Recommendation: The Liberal Education Task Force recommends that specific steps be taken to change the way liberal education is perceived and represented on the UMD campus.

Context and Rationale:

Adopting a coherent mission statement and curricular requirements that make sense to the UMD community are the first steps we can take toward improving the way liberal education is perceived and represented on our campus. While these changes are essential and provide the groundwork from which other beneficial changes will grow, by themselves they are not enough. All facets of the early encounters a student may have with UMD, from recruitment, to advising, to the early stages of the classroom experience, should be utilizing a common language and spirit emphasizing the important goals of a liberal education. The task force therefore recommends that additional efforts be made to effect a positive change in campus culture with respect to liberal education.

First, we suggest that all interested faculty and staff members be provided with structured opportunities to learn more about the program’s underlying principles and purposes during the process of implementing the new program. Departments will need guidance as they consider how they can best contribute to the new liberal education curriculum—both by offering liberal education courses appropriate to their disciplines and by integrating liberal education goals into the objectives for their majors. Advisors should be given a chance to learn not only what the new program requires but also why so they can explain both the requirements and the rationale for them. Finally, instructors will need opportunities to rethink how they design and deliver courses to meet the criteria included in the Liberal Education Core. Orientation sessions, formal and/or informal meetings, presentations, and possibly even workshops are among the many possible mechanisms by which these needs might be addressed.

Secondly, the task force urges that close attention be paid to how the new liberal education requirements are presented in print and online. We have heard many complaints about how “unfriendly” to users the current descriptions of the liberal education program are, including the online catalog version and the “blue sheet.” Whether a program is sleek and minimalist or enormously complex, how it is presented and accessed can make all the difference in achieving the goals. Students and advisors will be the primary users for the online presentation and some equivalent of the current “blue sheet”; parents tend to use the hard copy bulletin; and finally, faculty and administrators responsible for running the liberal education program need a different kind of presentation for implementing and maintaining the program. Viewing other institutions’ online presentations of their liberal education programs really opened our eyes to how well—and how poorly—this can be done. UMD must do better.

Recommendation 4: Increasing Support for Improved Pedagogy in Liberal Education Classes

Recommendation: The Liberal Education Task Force recommends that specific ways of increasing institutional support for improved pedagogy in liberal education classes be identified and put into effect as part of the process for implementing the proposed mission statement and Liberal Education Core.

Context and Rationale:
The recommendation that UMD increase support for excellent teaching in liberal education classes grows out of the task force’s conviction that effective pedagogy, designed and delivered with the aims of liberal learning in mind, is essential to the success of any liberal education program. We concur with Derek Bok’s judgment that successful reform of liberal education depends on “selecting the best teachers for liberal education courses, and providing sufficient, sustained support for these members of the faculty” (Our Underachieving Colleges, italics added). The task force urges that the many dedicated faculty members who currently teach liberal education classes at UMD be recognized and encouraged to participate in the revitalization of liberal education on our campus. Indeed, with respect to enhancing pedagogy in liberal educations classes, liberal education faculty members should lead the way. We call upon the administration to solicit and foster leadership among this faculty group in order to strengthen teaching in liberal education classes, campus wide. The task force has discussed many possible means to this end—for instance, sending selected faculty to relevant conferences and workshops, conducting faculty-led workshops and/or conferences here at UMD, offering an annual “Lib Ed Camp” based on the successful “Tech Camp” model—but we offer no specific recommendations along these lines. Rather, we recommend that academic administration begin the process of building relationships among interested members of the liberal education faculty, from different departments and across the collegiate units, with the goal of fostering meaningful dialogue regarding pedagogy and liberal learning. We recommend support for efforts by these faculty members to learn more about the current debates surrounding curricular reform in higher education, particularly with respect to liberal education. These informed and committed faculty members should then be encouraged to identify the best “first steps” toward strengthening pedagogy in liberal education classes at UMD. Once these steps have been identified and agreed upon, the appropriate institutional resources should be allocated for their implementation and maintenance over time.

Recommendation 5. Increasing Efforts to Develop Students’ Skills in Writing, Oral Communication, and Logic/Quantitative Reasoning

Recommendation: The Liberal Education Task Force recommends that UMD take specific actions to increase and coordinate its efforts to develop students’ skills in writing, oral communication, and quantitative reasoning.

The proposed Liberal Education Core includes, as Part I, course requirements designed to develop students’ competence in language and reasoning. The recommendations in this section address more fully our suggestions relative to that section of the core.

