students a Compass Teach the Arts of Inquiry and Innovation Engage the Big Questions Connect Knowledge with Choices and Action Foster Civic, Intercultural, and Ethical Learning Assess Students’ Ability to Apply Learning to Complex
Problems
Lessons Learned
AAC&U is Right Again It’s often about high impact practices It’s not about individual courses
Lessons Learned
The curriculum and the co-curriculum have to be “of a piece”
Lessons Learned
Avoid false dichotomies
Lessons Learned
It really is all about student learning
DISPROPORTIONAL IMPACT OF ENGAGED PRACTICES
Source: Kinzie & Evenbeck, “Setting up Learning Communities That Connect with Other High Impact Practices,” Washington Center, Learning Community Summer Institute.
DISCUSSION
RESOURCES
Resources: Managing Gen Ed Reform
Bolman, Lee G., and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership. Third ed. 2003
Bolman, Lee G., and Gallos, Joan V. Reframing Academic Leadership. 2011
Gaston, Paul J., and Jerry G. Gaff. Revising General Education—And Avoiding the Potholes: A Guide for Curricular Change. 2009
Kegan, Robert, and Lisa Laskow Lahey. “The Real Reason People Won’t Change.” Harvard Business Review. November, 2001.
Morrill, Richard L. Strategic Leadership: Integrating Strategy and Leadership in Colleges and Universities. 2007.
Schneider, Carol Geary, and Robert Schoenberg. “Habits Hard to Break.” Change. March/April, 2000.
http://www.aacu.org/resources/institutionalchange/index.cfm
Resources: Models and Paradigms
AAC&Uhttp://www.aacu.org/resources/liberaleducation/index.cfmhttp://www.aacu.org/resources/generaleducation/index.cfm
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/resources
Sullivan, William M. A New Agenda for Higher Education: Shaping a Life of the Mind for Practice. (Jossey-Bass/Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.) 2008.