ONE WORD A Faculty Value A University Priority A Conversation About General Education

1. ONE WORD A Faculty Value A University Priority A Conversation About General Education August 18, 2014

2. CONTEXTSfrom this morning’s addressby your president

3. Accreditation:Expectations concerning institutional outcomes, strategic planning, and assessment all invoke the theme of our general education discussion—the “one word” that will be introduced in a moment . . . .

4. Growth through freshman recruitment: Students are attracted by general education programs that are understandably purposeful

5. Strategic Planning:The design of the curriculum should be consistent with the strategic priorities of the university—and vice versa

6. Back to . . .THE WORD

7. It’s not . . . . The Graduate 1968

8. The word for today

9. INTENTIONALTIY

10. INTENTIONALITY In the design and delivery of the degrees awarded by SUU

11. INTENTIONALITY In the design and delivery of the degrees awarded by SUU In every program, especially general education

12. INTENTIONALITY In the design and delivery of the degrees awarded by SUU In every program, especially general education In every major

13. INTENTIONALITY In the design and delivery of the degrees awarded by SUU In every program, especially general education In every major In every course

14. INTENTIONALITY In the design and delivery of the degrees awarded by SUU In every program, especially general education In every major In every course In every class

15. A Hypothetical Letter

16. Department of Ethereal StudiesUpper Midwest State University Professor U. R. A. Pedant Editor, Journal of Esoteric Study University of the Lower Midwest Springfield, Iowa 77777 Dear Professor Pedant, It is with pleasure that I attach to this covering e-mail an article for publication in the Journal of Esoteric Study.

17. To avoid any misunderstanding, I want to make it clear that the objectives of this article are nowhere clearly defined or stated.

18. Please respect my lengthy experience as a scholar. Assume that my intent will emerge in due course.

19. Because I do not clarify the structure of my argument, a reader may not understand how its different elements add up to a coherent whole. They should work at it! There’s nothing wrong with a little work! I can’t hold every reader’s hand! They are adults, after all.

20. Readers who fail to understand my argument may in time—perhaps many years later—come to appreciate its importance. In the short term, who is a better judge of my effectiveness than I am?

21. Any effort to evaluate my article would be at best premature and at worst a violation of my academic freedom.

22. I will look forward to seeing my article in print as soon as possible.

23. Ridiculous, but . . .

24. Ever hear . . . ?

25. Ever hear . . . ?The following are statements voiced at faculty senate meetings at three public universities.

26. “Memorable courses evolve. If you’re too definitive at the beginning about what you hope to accomplish, you leave no room for spontaneity and exploration.”

27. “Memorable courses evolve. If you’re too definitive at the beginning about what you hope to accomplish, you leave no room for spontaneity and exploration.” “I have had alums tell me that it wasn’t until years later that they appreciated what they had learned in my course.”

28. “My syllabus is between me and my students. I don’t want the bloody provost telling me what it supposedly should include.”

29. “My syllabus is between me and my students. I don’t want the bloody provost telling me what it supposedly should include.” “When I close the door to my classroom, I expect—and my students expect—to be left alone.”

30. “My syllabus is between me and my students. I don’t want the bloody provost telling me what it supposedly should include.” “When I close the door to my classroom, I expect—and my students expect—to be left alone.” “Learning outcomes? That may be the latest jargon, but there’s nothing new about that. Students have been learning stuff for thousands of years.”

31. “Of course I’m in favor of assessment. I give grades, don’t I?”

32. Care to comment? A grain of truth in some of these statements? Courses should be allowed to evolve. Realizing and confirming learning may take years. A syllabus is a private communication. The classroom is a privileged enclave. There’s nothing new about “learning outcomes.” Grading is a form of assessment.

33. By contrast, a commitment to intentionality might sound something like . . . .

34. (First class meeting) Here’s our syllabus. First, let’s discuss what we will be learning together in the course of the semester—and how we will be able to demonstrate what we have learned.

35. (First week of the semester) How many of you are sociology majors? Would you be willing to share with the class your view of what someone with a bachelor’s degree in sociology should know and be able to do?

36. That’s great. Now let’s discuss how this course helps to get you there.

37. (Class meeting during the semester) Good morning! Today we will look at the important role of rewards in society and consider how changing the rewards can lead to a change in behaviors. By the end of the hour, we should all be able to offer an example of this phenomenon drawn from our own observations.

38. Care to comment? What does intentionality sound like in your classroom?

39. What are the characteristicsof an intentionalgeneral education curriculum?

40. Coherence

41. Coherence Continuity

42. Coherence Continuity Common learning

43. Coherence Continuity Common learning Competence development

44. Coherence Continuity Common learning Competence development Community consciousness

45. Coherence • Does the general education curriculum reflect—and influence—the institution’s mission? Are its goals clear? Well understood? • Does the curriculum embody genuine choices? • Does the curriculum express a conscious emphasis on learning? • Are the objectives of courses clearly stated? • Is there a recognizable logic to the curriculum? • Do transfer students gain access to the general education values of the institution?

46. Continuity • Are there clear links between general education and education in the chosen field? • Are values of general education expressed in chosen field study? Vice-versa ? • Are there opportunities for students and faculty to build (and cross) bridges between general education and education in the chosen field? • Does the community college curriculum articulate well with four-year curricula? And vice-versa? • Are the values of general education available to the transfer student?

47. Common learning • What are the odds that two students, meeting at random on the SUU campus, will have read the same book? Considered similar intellectual issues? Explored analogous questions? • Does the curriculum embody an overall understanding that effective common learning (what is learned) requires a deliberate focus on learning (how it is learned)?

48. Competence development, e.g.  Can students who complete SUU’s foreign language requirement order a croissant in Paris or a latte in Florence?  Are students who complete the “math” requirement “numerate”?  Are all students effective epistemologists? I.e., “computer fluent”?

49. Community consciousness • Do students have the opportunity to celebratecampus and community diversity? • Do students examine competing notions of the common good? • Are issues of citizenship raised? Explored? Tested? Enacted? • Are transfer students oriented to the culture of the community?

50. Three Irritating Axioms