Specific Recommendations for Developing Skills in Oral Communication/Languages and Logic/Quantitative Reasoning:
The task force recommends that the requirement for Part I B of the proposed Liberal Education Core be reviewed in five years’ time and, if campus learning outcomes in these areas are not being met, that the requirement for this part be increased from 3 credits to 6 credits, .3 credits from Oral Communication/Languages and 3 credits from Logic/Quantitative Reasoning.
Context and rationale:
There is broad support on the UMD campus for strengthening efforts to enhance students’ skills in oral communication and quantitative reasoning; the task force agrees that such skills are very important to the future college graduate. We also recognize that programs desire flexibility in finding ways to achieve these competencies. Moreover, we are keenly aware that requiring liberal education courses in both areas for all students would require increased institutional resources. For these reasons, our current proposal requires only 3 credits for Part I B.

However, because we concur with the judgment that students need the opportunity to develop strong skills in speaking and quantitative thinking, we urge that administration consider whether increasing this requirement might be desirable and perhaps more feasible five years from now. Assessment data relating to campus learning outcomes should be available by that time and would likely provide evidence for making such a decision.

Specific Recommendations for Developing Writing Skills:

With respect to developing writing skills, the task force recommends the following—

o Each program review, in conjunction with the Writing Studies Department, the 3000-level Writing Studies course designed for their majors and consider lowering the prerequisite for that course from 60 credits minimum to 40 credits minimum;
o Each program identify an upper-division course (or courses) within the major, to be offered in the junior and/or senior year, to further develop students’ discipline-specific writing skills;
o Freshmen be placed according to skill level in appropriately designed sections of WRIT 1120 College Writing; and
o UMD establish and adequately fund a professionally staffed Campus Writing Center.

Context and Rational:
The first two recommendations above are intended to ensure that UMD students have sufficient opportunity to develop strong writing skills throughout the entire four years of their undergraduate experience. In gathering input on the current writing requirements, the Task Force repeatedly heard that many students have very limited opportunity to develop these skills. Students take the freshman-level course in the first year and may not enroll in the advanced course until late in the junior or even the senior year. In addition, it appears that many of these same students are not required to write in a majority of their liberal education and major courses, thus creating a one-to-two year hiatus in their academic writing experience. Though they may begin college with a course that lays the foundation for building strong academic writing skills, subsequent courses too often do not give them a chance to practice and build upon what they learned in their first year; indeed, it seems likely that skills acquired in the freshman year may be eroded or entirely lost during this one-to-two year period when little or no writing occurs. While we have no hard data to prove this to be unequivocally true, it certainly is the case that many UMD faculty members are finding their students unprepared to do the writing assignments they encounter in the crucial upper division courses in the major. It is also true that many campuses require more writing instruction in the first two years than UMD does. While recognizing that each program must make its own decision about when their majors take the 3000-level writing course, the task force encourages all programs to seriously consider having the prerequisite for that course reduced to 40 credits so their students may take it in their second year, closer to the time when they take College Writing. All such decisions will, of course, need to be made in consultation with the Writing Studies Department.

The task force also recommends that each program identify a course or courses in which their majors have additional opportunities to develop their writing skills within the coursework required for the major. These courses should be offered in the junior and/or senior year and will help to generate a more consistent, integrated approach to the development of writing skills over the entirety of a college career.

In addition to the above concerns, the task force also heard from many students that WRIT 1120, College Writing, is not tailored to their varying needs and abilities. Basing their opinions on their own experience and that of their peers, these students complained that remedial, average, and advanced students are all placed in the same course. The task force therefore suggests that UMD should implement a placement process that will channel incoming students into specially designed sections of College Writing that will be appropriate to their current level of skill. Placing students will help to increase the positive impact of the first year writing experience and help all students continue the process of developing written communication skills.

Finally, the task force sees a vital need for a professionally staffed writing center on the UMD campus. Currently, students in WRIT 1120, College Writing, have access to a small writing center professionally staffed by instructors for that particular course; the tutoring offered in this center is restricted to work for College Writing only. Students needing help with writing for other courses may seek assistance from a small cadre of undergraduate tutors who work for the Supportive Services Department. We judge these facilities to be inadequate to the needs of our campus and recommend establishing a writing center on a much more ambitious scale, one that would not only provide help for students working on papers but also support for faculty integrating writing instruction into their liberal education courses and courses for the major. The new Liberal Education Core requires that writing be a consistent part of a student’s academic career, and the task force believes that increased instructional support is essential for achieving this goal.

