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Liberal Studies Reform Update

Liberal Studies Reform Update. Northern Michigan University November 15, 2011. Liberal Studies and the Roadmap. A high-quality university education creates lifelong learners, contributing citizens and thoughtful neighbors

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Liberal Studies Reform Update

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  1. Liberal Studies Reform Update Northern Michigan University November 15, 2011

  2. Liberal Studies and the Roadmap • A high-quality university education creates lifelong learners, contributing citizens and thoughtful neighbors • A Liberal Studies Program that provides students with the abilities and knowledge necessary for lifelong learning and effective citizenship in a challenging and rapidly changing world.

  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. Models for General Education • Common Core • All students take an identical or nearly identical set of core courses (an AACU 2009 survey indicated that ~16% of schools use this approach) • Hybrid Systems • Some common integrative experience(s) along with menu options (most common approach in use today) • Menu Systems • Students select a set of courses from a menu of options (~14% of schools use this approach including NMU)

  5. History of Reform Process • Student and Faculty surveys • Faculty Forums • Ongoing Outcomes Assessment • NSSE data • Working with AACU

  6. Student Outcomes and Liberal Studies • Our graduating seniors score below their peers in • Writing clearly and effectively • Oral communication • Quantitative problem solving • Our seniors report a lower level of academic challenge than seen on “highly enriching” campuses NSSE, 2010

  7. Aims of the Reform Proposal • Address Division V concerns • Improve depth to compliment existing breadth • Increase the amount of common experience • Try to address some of the NSSE concerns

  8. Restrictions on Any Proposal • Any proposal should be credit-hour neutral • 40 credit hours (10 courses) in a primarily 4 credit system • Program will retain 8 credit hours of composition for most students • Any proposal must account for ways in which other program use Liberal Studies • Many dual purpose course will remain (double count) • Most courses remain discipline based • Most existing liberal studies courses will remain in the program

  9. Main Features of the Proposal • Lower level foundational courses • 2nd Year Seminars organized around “understanding” goals • Paired with upper-division courses addressing the same broad issues • Expanded Division I to include foreign and native languages and public speaking • Elimination of Division V • Including a Programmatic Specified Course • Merging of lower level Divisions II, IV and VI

  10. Upper division course Progromatic course Theme seminar Foundation of Communication Foundation of Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning Humanities, Art, and Social Science

  11. Revision of Divisions I and V • Composition plus either public speaking/ performance or “a language other than English” • Division I would become a broader “communications” division, not just composition • Division V would be abolished (most classes shifted to other foundations)

  12. LB 290: Interdisciplinary Seminar • Students would take one of 6 options after completing some foundation courses • Culture and Artistic Expression • Diversity in America • Globalization • Science in Society • The Social Animal • Reflections on the Human Condition • Multiple sections of each seminar would be offered each semester • LB 290 would be taken before upper division course

  13. Advantages of the 290 Seminar • Provide transition from lower level to upper level college work • Supplements the First Year Experience program • Provides an integrative experience in which students bring to bear on a particular theme 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

  14. 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. • Also note that Portland State’s overhaul was much more far reaching than just the integrative seminar

  15. Upper Division Requirement • All students still required to take 300-level • 300-level course taken after 200-level seminar • Choice of allowed 300-level course limited by choice of 200-level seminar • A cluster of 10-12 options with each theme • No change in world cultures requirement • No change in laboratory science requirement

  16. Programatic Specified Course • Programs shall specify an additional course or range of courses • This course may not be counted as fulfilling any other requirement within the Liberal Studies Program • All students must fulfill a programmatic specification • Recognizes that many departments and programs already mandate specific courses be taken and double counted • Default specification is any lower-level course

  17. Humanities Fine Arts and Social Sciences • Lower level Division II, IV and VI courses would come under one foundation • Many/Most current upper division courses would be assigned to a theme • Advantages of Integrative features of Seminar and associated Theme course offset the disadvantages of fewer autonomous (and disconnected) courses in these divisions

  18. Division II, IV, and VI Comparison • Currently 2 courses each in II & IV, 1 course in VI • 5 total • In proposed plan 2 Foundation Courses • + seminar likely with significant social science, humanities and/or fine arts component • + upper division likely from current II, IV, or VI list • + programmatic specified course in many cases For many students still 5 courses with content in these 3 areas

  19. The Road Ahead Review feed back from forums Complete course lists for each Foundation Finalize themes Complete Upper Division clusters Distribute finalized proposal to all departments Submit a report for Senate consideration

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