A Four-Year Approach to General Education:

Is it too much or is it ever enough?

AAC&U Annual Meeting

January 23, 2015

Presenters • Dr. Elaine Maimon,

President

• Dr. Deborah Bordelon, Provost

• Dr. Reinhold Hill, Dean College of Arts & Sciences

• Dr. Aurelio Valente, Interim VP Student Affairs, Dean of Students

• Dr. Colleen Sexton, Associate Provost

• Dr. Ann Vendrely, Associate Provost

Governors State University

• Founded in 1969 as an Upper Division University

• 35 Miles South of Chicago

• Serves 5 regional Community College Partners and 17 members in the Dual Degree Program

Transformation 2014 • Opened first residence hall

with 204 students (undergraduate, transfer and graduate)

• Added Athletics with competitive men's & women's basketball teams

• Admitted first class of freshmen (242 students)

GSU Fall 2014 Enrollments

• 2,191 Graduate

• 3,585 Undergraduate

• Of that: – 242 First year students

• 64% Female/36% male

• 60.3% African American

• 15.7% Caucasian

• 12% Latino/a

• 8.3% Unreported

• 100% full time

• Average age 19.1 years

Dr. Reinhold Hill

RHill5@govst.edu

TRANS4MATION

Creation of Robust General Education Program

Broad View of General Education

– Incorporating best practices based on research

– Measuring both the general education and major student learning outcomes

– Incorporating native and transfer students

– Full four year curriculum

GE Task Force

– Cooperative effort of faculty and administrators created by the Faculty Senate

– Reviewed national research, attended conferences and based the program on best-practices

Implementing the Lower Division Lower Division Steering Committee: • Cross-functional • Cross-divisional • Includes academic, student affairs, and

admissions and marketing leadership • Includes faculty and general education leaders • Charged to propose creation and revision of

policy • Think innovatively about tightly integrated

curricular and co-curricular activities and support

Admissions: Providing Access

Placement and Early Start Committee:

– Faculty from each of the four colleges

• Mathematics

• English

– Admissions representatives

– Dean of Arts and Sciences

Reviewed applications and made placement decisions

Early Engagement Admitted students’ options prior to the start of Smart Start:

• Given access to online mathematics placement instrument (ALEKS) to engage in improving mathematical conceptual knowledge and skills

• Invited to participate in campus events and activities

Smart Start Used instead of remediation courses

All students invited to participate

Required for those who did not meet minimum admission guidelines

Began two weeks before classes

Designed to build confidence and address common issues found in mathematics and writing courses

Included Mastering College seminars

Supplemental Instruction

Smart Start for English and Mathematics:

• Available to all, required for Smart Start participants

• Sustained through supplemental instruction sections throughout the semester

– Extra sessions once a week with content area faculty

– Access to tutors

Design of General Education: First Two Years

Dr. Ann Vendrely

Avendrely@govst.edu

Development of Student Learning Outcomes

Designed with input from:

• GE Task Force

• Committee on the Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes, and

• Faculty Senate, based on:

LEAP and

Degree Qualifications Profile (Lumina)

GE Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)

• Foundational Knowledge

• Practical Skills

• Social Responsibility

• Integrative Learning

• Assessment of learning outcomes

includes use of VALUE Rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) and ePortfolios

High Impact Teaching Practices

• First-Year Seminars and Experiences

• Common Intellectual Experiences

• Learning Communities

• Writing-Intensive Courses

• Collaborative Assignments and Projects

• Student Employment*

• Undergraduate Research

• Diversity/Global Learning

• Service Learning, Community-Based Learning

• Internships

• Capstone Courses and Projects

• Peer Mentoring*

Sequence of General Education

Year 4: Scholarly Capstone

Year 3: Junior Seminar: Introduction to the Major (Fall)

Year 2: Cohort courses (9 credit hours) Fall

Year 1: Cohort courses (9 credit hours) Fall + Spring

Themes for First Year Students • Selected based on current campus initiatives and

committees • Topics are:

– Civic Engagement – Global Citizenship – Sustainability

• Connect course work with living/learning communities

Cohort Model-Three Semesters Inside the Cohort (9 credits per semester)

Fall 2014

•First Year Seminar

•Writing Studies 1

•History of the US to 1865

Spring 2015

•Foundations of American Democracy

•Writing Studies 2

•Art Appreciation

Fall 2015

•Principles of Macroeconomics

•Public Discourse

•Principles of Psychology

Outside the Cohort (3-7 credits)

Fall 2014

• Math requirement

• Science course

Spring 2015

• Science course

• Elective

Fall 2015

• Elective: Career Explorations

• Elective

Important Faculty Considerations

GE courses:

• Taught by new and veteran full-time professors

• Some taught by faculty teams

• Classes are limited to no more than 30 students, except for freshmen composition class, which was limited to 18 students