Recommendation: The Liberal Education Task Force recommends that the following language be adopted as the UMD liberal education mission statement:

Mission Statement: The Goals of a Liberal Education
A liberal education prepares individuals to lead productive and socially responsible lives in a diverse and rapidly changing world. Liberal education at UMD helps students develop competencies that can be adapted for use in any occupation and by virtually any individual. Liberal education at UMD is not restricted to any particular part of the curriculum but is woven through each student’s course of study, including core requirements and requirements for the major.
Liberally educated students are “Aware, Prepared, and Committed.”
Aware:
• Of the foundations of knowledge and inquiry about nature, culture and society
• Of the past and its relevance to the present and the future
• Of diverse cultural values
• Of the ethical implications of ideas and actions
• Of contemporary global issues
Prepared:
• To identify, analyze and solve problems, demonstrating critical and analytical thinking competency within and across various fields of knowledge
• To think creatively, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, imagination and flexibility
• To communicate effectively through writing and speaking
• To work productively independently and through collaboration
• To access, evaluate, and make use of information gathered through multiple methodologies
Committed:
• To life-long learning
• To civic engagement and social responsibility
• To knowledge and competence across cultures

Context and Rationale:
The task force began its work by gathering input regarding perceptions of liberal education on the UMD campus. The one complaint that we heard most consistently was that the current program lacks clarity and coherence. We learned that students have difficulty understanding what is required and why; that advisors are often unable to explain the requirements clearly and persuasively to their advisees or even to themselves; and that many faculty see the current liberal education curriculum as a “smorgasbord” of course offerings rather than the unified program it purports to be.

In reviewing the relevant sections of the UMD Catalog, the task force also discovered that the language which currently appears to function as a mission statement for liberal education on our campus is, in fact, merely descriptive of the curricular structure it introduces; the statement does not identify a mission for liberal education, nor does it provide a foundation upon which to develop a set of clear, coherent, and justifiable outcomes for liberal learning.

The task force also read widely in current literature on best practice and contemporary reform of liberal education in the United States. These readings reinforced our determination that it is time to redefine the mission of liberal education at UMD. Recognizing the need for revisions that reflect the realities of the 21st century, the task force crafted the mission statement above.

The proposed mission statement establishes foundational guidelines for the generation of the new Liberal Education Core, which is presented in a later section of this document. The new mission statement also organizes the various learning outcomes a liberal education strives to achieve by categorizing them as three broad competency sets: liberally educated students at UMD are “Aware, Prepared, and Committed”—a succinct and deliberately catchy phrase that we believe summarizes the goals of liberal learning in a coherent and appealing manner.

The proposed mission statement also helps create a foundation for a renewed commitment to liberal education on the UMD campus. It promotes an integrated approach to achieving learning outcomes by explicitly stating that liberal education is “woven through each student’s course of study.” We believe the above set of goals can be easily understood by students and advisors, and that it can guide faculty as they generate learning outcomes for courses to be included in the core.

Recommendation: Restructuring Liberal Education Requirements at UMD

Recommendation: The Liberal Education Task Force recommends restructuring liberal education requirements at UMD as follows:

Liberal Education Core

Part I. Language and Reasoning Skills (9 credits)

a. Writing and Information Literacy
(6 credits, including WRIT 1120, WRIT 31XX [can be offered at 40 credits], plus additional experience provided in writing-intensive course(s) identified by the programs)

b. Speaking and Logic (3 credits)
• Oral Communication
• Languages
• Logic and Quantitative Reasoning

Part II. Knowledge Domains (21 credits)
a. Natural Science and Math (6 credits, 2 designators, 1 lab)
b. Social Sciences (6 credits, 2 designators)
c. Humanities (6 credits, 2 designators)
d. Fine Arts (3 credits)

Part III. Key Topics (9 credits)
a. Global Perspectives (3 credits)
b. Cultural Diversity in the US (3 credits)
c. The Natural Environment (3 credits)

Notes:
1. The above is an outline of the proposed core, which is presented in full, with criteria for approving courses, in the final section of this document.
2. Liberal Education core courses may be offered at the 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level. Courses offered at the 3000- and 4000-level within the major satisfying the Key Topics requirement will not be required to serve a wide spectrum of students.
3. With the exception of Key Topics courses, which may also be used to satisfy a Knowledge Domain requirement, a particular course may be listed in only one place in the Liberal Education Core. If approved by the relevant department, a Liberal Education Core course may also be used to satisfy a requirement in a student’s major or minor.

Context and Rationale:
As indicated in the rationale for our first recommendation, a recurring theme among UMD faculty, staff, and students is that the present program lacks coherence and that it is difficult for students and advisors to understand. The creation of the new Liberal Education Mission Statement begins to address this problem by more precisely outlining the larger goals of a liberal education. But questions regarding the current structure of requirements remain: Is the ten-category distribution model really a “smorgasbord,” or is there an underlying structure by which these categories are meaningfully related? Could those same categories be reconfigured and defined so that they don’t seem so fragmented and arbitrary to students and advisors? Could we create categories more clearly connected to the liberal learning outcomes identified in the new mission statement? In addition to grappling with these questions about curricular structure, the task force also sought to address a related problem pervasive not only at UMD but nationwide: the perception that liberal education is more or less irrelevant to the rest of the student’s education—that lib ed is something to “get out of the way” so that “real” learning can take place in the major. In an attempt to respond constructively to these concerns, the task force has developed a new Liberal Education Core which emphasizes three crucial aspects of liberal learning: Language and Reasoning Skills; Knowledge Domains (and the modes of inquiry employed in each), and Key Topics in our contemporary world.

