New Mexico General Education Summit January 13, 2016 Debra Humphreys, Vice President for Policy and Public Engagement, AAC&U Paul Gaston, Trustees Professor, Kent State University & Consultant to Lumina Foundation

General Education Today: Toward Inclusive Excellence and Student Success in an Innovation-Driven Global Society Debra Humphreys

College Learning for the New Global Century (2007) “The world in which today’s students will make choices and compose lives is one of disruption rather than certainty, and of interdependence rather than insularity.” LEAP Asks: How do we educate students for success in this kind of world? What are the Essential Learning Outcomes and set of educational practices aligned to this reality?

Narrow Learning is Not Enough The LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World Focused on engagement with big questions, enduring and contemporary Intellectual and Practical Skills Practiced extensively across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance Personal and Social Responsibility Anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges Integrative and Applied Learning Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems

Why Do Liberal Education Learning Outcomes Remain So Important? And Why Is a Transformed General Education Needed to Provide These Outcomes? Who Our Students Are And What the World Now Demands and What Capacities Are Rewarded

It Takes More Than a Major “Beware. Your degree is not a proxy for your ability to do any job. The world only cares about — and pays off on — what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it). And in an age when innovation is increasingly a group endeavor, it also cares about a lot of soft skills — leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability and loving to learn and re- learn. This will be true no matter where you go to work.” Lazslo Bock, senior VP of people operations, Google (quoted in NY Times 2/23, 2014)

The Big Economic Picture “Human work will increasingly shift toward two kinds of tasks: solving problems for which standard operating procedures do not currently exist, and working with new information—acquiring it, making sense of it, communicating it to others….today, work that consists of following clearly specified directions is increasingly being carried out by computers and workers in lower-wage countries. The remaining jobs that pay enough to support families require a deeper level of knowledge and the skills to apply it.” “Frank Levy and Richard Murnane, “Dancing with Robots” (2013)

Dancing With Robots (2013)

What do Employers Say? Falling Short? College Learning and Career Success (Hart Research Associate 2015) AAC&U has commissioned a series of studies ( )— focus groups/surveys of students and business leaders

Three in five employers believe that it takes BOTH specific knowledge/skills and broad knowledge/skills to achieve long- term career success. Which is more important for recent college graduates to have who want to pursue advancement and long-term career success at your company? Knowledge and skills that apply to a specific field or position Range of knowledge and skills that apply to a range of fields or positions Both field-specific and broad range of knowledge and skills (employers) College students: Specific15% Both63% Broad range22% 11

Employers are in broad agreement on college learning outcomes for all students, regardless of their chosen field of study. Employers’ agreement with statements about college learning aims regardless of student’s chosen field of study All college students should have educational experiences that teach them how to solve problems with people whose views are different from their own 96% 87% 78% Every college student should take courses that build the civic knowledge, skills, and judgment essential for contributing to our democratic society Every college student should acquire broad knowledge in the liberal arts and sciences All college students should gain an understanding of democratic institutions and values 86% 78% Students/ total agree 94% 85% 86% 83% 87% All college students should gain intercultural skills and an understanding of societies and countries outside the United States 12

Learning Outcomes that at Least Four in Five Employers Rate as Very Important Oral communication Working effectively with others in teams Written communication Ethical judgment and decision-making Critical/analytical thinking Applying knowledge/ skills to real world Students: very important for success in workplace* 78% 77% 75% 74% 79% Proportions of employers rating each skill/knowledge area as very important for recent college graduates to have* *8, 9, 10 ratings on zero-to-10 scale, 10 = very important 13

Employers give college graduates lower scores for preparedness across learning outcomes than current students give themselves. Proportions who believe they/recent college graduates are well prepared in each area* *8-10 ratings on zero-to-ten scale Working effectively with others in teams Staying current on technologies Ethical judgment and decisionmaking Locating, organizing, evaluating information Oral communication Working with numbers/ statistics Written communication Critical/analytical thinking Being innovative/creative (continued) 14

General Education Maps and Markers Principles for Redesign Redesign general education around core principles of: Proficiency (align outcomes to global economy and society) Agency and Self-Direction (place students’ own questions and needs at center) Integrative Learning and Problem-Based Inquiry (move beyond knowledge exposure/acquisition) Equity (attend to all students’ achievement of outcomes; need for alternative pathways) Transparency and Assessment (demonstrate what students can do with their learning)

GEMs Builds on Reforms Already Underway Throughout Higher Education  First-Year Seminars and Experiences  Common Intellectual Experiences  Learning Communities  Writing-Intensive Courses  Collaborative Assignments and Projects  Undergraduate Research  Diversity/Global Learning  Service Learning, Community-Based Learning  Internships  Capstone Courses and Projects

