General Education Council
Summary of 1995-1996
Rodney J. Sobieski, Director of General Education

The Council’s efforts over the past year were targeted on several diverse elements of General Education. In the following highlights, those items which are summarized are those that the Council expressed intent and/or resolution about.

Critical Thinking
This was a topic explored by the Council in that Dave Dungan visited a meeting and shared his research on the topic. This was dovetailed with an experiment that was formulated between the council and the Office of Assessment that will develop a pilot study to follow a group of students throughout their ESU tenure in order to assess the Critical Thinking skills, and determine how they might change during their time at ESU. McGlone’s office and L.A. & S. will fund a Critical Thinking interactive program during the 963 semester as a method to get faculty thinking about these issues and how they might be improved.

Competency Exams
Ed McGlone requested through the Faculty Senate that the General Education Council serve as the faculty body responsible for advising the administration concerning policy and procedures affecting the university-wide competency examination requirement. This was approved by the Council, but the Faculty Senate did not act on this request during ’95-’96. The Council discussed alternatives to the competency exams and requested that Sobieski and McGlone present a policy detailing alternatives, and information on concordance exams for our first meeting next year.

Computer Literacy
It is a goal to have computer literacy acquisition or competency added as a documental skill to the outcomes of our General Education program. Since this is an ever-moving target, the Council approved a survey of division chairs to determine present and future student needs. Although it appeared from those results that student needs are being meet through formal and informal freshman to determine their knowledge, attitude and skills regarding computing. Those results are due at the end of the summer, and will be used to determine the direction the Council will take.

MultiCultural Intensive Sections
The Council accepted with minor modification the Multicultural Intensive (MCI) Task Force’s recommendations on the clarifications of the Cultural Diversity Goal. Those recommendations on the clarification of the Cultural Diversity Goal. Those recommendations which were approved by the Council and adopted by Vice President Payne, changed the title of the General Education Cultural Literacy section VIII, from Multicultural Experiences to Cultural Diversity. Secondly, it requires that students enroll in at least one general education course section that is designated as multicultural intensive. Lastly it defines the multicultural designation for general education sections as reserved for courses that focus on issues of race, ethnicity and gender, but also allows MCI courses to expand within two years to include courses focusing on international and intercultural diversity or special sub cultural diversity, for example, culture of hearing or mobility impaired. The Council also accepted with minor modification the Guidelines for MCI designation of courses as provided by the MCI Task Force. The Council evaluated the MCI experiment began by Dean Black by having faculty and students visit with the Council in addition to looking at course syllabi. It was this pilot experiment that gave the Council the basis for accepting and approving the recommendations of the MCI Task Force.

Evening General Education Offerings
The Council discussed this by way of an analysis of current and past offerings. Chairs were made aware of the commitments for sections of General Education courses to be offered in the evening time slot. Non-prime time offerings (noon on) for 955 and 961 were also surveyed and it was found that approximately 35% of sections are in the non-prime time slot.

Student Focus Groups
Gary Wyatt spoke to the Council on surveys conducted in his Social Research classes on student attitudes towards General Education. Although he pointed out that one dimension to the issues are faculty attitudes, student attitudes were considered for further exploration. To this end, Student Focus Groups were used by the Council six times during the year to get students talking about these matters. Lunches were provided students and members of the Council attended. This strategy was suggested by the Council to remain in place for next year.

Redesign of Licensure of Kansas Educators
The Council discussed the General Studies section of the Redesign document and approved Sobieski to speak at one of the public hearings. A letter was drafted detailing the Council’s concerns and given to the hearing committee following his oral remarks.

New Format for Class Schedule
The Council approved a revised format for listing General Education courses in the upcoming Schedule of classes. It will follow what is used in the SAC office for uniformity, and will also detail unique major or certification course requirements related to General Education.

 

Last Updated April 17, 2007