The task force developed the new LE Core by reviewing liberal education programs on other campuses while at the same time seriously considering the various ways our current program achieves the goals of a liberal education. Our aim was to preserve those parts of our program that are successful and to strengthen it by incorporating some of the best practices of other campuses. The resulting new core meets four objectives that we consider important:
ß it promotes greater integration of liberal learning throughout the student’s undergraduate education by encouraging the spread of liberal education into the major and across the four years of study;
ß it is a clear set of requirements that can be easily understood by faculty, advisors, students, and parents;
ß it is a hybrid model that retains the best aspects of our current distribution model while adding intellectual depth and coherence through a uniform emphasis on the various “ways of knowing” employed in different disciplines; and
ß it is flexible, allowing students to use courses for multiple purposes and encouraging departments to find creative ways of contributing to the liberal education curriculum while at the same time incorporating liberal learning into their majors.
We believe the proposed core will make sense to students: its structure reflects and facilitates the intellectual growth that should occur over the four years of the undergraduate experience at UMD. The development of language and reasoning skills (in Part I of the proposed core) coupled with study within the four knowledge domains, with a focus on the modes of inquiry used in each (Part II), should prepare students to apply both knowledge and skills when addressing some of the challenging issues we face today (Part III).

A word about integrating liberal education into the major:

Members of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and other experts note that one of the problems with current debates about reforming the curriculum in higher education is that they tend to be “fixated” on general education, which typically makes up only about one-third of the courses students take for the undergraduate degree. Meaningful reform of liberal education, they argue, almost inevitably involves making changes in other parts of the curriculum, most importantly the major. The task force strongly agrees with this view and our recommendations reflect that opinion.

The new LE Core allows for integration with a student’s major in multiple ways. Since liberal learning courses may also serve as requirements for the major, and upper division liberal education courses may be designed specifically for students within the major (should the department choose to do so), programs will able to create a tightly integrated approach to achieving the goals of a liberal education, as described in the new Liberal Education Mission Statement. This type of integration will, in most cases, be possible in Part II, Knowledge Domains, and Part III, Key Topics. With respect to Part I, Language and Reasoning Skills, programs will be asked to identify one or more upper division courses within their major that build on the fundamental skills developed in the required Writing Studies sequence. Thus, beginning with a basic writing and information literacy course taken in the freshman year (WRIT 1120), students will move on not only to a more discipline-focused Writing Studies course (WRIT 3XX) but also to structured learning of writing skills in one or more of their major courses.

In previous drafts of these recommendations, we attempted to include two “themes” that are not directly addressed in the proposed Liberal Education Core: civic engagement and moral and ethical reasoning. In both cases, we believe that relevant learning outcomes can be achieved without making them explicit requirements within the core. We assume that moral and ethical reasoning skills are currently taught, and will continue to be developed in a variety of courses, especially within the major. The office of civic engagement is currently helping faculty integrate community-based learning strategies into course curriculum, sustaining strong volunteer opportunities and generating other kinds of co-curricular activities to promote citizenship. As campus wide learning outcomes, both of these will be assessed in the near future and need not be included in the current liberal education proposal.

The explicit and implicit coordination between the major course of study and the Liberal Education Core requirements will create a more holistic approach to accomplishing the goal of a liberal education and, more generally, the academic mission of the University of Minnesota Duluth.

UMD Liberal Education Core
Draft Outline with Criteria
January 2009

The proposed UMD Liberal Education Core has three parts. The first part is designed to strengthen students’ language and reasoning skills, including information literacy. Part two provides breadth of knowledge and experience with multiple modes of inquiry through coursework distributed across four broad knowledge domains. In part three, students bring together knowledge and skill to study three key contemporary topics.
While individual parts of the core have minimum credit requirements, as indicated below, there is no minimum credit requirement for the overall core.

Criteria for All Liberal Education Courses

The use of active learning strategies is strongly encouraged in all liberal education courses.
Courses approved for liberal education credit—
o Will be suitable for a wide spectrum of students;
o Will be taught by those familiar with the goals and methods of teaching liberal education courses;
o Will help students to understand the nature and value of a liberal education and to recognize how the course in question contributes to such an education;
o May be offered at the 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level;
o Will be offered regularly (at least every other year).

If approved by the appropriate department, a liberal education course may also be used to satisfy a requirement within the major or minor.

PART I. Language and Reasoning Skills

A. Writing and Information Literacy (6 credits)

All UMD students become skillful writers and users of information resources through a strong focus on writing that spans the four years of their college careers. A strong foundation in written communication and information literacy is provided through two required Liberal Education Core courses:

Writing Studies 1120 College Writing (3 credits)
This course is normally taken in the freshman year.

