GE Minutes 2-25-2014

General Education Committee
25 Feb. 2014
In Attendance: LaFaun Barnhurst, Gregory Wright, Richard Squire, Melanie Jenkins,
Adam Larsen, Joseph Papenfuss, Steve Hood, Susan Larsen
I. Approval of Minutes (2-4-14)
Richard motioned we approve minutes of 2-4-14; Lafaun seconded.
Unanimous vote

II. Discussion Items

Melanie reported that the curriculum committee was asked to hold off voting on descriptors until next week.
Melanie reported the following information pertaining to the state-wide General Education Task Force meeting held on February 13, 2014 at the Regents Building.
DQP2: language shifts. The DQP used the word competence throughout. The DQP2 is shifting away from competence and moving toward proficiency. They (AAC&U and Lumina) think that is a better term because proficiency suggests that it builds over time through the curriculum. They have also dropped language about skills and added language about fluency.

Multistate assessment initiative that Jonathan is working on. Members of the GE Task Force discussed this at their last meeting. They are concerned that, as a state, we are near initiative fatigue, they wonder how it fits with other initiatives, and they insist that there must be adequate compensation.

GE Assessment at the U: The University of Utah reported that they are in the first phase of assessing the new GE outcomes. They chose to focus this year on writing  and critical thinking. They asked each instructor of a course that claimed the outcome to submit an artifact representative of the outcome. The GE committee is  paying a group to read and rate the artifacts using the AAC&U Value Rubrics. They  anticipate they will modify the rubrics after using them, but it is a starting place.  Should we consider, since we aren’t having good luck relying on departments and divisions?

GE innovation at SUU: SUU rolled out a new GE option last fall that moves toward an  integrated general education program. It is targeted toward focused interest groups.  They tell students they can select from 150 GE courses OR they choose a focused  option, which pairs 2-3 courses based on a potential interest: fine arts, science, etc. Those courses are paired, then, around a theme. It is a not a true learning community, in that the students work as a discrete cohort. Biology has 100 students, English has 25, and Econ has 40. Up to 25, then, could be in the cohort. They report student interest, but also report problems: can’t link them in banner for a single registration, students have used the system to get early registration for other courses and then dropped one or more of the pairing.

Revisions to R470: Very small changes to R470 document. Clarifying issues, changing language to reflect DQP2, and I insisted they add Snow College to the list of colleges that could teach 3000 and 4000 level courses.

Beckie reported that CCSEQ is ready to be administered. She also noted that she has made arrangements for the internal assessment to be a part of the graduation process. She is working on a similar arrangement for the admission process. We discussed general concerns about the concurrent enrollment proposal before the legislature. We are worried about quality, oversight, compensation for that oversight, and training before the rollout.

III. Consent items

A. New Courses
B. 5-year Review
C. Pending
Com 2300
Art 1010
Art 1020
Art 1040
Art 1050
Art 1060
IV. Assessment