The majority of institutions uses a distribution model with additional integrative features. Fewer use only distribution model in 2015 than did so in Which of these features are part of your institution’s general education program? Other features: Common intellectual experience Thematic required courses Upper-level requirements Core curriculum Learning communities Capstone projects November – December 2008 July – October 2015

Employers say they are more likely to consider hiring recent college graduates who have completed an applied/integrative learning or project-based learning experience. How much more likely is your company to consider hiring recent college graduates if they have had this experience? Internship/apprenticeship with company/organization Senior thesis/project demonstrating knowledge, research, problem-solving, communication skills Multiple courses involving significant writing Research project done collaboratively with peers Service-learning project with community organization Field project in diverse community with people from different background/culture Study abroad program 94% 87% 81% 80% 69% 66% 51% Students: more likely to be hired 95% 89% 76% 82% 85% 87% 71% 18

The LEAP Challenge: Every Student Should Do Signature Work For more information, see

The LEAP Challenge “It is high time to break free of the old ‘breadth first, depth second’ model for college learning. Instead, we need guided pathways to integrative and adaptive learning. We must ensure that all students are given opportunities to tackle complex questions—from first to final year.” Carol Geary Schneider, president, AAC&U The LEAP challenge is to make integrated, problem-based Signature Work a goal for all students—and the expected standard of quality learning in college.

How Do We Close the Gaps? Prioritize Integration and Collaborate Across Divisions/Institutions Need Redesign of Curricular Pathways Rich in High-Impact Practices—both General Education and Majors Need Redesign of Assessment Approaches Focused on Projects and Signature Work Need Integration of Gen Ed, Majors, Co-Curricular, Work- based learning—advising and career exploration Need New Ways for Graduates to Demonstrate Their Achievement (e.g. e-portfolios, sophisticated Linked-In pages, etc.)

22 LEAP Challenge Curricular Pathway Model

A Twenty-First-Century Liberal Education Source: General Education Transformed (Gaston, 2015)

What Students and Our Society Need and Deserve “In a world of relentless change, all students need the kind of education that leads them to ask not just ‘how do we get this done?’ but also ‘what is most worth doing?’” College Learning for the New Global Century, 2007

Getting from Point A to Point B Paul L. Gaston

POINT A Today’s summit—which offers an enviable point of departure for a statewide, systemic, strategic strengthening of general education for New Mexico students.

But at “ POINT A ” far too often... There’s a “haphazard character” to the general education many students undertake (AAC&U 2005, 6) Too many students do not persist General Education often a curriculum “to get out of the way” Employers express concerns that graduates lack the preparation required for success.

Some symptoms of “ POINT A ” Transfer students receive little special attention Advising is little more than course scheduling (if that) Students ask, “Why in the heck am I taking this course?” and “What’s the point of general education?” Learning outcomes statements are rife with “non- operational verbs” such as “appreciate,” “recognize,” “become aware of,” “respect,” “experience,” “value,”

POINT B A general education program known for coherence continuity competence development common learning community consciousness

GETTING FROM POINT A

TO POINT B POINT A POINT B

ROAD MAP Achieve consensus on clear, concrete, assessable learning outcomes Focus on student understanding and experience Development of a curriculum that will ensure the “five C’s” Assessment Refinement

ROAD MAP Achieving consensus on clear, concrete, assessable learning outcomes – Are they clear to faculty, students, advisors? – Do they express explicit performance expectations? – Do they invite assessment? – Do they avoid “non-operational” verbs?

ROAD MAP Clarifying the focus on student understanding and experience – Does the curriculum embody a clear emphasis not on What shall we teach? but on What should our students know and be able to do? – Is the discussion “our students” rather than “my courses”?

ROAD MAP Developing a curriculum that will ensure the “five C’s” – Is the curriculum coherent? Does it make difficult choices in pursuit of widely shared objectives? – Does the curriculum create continuity between general education and the major— and vice-versa? – Is there ample opportunity for common learning? – Is there an emphasis throughout on competence development? – Does the curriculum celebrate community consciousness?

ROAD MAP Developing a curriculum that invites assessment at all levels – Institutionally – Programmatically – Within courses – Within class sessions

ROAD MAP Committing to continuous improvement in the light of assessment – For degrees – For programs – For courses – For class sessions

QUESTIONS A STUDENT SHOULD ASK Are the learning outcomes clearly stated in terms I can understand and appreciate? Are the content and structure of the general education program clearly directed toward these outcomes? Will I be guided toward curricular choices that make sense in terms of both my broad educational aspirations and my interest in a discipline?