Writing Studies 31xx Advanced Composition (3 credits)
The prerequisites for each particular WRIT 31xx course will be determined by the relevant programs in conjunction with the Writing Studies Department. Taking WRIT 31xx in the sophomore year, with a prerequisite of 40 credits, may be optimal for students in some majors.

Advanced skills in these areas are then further developed within the student’s major field of study at the 3000- and/or 4000-level during the junior and/or senior years. Each program will be asked to identify a course or courses where this will be achieved.

B. Speaking and Logic (3 credits)

All UMD students develop skills in speaking or logic by selecting at least one course from the following three categories. Disciplines likely to contribute courses to this part of the Liberal Education Core include communication, computer science, language studies, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, and statistics.

ÿ Oral Communication
ÿ Languages
ÿ Logic and Quantitative Reasoning

Oral Communication
Courses approved for liberal education credit in Oral Communication will have as their primary focus the development of the knowledge and skill sets necessary for effective oral communication.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, oral communication courses will-
o Examine the processes necessary to develop and arrange message content;
o Emphasize the need to craft and adapt messages to particular audiences and situations;
o Present the fundamentals of appropriate language and effective style;
o Analyze ways in which delivery is enhanced or inhibited by both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication;
o Emphasize practical exercises and individual presentations that require students to understand and apply the above skills sets in verbal and non-verbal communication.

Languages
Courses approved for liberal education credit in Languages will develop students’ communicative skills and/or language competence in languages other than English.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, language courses will—
o Develop students’ receptive and active skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking (or, in the case of ASL courses, signing rather than speaking), and/or
o Develop students’ grammatical, textual, illocutionary, socio-linguistic and cultural competence.

Logic and Quantitative Reasoning
Courses approved for liberal education credit in Logic and Quantitative Reasoning will develop students’ logic and/or quantitative reasoning skills and enable them to apply these skills to a variety of everyday situations.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, Logic and Quantitative Reasoning courses will-
o Enable students to understand and use symbolic systems;
o Develop students’ ability to recognize and exercise valid reasoning;
o Help students to analyze and evaluate quantitative and/or logical problems.

Knowledge Domains – Ways of Knowing

All UMD students complete liberal education courses in the four major knowledge domains. In addition to content intrinsic to each of these areas, these courses will introduce students to the principle modes of inquiry within each domain.

Criteria for all Knowledge Domain Courses

Courses approved for knowledge domains may come from a variety of departments and may involve instructors from more than one department or collegiate unit. Departments may submit courses for more than one knowledge domain. A particular course may be submitted for only one knowledge domain. If suitable, a course may be approved for inclusion in both a knowledge domain and in the key topics section of the Liberal Education Core. Such knowledge domain courses may be used to satisfy one Key Topic requirement.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, courses approved for credit for the knowledge domains will—

o Identify established modes of inquiry within the knowledge domain and explore some of the various ways in which scholars/researchers/practitioners investigate, test, and create knowledge;
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the particular knowledge domain;
o Explain how knowledge in the domain is professionally validated and enters the public realm and with what effect;
o Point out connections to other fields and disciplines, as appropriate;
o Situate the course content, at least minimally, within the historical development of major ideas in the field.

THE NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATH
(6 credits, different designators, 1 course must have a lab)

Natural Sciences

The natural sciences focus on the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theory of natural phenomena. Disciplines typically included in this domain are biology, chemistry and biochemistry, the geological sciences, astronomy, the environmental sciences, and physics.

Liberal education courses in the natural sciences teach students how to formulate and test scientific hypotheses, interpret experimentally obtained data, and draw conclusions from the data. They also create a link between scientific ideas and problems that arise in the everyday world.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in the natural sciences will—

o Focus on content appropriate for the natural sciences ;
o Familiarize students with the scientific method by actively engaging them in the process of objectively developing and empirically testing hypotheses;
o Address the variety of ways by which scientists arrive at, develop, and test ideas about the natural world, including the distinction between statistical distribution of patterns, testing of hypotheses using experiments, the development of theory to guide experiments and observations, and the distinction between prediction, statistical analysis, and experimental data in drawing conclusions about cause and effect;
o Help students to understand how established scientific methods and accepted theories have developed historically out of a process of discovery, debate, and consensus-building over time within the scientific community;
o Increase quantitative literacy skills and engage students in mathematical thinking through the analysis and interpretation of data and by providing direct problem-solving experiences.

To be approved for liberal education credit as a natural science course with a lab, the course will include one or more of the following:

o a laboratory or field work component, consisting of, on average, at least two hours per week, which may involve direct experimentation, fieldwork, or computer simulations, and in which students have first-hand experience in producing and handling data, using tools of the discipline (i.e., thinking and working like a scientist in the discipline);
o hands-on discovery-based experiments, measurements, simulations or analyses that test basic concepts or hypotheses;
o quantitative examination and testing of phenomena that may be described in terms of principles recognized within the discipline;
o examination of the relationship between structure and function of biological specimens;
o exploration of biological systems to understand how individual organisms interact with each other and the environment;
o use of mathematical models to describe or predict responses and behaviors in living systems;
o laboratory experiments that allow students to confront interpretation of mistakes and unexpected results.