Faculty Involved in FYS • Competitive process for

faculty to participate – Application

– Proposed topics for the theme

– Willingness to teach multiple years

• 11 faculty teaching 8 sections (three in teams)

– All teams have a tenured/tenure track member

– All four colleges represented: • Health & Human Services

• Business & Public Administration

• Education

• Arts & Sciences

First Year Seminar (FYS) Developed a robust mandatory First Year Seminar course:

• Interdisciplinary Humanities (3 credits) fully transferable

• Writing intensive

• Includes a peer mentoring program using upper division students

Student Affairs Involvement

Dr. Aurelio Valente

Avalente@govst.edu

Key Partner for Student Success Student Affairs involved in:

• Recruiting and training peer mentors for:

FYS

Mastering College Course

Spring term cohort classes

• Academic advising for all freshmen

Focus on Student Success Student Success Team members:

• Peer mentors

• Writing fellows

• Math tutor

• Library liaison

• Counseling intern

• Digital learning support

Student Engagement Initiatives

• Focus on Student Employment, modeled after Iowa GROW program

• Launched comprehensive Leadership Initiatives, including Emerging Leaders for new students

• New students also able to participate in Men’s and Women’s Leadership retreats, Inclusive Leadership

Conference, and Peer Leadership course for academic credit

• Expanded initiatives focused on student engagement of new students in Student Life and Civic Engagement

• Increased utilization of social media

Student Affairs as Partners in Learning

• Established learning focused mission and vision, rather than previously existing “student services” model Adopted principles of “Student Learning Imperative” document by

ACPA and NASPA

• Introduced learning outcomes assessment at departmental level and mapped to divisional learning outcomes focused on:

1. self-efficacy and determination

2. personal, academic and professional success

3. multicultural competence, and

4. leadership and civic engagement

Transfer Students and The Center for the Junior Year

Dr. Deborah Bordelon

Dbordelon@govst.edu

Dual Degree Program (DDP)

• The Dual Degree Program (DDP) created in 2010 is a unique partnership between GSU and 17 Chicagoland community colleges that provides full-time students with an excellent pathway to earn quality, accessible, and affordable associate and bachelor’s degrees

• The DDP program is funded by GSU and a grant from the Kresge Foundation – to qualify for the DDP, the student must be a full-time student who

has completed12 to 45 credit hours, and

– is in good academic standing at one of our partner community colleges

Dual Degree Program (DDP)

• Spring 2014, 97% of the 178 DDP students who attained

their associate degree and transferred had either earned their bachelor’s degrees or remained enrolled at GSU

• Fall 2014:

– 249 DDP students have transferred and are enrolled at GSU

– Another 331 are actively engaged at a partner institution, working their way toward their associate degree and on the path to a baccalaureate—a total of 580 students

Center for the Junior Year

• Innovative strategy to bring together transfer and “native” students

• Designed to have a physical and virtual presence

• Focus on academic performance, social integration and retention

• Center houses a Director, Advisors, and Student Transition Assistants

Center for the Junior Year

Designed to address the needs of three distinct populations: • Students that start at GSU

as Freshmen (approximately 10%)

• Dual Degree Program participants (approximately 10%)

• Traditional transfer students with at least 45 credit hours (approximately 80%)

Center for the Junior Year The Center:

• provides workshops, seminars and advising during the sophomore and junior years on how to select majors, transition into a major and internship opportunities;

• will promote research initiatives on retention and student success; and

• will sponsor workshops for faculty on pedagogy and best practices and support the development and ----------------------- delivery of Junior Seminar courses.

Junior Seminar & Senior Capstone Courses

Dr. Colleen Sexton

CSexton@govst.edu

Junior Seminar

Senior Capstone

provide a demonstrably integrative learning experience;

assess student learning outcomes relative to the major through course activities;

provide learning experiences designed to meet SLO for integrative learning;

designated as a writing intensive; and

offer students the opportunity to complete over one semester or more and earn at least three-credit hours.

Capstone Design Options

Research Based

Internship

Interdisciplinary

Creative Senior Project

Service Learning Project

Summary Liberal Education and America’s

Promise - LEAP

Lumina Foundation – Degree Qualifications Profile

Essential Learning Outcomes

• Provide the guiding vision and national benchmarks for college learning and liberal education in the 21st century

High Impact Educational Practices

• Help students achieve essential learning outcomes

Inclusive Excellence

• Ensure that every student gets the benefits of an engaged and practical liberal education

Authentic Assessments

• Continuous assessment of programmatic elements and “lessons learned” through implementation of SLOs

Questions?

• Slides and references available on request from AVendrely@govst.edu; CSexton@govst.edu; DBordelon@govst.edu; AValente@govst.edu; RHill@govst.edu

• Business cards available if you want to contact any of us later

• Thank you for your participation!

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