QUESTIONS A STUDENT SHOULD ASK Will I be able to document my progress through general education and the major toward the institutional learning outcomes? Will I have opportunities for active, collaborative learning ? Will I accomplish Signature Work that addresses issues important to me—and enables me to demonstrate proficiency in solving complex and consequential problems? Will I be able to document and explain the proficiencies I have developed in language that is widely understood?

CONSIDER JUAN A successful, motivated high school senior (two Advanced Placement courses) who has not yet made his plans for college.

At last he’s thinking about college—and it’s about time!

“Which college would be the right one for me?”

What about... ?

One of New Mexico’s Great Community Colleges?

To the website!

DEGREE OUTCOMES There’s no mystery to a degree at New Mexico’s Community Colleges and Universities. Through close partnerships, every student who receives a community college or university degree will be able to demonstrate mastery of clearly defined learning outcomes in five areas: Specialized Knowledge Broad and Integrative Knowledge Intellectual Skills Applied and Collaborative Learning Civic and Global Learning

Looks good! I’ll apply. Juan completes an online questionnaire and receives a response that (1) maps his preparation and interests to NM’s Essential Education and (2) suggests several alternate curricular pathways. All pathways include opportunities for Juan to engage in integrative Signature Work, to demonstrate academic proficiencies, and to engage in co- curricular learning.

Even before admission, Juan has access to personalized overviews of several trajectories he might follow in his community college experience, all organized according to integrated student learning priorities.

[One of New Mexico’s Community Colleges] Dear Juan, It is my pleasure to welcome you ______Community College. Your application for admission has been accepted. Within 48 hours, you will be contacted by an advisor who will work with you throughout your college career. He or she will make an appointment with you for a one-on-one discussion either on campus or by Skype. Through that discussion, you will become acquainted with our interactive digital planner that will track your progress along the integrative curricular and co-curricular pathway you choose..

Next... In consultation with his advisor, Juan chooses a provisional curriculum and co-curriculum that will help him develop proficiencies in areas keyed to his interests and at levels of challenge appropriate to his preparedness. He also creates an electronic portfolio that will document his Signature Work in both general education and the major.

Next... In consultation with his advisor, Juan chooses a provisional curriculum and co-curriculum that will help him develop proficiencies in areas keyed to his interests and at levels of challenge appropriate to his preparedness. He also creates an electronic portfolio that will document his Signature Work. Both Juan’s dedicated advisor and faculty advisors in his possible areas of specialization review the curriculum he has chosen and recommend modifications.

Then, at least once each semester.... Juan meets with his advisors to discuss how his Essential Education courses are helping him work toward academic proficiencies required for aware of a degree how his EE courses are preparing him for possible transfer to a four-year institution whether his performance and evolving interests suggest possible changes in his curricular plan

Second year, second semester

Hmmm. I’m doing well, but... Juan decides to transfer to a New Mexico university in order to continue study toward a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in accounting.

Juan’s electronic portfolio documents... (1) proficiencies achieved and demonstrated through Signature Work developed in connection with Essential Education courses offering increasing levels of challenge (2) accomplishments through the co-curriculum that complement his academic work

Working with Juan’s portfolio... An advisor in the university’s College of Business informs Juan that his community college work has received full transfer credit. He compares Juan’s preparation with the expectations of the COB and recommends any necessary modifications in the pathway Juan is pursuing.

Hence, at Juan’s transfer institution just as at his first institution, Juan’s pathway will align a four- year, interdisciplinary Essential Education curriculum with the major curriculum and co-curriculum. The liberal learning proficiencies Juan develops through Essential Education are strengthened through progressively more challenging, more fully integrated learning in the major and co-curriculum.

The Capstone

Anticipating graduation with acceptance to the master’s program in accounting already ensured—Juan participates in a multidisciplinary general education capstone experience. Juan integrates proficiencies gained through multiple disciplines while demonstrating the proficiencies that have defined his pathway.

But for Juan, the end of the road... is just the beginning His essential education has enabled him to become a confident, self-directed learner

But for Juan, the end of the road is just the beginning His essential education has enabled him to become a confident, self-directed learner His institutions will make relevant professional development continually available

But for Juan, the end of the road is just the beginning His essential education has enabled him to become a confident, self-directed learner His institutions will make relevant professional development continually available Juan’s institutions will reach out to him to assist them in fine-tuning essential education

But for Juan, the end of the road is just the beginning His essential education has enabled him to become a confident, self-directed learner His institutions will make relevant professional development continually available Juan’s institutions will reach out to him to assist them in fine- tuning essential education Juan will donate $10 million to each of his New Mexico institutions

POINT B!

THANK YOU!