1. Signature Work and the Core Curriculum
September 10, 2015
Brian Katz, Co-Director,
Center for Faculty Enrichment

2. This afternoon we will…
discuss the idea of “Signature Work”,
use this idea to tell the stories of our core curriculum, and
share techniques for helping students understand these stories and accomplish their signature work.

3. Signature Work
From “The LEAP Challenge: Education for a World of Unscripted Problems” (AAC&U, 2015)
“In Signature Work, a student uses his or her cumulative learning to pursue a significant project related to a problem she or he defines.”
All students
Integrative, ethically grounded
Student directed, collaborative
Interdisciplinary, arts of inquiry
Mentored, with guided pathways

4. A Story for the Liberal Arts
Story: A Liberal Arts education endeavors to free the mind to approach complex, significant problems
Mechanism:
First Year Inquiry (LSFY)
Core curriculum designated courses (eg LPs, CT, D/G)
Learning Communities
Senior Inquiry

5. Carol Schneider
Carol Schneider is the president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U, 2015) “The LEAP Challenge is intended to bring a renewed sense of purpose and direction to students' general studies. Since Signature Work draws on multiple disciplines, not just the major, it instantiates the expectation that students should use their general education learning to explore a significant problem from more than one analytic perspective.”

6. Activity One At your tables, discuss:
What are the stories we tell about the core curriculum at Augustana?
Why do we tell these stories, and what impact do they have?
What other stories might we tell, and for whom?

7. Techniques Different Scales
Interaction: Discuss differences in disciplinary approaches
Assignment: W. Perry – Epistemological Development of college students
Course: Tools of Inquiry – reflect on inquiry

8. Activity Two At your tables, discuss:
How do we help students prepare for an accomplish their signature work?
What can we do in individual interactions, assignments, and courses to help students work toward signature work?
What can we do at a programmatic level to help students put the pieces together into signature work?

9. Discussion
Question: How would you like to see the General Education committee and Center for Faculty Enrichment support the campus as we all help students become liberally educated?

10. References
AAC&U, (2015). “The LEAP Challenge: Education for a World of Unscripted Problems”,
Schneider, C., (2015). “The LEAP Challenge: Transforming for Students, Essential for Liberal Education”,