Mathematics

As a knowledge domain, mathematics uses formal symbolic systems to treat such concepts as quantity, space, change, and structure. It consists of many fields including but not limited to algebra, geometry, calculus, arithmetic, trigonometry, topology, probability, statistics, set theory, group theory, graph theory, and chaos theory; some types of linguistics study fall within the mathematics domain as well.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in math will—

o Develop students’ ability to understand, use, and analyze formal symbolic systems by which mathematics operates and expresses itself;
o Demonstrate and engage students in the processes of mathematical reasoning and discovery;
o Represent mathematics as both a tool applied in other fields of science and as a body of knowledge that is valuable in its own right;
o Create a link between mathematical ideas and problems that arise in the everyday world, for example, probabilistic thinking and decision-making.

THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
(6 credits, different designators)

The Social Sciences are those branches of knowledge that investigate how cultural, social, and structural factors influence human social behavior. Disciplines typically included in this domain are anthropology, geography, political science, psychology, sociology, and economics; interdisciplinary fields and sub-disciplines that make important contributions to social science inquiry include education, communication, women’s studies, and cultural studies.

Liberal education courses in these fields introduce students to the major theoretical perspectives in the given field, such that students understand the meaning and application of key concepts, learn how to both test and build theory, and articulate policy implications of theory. Students are introduced to standard methodological approaches utilized by social scientists so that they learn how to formulate hypotheses, collect data, interpret and analyze data, and draw conclusions.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in the social sciences will—

o Focus on content appropriate to any of the many branches of social science;
o Demonstrate some of the ways in which social scientists study human group behavior to familiarize students with established modes of inquiry in the relevant social science subfield(s);
o Engage students actively in one or more methods by which social scientists formulate hypotheses, gather and interpret data, and reach conclusions;
o Acknowledge and, where appropriate, demonstrate the relevance of other disciplines—especially those within the domain of the social sciences-- to the material under study.

THE HUMANITIES
(6 credits, different designators)

The Humanities are those branches of knowledge concerned with human thought and culture. They typically include language, literature, history, and philosophy, as well as important interdisciplinary fields and sub-disciplines such as English; linguistics; foreign languages, literature, and cultures; cultural studies; and communication.

In humanities courses, students learn to describe, analyze, interpret, and otherwise critically examine the products and processes of human culture, including material artifacts, activities, and systems of meaning and value (such as particular philosophical, linguistic, and intellectual traditions or innovations). Humanities courses typically situate the objects of study historically and within the context of a particular culture or cultures. Humanities courses introduce students to the theories and methods of inquiry relevant to a particular field, or fields, of humanistic study, and they make students aware of the controversies within that discipline. Humanities courses therefore encourage students to examine objects of humanistic study closely, analytically, and critically in order to deepen their appreciation for the diversity and complexity of human culture.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in the humanities will—

o Focus on course content appropriate to the wide field of humanistic studies;
o Involve students in the active, critical examination of the products and/or processes of human culture;
o Situate the objects of study historically and in relation to the culture(s) that produced them;
o Familiarize students with established mode(s) of inquiry in the relevant subfield(s) of humanistic study;
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the field.

THE FINE ARTS
(3 credits)

The Fine Arts use imagination, creativity, and discipline-specific skills to reflect the complexity of human life. They typically include art, creative writing, dance, graphic design, music, and theatre.

Fines Arts courses develop the student’s ability to think and act with creativity, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, imagination and flexibility. These courses also develop the student’s ability to appreciate the aesthetic value of static and kinetic fine art.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in the fine arts will—

o Provide students opportunities to learn about the techniques of artistic creation;
o Provide students opportunities to experience or observe the creative process;
o Enable students to draw on the intellect, emotions, and knowledge of historical context in order to comprehend, analyze, and interpret works of art;
o Enable students to comprehend the relationship between the creative process and the historical, socio-economic, and cultural forces surrounding it;
o Familiarize students with established modes of inquiry in the relevant subfield(s) of the fine arts;
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the field and/or about the material under study;
o Develop aesthetic values and the ability to appreciate art.

III. Key Topics

Engaging appropriately with people of various cultures, functioning effectively in international situations, and recognizing the impact one has on the natural environment have become essential competencies in the 21st century. Being liberally educated today means being knowledgeable and capable in these three critical areas.

Ideally, these courses are taken later in the student’s course of study and build on their developed language and reasoning skills and experience with the knowledge domains.
Courses approved in this section must focus on only one of the three designated key topics. Departments may submit appropriate courses for inclusion both in a knowledge domain and as a key topic. Such knowledge domain courses may be used to satisfy only one Key Topic requirement.

