Are We Preparing Our Students to be Able to Help Solve California's Immense Problems?

1. Are We Preparing Our Students to be Able to Help Solve California's Immense Problems? Educated Person Brown Bag 9-29-09 Facilitator – Annette Nellen

2. SJSU Mission Statement For both undergraduate and graduate students, the university emphasizes the following goals: • In-depth knowledge of a major field of study. • Broad understanding of the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts. • Skills in communication and in critical inquiry. • Multi-cultural and global perspectives gained through intellectual and social exchange with people of diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds. • Active participation in professional, artistic, and ethnic communities. • Responsible citizenship and an understanding of ethical choices inherent in human development.

3. Question – What is “Responsible Citizenship?” • Voting? • Recycling? • Paying taxes? • Being informed? • ??

4. Question – What skills and knowledge are needed to be a responsible citizen in CA? • Critical thinking? • Information literacy? • Basic facts about size of the state and its current issues? • Local government data and issues? • ????

5. California challenges • Continuing budget shortfalls • Legislative and initiative changes that tie hands of elected officials in creating responsible budget • EX – earmarked taxes • EX – bond measures without a repayment plan • Gaps: • Income • Education • Health benefits • Living conditions • Out-of-date tax system • Environmental problems • Water shortage • Financing new infrastructure and repairs • Focus on “me” rather than “us” • EX – ignoring state role and benefit in funding higher education • EX – inequitable distribution of tax breaks • Others

6. CA Budget Problems State Budget 2009-10 - http://www.dof.ca.gov/budget/historical/2009-10/governors/summary/documents/enacted/FullBudgetSummary.pdf

7. Expected budget shortfalls (3/09) LAO, 2009-10 Budget Analysis Series, 3/09; http://www.lao.ca.gov/2009/bud/feb_overview/feb_overview_031309.aspx

8. Examples of future state liabilities • 1 day delay of payroll from June 2010 to July 1, 2010 defers about $0.9 billion of General Fund expenses from 2009-10 to 2010-11. • $6.3 billion of Prop 98 expense deferrals • “Proposition 1A Repayments. The July 2009 budget package borrows local property taxes in the amount of $2 billion, to be repaid with interest within three years pursuant to a constitutional requirement.” • “GO Bonds. Used principally for infrastructure purposes, GO bonds currently are outstanding in the amount of $61 billion. They are paid principally from the General Fund.” • “In total, unfunded retirement related liabilities of entities connected with the state exceed $100 billion.” May actually be $130 billion due to investment declines. + billions more from PERS, UC, state employees and others. • “While certain liabilities are difficult to quantify precisely, it appears the state has over $200 billion of short-term, longer-term, and retirement-related liabilities to retire in future years. These liabilities will continue to put pressure on the state’s finances for years to come.” Source: LAO, California’s Key Liabilities, 8-09; http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/PubDetails.aspx?id=2113.

9. Sources of information to help understand California’s problems • State agencies such as Department of Finance and Legislative Analyst’s Office • California Budget Project • www.cbp.org • Public Policy Institute of California • www.ppic.org • Next 10 • www.next10.org • 21st Century Taxation (Prof. Nellen) • www.cob.sjsu.edu/nellen_a/TaxReform/21st_century_taxation.htm • Many others

10. Where do students gain the skills and knowledge to be responsible citizens?

11. General Education Program Objectives Students who complete the General Education curriculum should be able to demonstrate: • a broad understanding of the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts; • an ability to communicate ideas effectively both in speaking and in writing; • the capacity for critical and creative thinking; • an understanding of ethical choices inherent in human development; • an ability to assess information (information literacy); • an ability to address complex issues and problems using disciplined analytic skills and creative techniques; • multi-cultural and global perspectives gained through intellectual and social exchange with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences; • the characteristics of “intentional learners” who can adapt to new environments, integrate knowledge from different sources, and continue learning throughout their lifetimes; and • the capacity to participate as a socially responsible member of civic, professional, cultural, and other communities. The advancement of academic discourse requires civility and a respectful attitude toward all in the expression and consideration of a variety of viewpoints. All courses shall reinforce the ethical responsibility of students and instructors to acknowledge respectfully the learning styles and forms of expression of individuals and members of all groups.

12. Sample SLOs - Business

13. Sample SLOs – Chemical Engineering

14. Sample SLOs – Chinese foreign language • Develop competence in speaking and listening comprehension in Mandarin Chinese. • Command basic Chinese vocabulary. Refine grammatical structures and engage in critical thinking through a variety of tasks, activities, and assignments. • Read authentic material in Chinese for informative purposes. • Write in Chinese simple narration and description about given topics and events. • Develop understanding of the traditional Chinese culture in light of contemporary values. • Be able to compare systematically the ideas, values, images, or attitudes of people from various Chinese communities. Be able to identify the historical context of these ideas and cultural practices. Be able to explain how Chinese culture changes in response to internal and external pressures. • Critical reading of pre-modern Chinese prose, poetry, and drama.

15. Questions for us … • What should students know about CA and federal economic, social and environmental matters? • How should they learn about these matters? • What are we already doing? • What more can we do? • How can they gain skills to be able to continually inform themselves of civic matters in their community(ies)?