 General Education Program Review Presented by Don Ransford for the Provost/VPAA Meeting August 18, 2015

 August, 2013: The State Revised Florida Statute  Developed Ten General Education Competencies – Five Disciplines with Two Competencies for Each  Established a Finite List of Core Course Options from each of the Five Disciplines  Required Individual Florida Colleges and Universities to each Submit their Selected List of Core Courses to the State  Students Entering Florida Colleges and Universities in Fall of 2015 would then be Required to Meet the New General Education Core Course Graduation Requirements of at least One Course from Each Category History

 Summer, 2014:  A committee made up of faculty, an advisor, and an administrator convened and devised a list of Core Course Options to be offered at Florida SouthWestern State College.  A group of faculty representing the Learning Assessment Committee (LAC) in collaboration with an administrator reviewed assessment options for the General Education program.  LAC adopted rubrics for each of the five current General Education Competencies and devised a plan for assessing all five during the Fall term of History

 Fall, 2014:  The committee charged with developing a list of Core Course Options made its recommendations to the faculty at large and, with some minor revisions, the plan was then submitted to the Curriculum Committee who subsequently approved it.  In addition, the ad hoc committee recommended to the Curriculum Committee that a follow-up review of the overall General Education be considered.  The Learning Assessment Committee approved the use of the adapted General Education rubrics and began collecting artifacts from faculty. History

 Spring, 2015:  The Learning Assessment Committee assessed the collected artifacts and analyzed the results. It was the opinion of those involved in the General Education assessment process that an in-depth review of the current General Education competencies and overall program was needed.  The Curriculum Committee made a recommendation to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs that an ad hoc committee be convened for the Summer of 2015 to review Florida SouthWestern State College’s General Education Program. History

  Florida Statute Link:  General Education Core Course Options Link: course-options.stml course-options.stml  Steering Committee Final Recommendations Link: ge-steeringfacultycommitteefinalrecommendations.pdf ge-steeringfacultycommitteefinalrecommendations.pdf  Florida SouthWestern State College Catalog General Education Program Guide and Core Course Options Link: General Education Core Courses

Committee members  Jane Charles, Faculty Librarian  Dr. Wendy Chase, Humanities Professor  Dr. Eileen DeLuca, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs  Dr. Rebecca Harris, English Professor  George Manacheril, Physical Sciences Professor  Dr. Brian Page, History/Political Science Professor  Don Ransford, Mathematics Professor and Committee Chair  Dr. Amy Trogan, English Professor and LAC Representative  Dr. Lisa McGarity, Chemistry Professor Meeting schedule  Thursday, May 7 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.  Friday, May 29 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.  Friday, June 12 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.  Friday, June 26 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.  Wednesday, July 8 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.  Wednesday, July 29 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.  Wednesday, August 5 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. General Education Program Review Ad Hoc Committee

 Goal  Developing a general education mission statement and general education competencies by the beginning of January, 2016, with the intent of providing drafts of both of these documents to each department for suggestions and vetting early in the Fall term of Initial Questions  What do/should all graduates of Florida SouthWestern State College have in common?  What general knowledge do transfer institutions of higher learning expect that all Florida SouthWestern State College graduates have mastered?  What general knowledge do employers who hire Florida SouthWestern State College graduates expect they have mastered? Committee Charge

 The mission of Florida SouthWestern State College’s General Education Program is to provide students with transdisciplinary learning experiences that empower them to be inquisitive, active, informed and ethical citizens. Our innovative curriculum promotes collaboration and communication in diverse settings, encourages greater understanding of the relationship between individuals and their natural surroundings and cultivates intellectual curiosity that leads to independent research, creative problem-solving and meaningful engagement with the global community. We provide the framework for students to acquire both discipline-specific professional skills necessary for occupational success and a broad spectrum of skills in critical, creative and scientific problem-solving that will allow them to contribute in multiple real world settings. The Florida SouthWestern State College General Education Program

Students who successfully complete our General Education Program will… C ommunicate clearly in a variety of modes and media. R esearch and examine academic and non-academic information resources and evidence. E valuate and utilize mathematical principles, technology, scientific and quantitative data. A nalyze and create individual and collaborative works of art, literature, and performance. T hink critically about past, present, and future questions to yield meaning and value. I nvestigate and engage in the transdisciplinary applications of research, learning and knowledge. V isualize and engage the world from different historical, social, and cultural approaches. E ngage meanings of active citizenship in one’s community, nation, and the world.