Criteria for All Key Topic Courses

Courses approved for liberal education credit in Key Topics will---

o Examine one of the three designated key contemporary topics and explore ways in which it may affect the life of the student in the present and in the future;
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions the topic presents;
o Examine connections to other fields and disciplines, as appropriate;
o Situate the course content, at least minimally, within the historical development of the critical forces contributing to the topic;
o Make the chosen topic the dominant focus of the course, integral to its content and objectives, as evidenced by the syllabus, course assignments, and learning activities described in the proposal.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
(3 credits)

Courses approved for the Global Perspective requirement focus on developing an awareness of contemporary global topics and transnational connections. Global topics entail interrelationships among cultures, societies, nations, and other social units worldwide, and they include transnational processes such as migration, urbanization, trade, diplomacy, and information flow. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments. Courses will examine global topics facing at least one country other than the United States, with an emphasis on shifts in cultural, economic, political, and social relationships. Students will have the opportunity to consider matters such as the rights and responsibilities of global citizenship and to develop greater cross-cultural competence.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will—

o Critically examine the rights and responsibilities of the globally competent citizen;
o Examine at least one non-U.S. country, culture, or region;
o Help students to understand current global developments, to consider how they will participate in global change, and to anticipate how they might be impacted by current and future trends in international politics, economics, and social and cultural norms;
o Provide students with opportunities to develop cross-cultural competence.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES
(3 credits)

Courses approved for the Cultural Diversity in the United States requirement focus on creating awareness of diverse cultural values and increasing a commitment to knowledge and competence across various cultures, with an emphasis on those represented in the United States. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments. These courses provide students with an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the culturally complex social fabric of the United States and to enhance their abilities to interact with the diverse groups that make up our nation.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will—

o Critically examine issues of human and cultural diversity;
o Provide an understanding of differences based on race, class, gender identity/expression, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, and/or religious affiliation;
o Examine diverse traditions and values, as well as the social, cultural, and political contributions of different groups;
o Advance students’ understanding of how different cultures historically have shaped, and been shaped by, social, political, and economic realities in the United States, with an emphasis on past and present aspects of social justice;
o Provide students with opportunities to develop cross-cultural competence.

THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
(3 credits)

Courses approved for the Natural Environment requirement focus on developing an awareness of the interaction of the natural environment with societal needs and desires. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments. Courses will examine ways in which the science of the natural environment interacts with economic, social, and political forces in a local, national and/or global context. Students will develop the ability to understand and analyze the impact of their lives on the natural environment.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:

o Address in detail one or more important environmental topic;
o Cover fundamental scientific principles applicable to environmental issues, and utilize these principles to evaluate the validity of information pertaining to the topic in question;
o Provide the economic, social and political context necessary to analyze the topic from a public policy perspective, with special consideration to the challenge of reconciling the needs of human society with those of the natural environment essential to sustaining all life.

Context and Rationale:
The Task Force began its work by gathering input regarding perceptions of liberal education on the UMD campus. The one complaint that we heard most consistently was that the current program lacks clarity and coherence. We learned that students have difficulty understanding what is required and why; that advisors are often unable to explain the requirements clearly and persuasively to their advisees or even to themselves; and that many faculty see the current liberal education curriculum as a “smorgasbord�? of course offerings rather than the unified program it purports to be.

In reviewing the relevant sections of the UMD Catalog, the Task Force also discovered that the language which currently appears to function as a mission statement for liberal education on our campus is, in fact, merely descriptive of the curricular structure it introduces; the statement does not identify a mission for liberal education, nor does it provide a foundation upon which to develop a set of clear, coherent, and justifiable outcomes for liberal learning.

The Task Force also read widely in current literature on best practice and contemporary reform of liberal education in the United States. These readings reinforced our determination that it is time to redefine the mission of liberal education at UMD. Recognizing the need for revisions that reflect the realities of the 21st century, the Task Force crafted the mission statement above.

The proposed mission statement establishes foundational guidelines for the generation of the new Liberal Education Core, which is presented in later sections of this document. The new mission statement also organizes the various learning outcomes a liberal education strives to achieve by categorizing them as three broad competency sets: liberally educated students at UMD are “Aware, Prepared, and Committed�?—a succinct and deliberately catchy phrase that we believe summarizes the goals of liberal learning in a coherent and appealing manner.

The proposed mission statement also helps create a foundation for a renewed commitment to liberal education on the UMD campus. It promotes an integrated approach to achieving learning outcomes by explicitly stating that liberal education is “woven through each student’s course of study.�? We believe the above set of goals can be easily understood by students and advisors, and that it can guide faculty as they generate learning outcomes for courses to be included in the core.