 Roles of Stakeholders Faculty  Identify competencies associated with outcomes as primary and secondary for each course in their discipline.  Provide a wide array of opportunities for students to experience/master all of the general education competencies.  Review and/or update course outcomes and objectives on a regular basis. Students and Advisors  Devise a plan to meet academic goals while providing for a rich and broad general education experience.  Review the student’s progress in achieving their academic plan on a regular basis.

 Learning Assessment Committee (LAC)  Create a map of the General Education competencies currently being offered and make recommendations for improving the overall General Education program based on their findings  Assess how well students are meeting the desired outcomes to the program  Assess the General Education knowledge and skills students have gained or lost during their academic career at the College  Communicate the status of the implementation of the General Education process to the faculty through departmental meetings Curriculum Committee  Establish a robust, dynamic and diverse General Education program based on measurable outcomes  Review the General Education program on a regular basis  Collaborate with faculty in the syllabus creation and revision process Roles of Stakeholders

 Professional Development Committee  Provide opportunities for new and experienced faculty to deepen their understanding of the General Education program  Provide opportunities for new and experienced faculty to be exposed to innovative methods of teaching and assessing the General Education competencies  Provide opportunities for new and experienced faculty to practice developing well-defined and measurable course outcomes and objectives Administration  Document and assess the integrity of the General Education program in collaboration with faculty  Provide the necessary resources for faculty and staff to implement and maintain the General Education program Roles of Stakeholders

 IV. A. General Education Competencies and Outcomes [Note: The main focus of this section is to allow faculty in each department to define how the course contributes to the student’s overall General Education experience at Florida SouthWestern State College.] The primary General Education outcome(s) met in this course is/are: [Included in this section would be any of the eight General Education Competencies departmental faculty consider to be a primary focus in the course. Each competency would then be followed by a description or listing of course outcomes/objectives supporting the inclusion of the competency by the department.] The secondary General Education outcome(s) met in this course is/are: [Included in this section would be any of the eight General Education Competencies departmental faculty consider to be a secondary focus in the course. Each competency would then be followed by a description or listing of course outcomes/objectives supporting the inclusion of the competency by the department.] Suggested Revision to Section IV. of the Common Course Outline

 B. In accordance with Florida Statute concerning the state’s General Education core course requirements, this course meets the general education competencies for mathematics. [This section would only be included in the course outlines of those courses that are included in the FSW Catalog as General Education core courses.] C. Other Course Objectives/Standards [This section would be reserved for departments and/or programs that want to provide more detailed course objectives and/or are required to include certain state or national standards for accrediting purposes.] Suggested Revision to Section IV. of the Common Course Outline

 Fall 2015  Vet the revised General Education mission and competencies and changes to the current course outline with faculty  Discuss the current and possible changing roles with stakeholders Spring 2016  Present the finalized versions of the revised General Education program and course outline to the Curriculum Committee in January  Provide instructions and training to faculty in the process of revising syllabi  The Learning Assessment Committee collaborates with faculty to develop rubrics for assessing the approved General Education competencies Suggested Timeline for Implementation

 Summer 2016  Offer professional development activities to faculty on a variety of topics related to the changes in the General Education program including innovative teaching and assessing methods and writing well- defined and measurable course outcomes and objectives  Provide opportunities for teams of faculty to revise syllabi for a stipend Fall 2016  Update faculty during opening duty days on the progress of the changes in the General Education program  Faculty continue the process of revising syllabi and submitting them to the Curriculum Committee for approval  Continue to offer professional development activities to faculty on a variety of topics related to the changes in the General Education program including innovative teaching and assessing methods and writing well-defined and measurable course outcomes and objectives Suggested Timeline for Implementation

 Spring 2017  All syllabi have been revised and approved by the Curriculum Committee by February  Continue to offer professional development activities to faculty on a variety of topics related to the changes in the General Education program including innovative teaching and assessing methods  The Learning Assessment Committee begins creating a map of the General Education competencies and devises a plan for the first assessment of the new General Education competencies Fall 2017  Collect artifacts for the first assessment of the new General Education competencies Spring 2018  Analyze the results from the first assessment of the new General Education competencies Suggested Timeline for Implementation