Recommendation: Restructuring Liberal Education Requirements at UMD

Recommendation: The Liberal Education Task Force recommends restructuring liberal education requirements at UMD as follows:
Liberal Education Core
I. Language and Reasoning Skills (minimum 9+ credits)

a. Writing and Information Literacy
(minimum 6+ credits, including WRIT 1120, WRIT 3XXX [can be offered at 40 credits], and upper division writing-intensive courses identified by programs)

b. Speaking and Logic (minimum 3 credits)
• Oral Communication
• Languages
• Logic and Quantitative Reasoning
(Criteria are currently being developed for all three of the above Speaking and Logic areas.)
II. Knowledge Domains (minimum 21 credits)
a. Natural Science and Math (minimum 6 credits, 2 designators, 1 lab)
b. Social Sciences (minimum 6 credits, 2 designators)
c. Humanities (minimum 6 credits, 2 designators)
d. Fine Arts (minimum 3 credits)
III. Key Topics (minimum 9 credits)
a. Global Perspectives (minimum 3 credits)
b. Cultural Diversity in the US (minimum 3 credits)
c. The Natural Environment (minimum 3 credits)

Notes:
1. The above is an outline of the proposed core, which is presented in full, with criteria for approving courses for inclusion, in the final section of this document
2. Knowledge Domain courses may also satisfy one Key Topics requirement. Any Liberal Education Core course may also satisfy a requirement in a students’ major or minor.
3. Liberal Education core courses may be offered at the 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level. Courses offered at the 3000 and 4000 level within the major satisfying the Key Topics requirement will not be required to serve a wide spectrum of students.
4. Departments can submit courses for more than one knowledge domain. A particular course can be submitted for only one Knowledge Domain.

Context and Rationale:
As indicated in the rationale for our first recommendation, a recurring theme among UMD faculty, staff, and students is that the present program lacks coherence and that it is difficult for students and advisors to understand. The creation of the new Liberal Education Mission Statement begins to address this problem by more precisely outlining the larger goals of a liberal education. But questions regarding the current structure of requirements remain: Is the ten-category distribution model really a “smorgasbord,�? or is there underlying structure by which these categories are meaningfully related? Could those same categories be reconfigured and defined so that they don’t seem so fragmented and arbitrary to students and advisors? Could we create categories more clearly connected to the liberal learning outcomes identified in the new mission statement? In addition to grappling with these questions about curricular structure, the Task Force also sought to address a related problem pervasive not only at UMD but nationwide: the perception that liberal education is more or less irrelevant to the rest of the student’s education—that lib ed is something to “get out of the way�? so that “real�? learning can take place in the major. In an attempt to respond constructively to these concerns, the Task Force has developed a new Liberal Education Core which emphasizes three crucial aspects of liberal learning: Language and Reasoning Skills; Knowledge Domains (and the modes of inquiry employed in each), and Key Topics in our contemporary world.

The Task Force developed the new LE Core by reviewing liberal education programs on other campuses while at the same time seriously considering the various ways our current program achieves the goals of a liberal education. Our aim was to preserve those parts of our program that are successful and to strengthen it by incorporating some of the best practices of other campuses. The resulting new core meets four objectives that we consider important:
ß it promotes greater integration of liberal learning throughout the student’s undergraduate education by encouraging the spread of liberal education into the major and across the four years of study;
ß it is a clear set of requirements that can be easily understood by faculty, advisors, students, and parents;
ß it is a hybrid model that retains the best aspects of our current distribution model while adding intellectual depth and coherence through a uniform emphasis on the various “ways of knowing�? employed in different disciplines; and
ß it is flexible, allowing students to use courses for multiple purposes and encouraging departments to find creative ways of contributing to the liberal education curriculum while at the same time incorporating liberal learning into their majors.
We believe the proposed core will make sense to students: its structure reflects and facilitates the intellectual growth that should occur over the four years of the undergraduate experience at UMD. The development of language and reasoning skills (in Part I of the proposed core) coupled with study within the four knowledge domains, with a focus on the modes of inquiry used in each (Part II), should prepare students to apply both knowledge and skills when addressing some of the challenging issues we face today (Part III).

A word about integrating liberal education into the major:
Members of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and other experts note that one of the problems with current debates about reforming the curriculum in higher education is that they tend to be “fixated�? on general education, which typically makes up only about one-third of the courses students take for the undergraduate degree. Meaningful reform of liberal education, they argue, almost inevitably involves making changes in other parts of the curriculum, most importantly the major. The Task Force strongly agrees with this view and our recommendations reflect that opinion.

The new LE Core allows for integration with a student’s major in multiple ways. Since liberal learning courses may also serve as requirements for the major, and upper division liberal education courses may be designed specifically for students within the major (should the department choose to do so), programs will able to create a tightly integrated approach to achieving the goals of a liberal education, as described in the new LE Mission Statement. This type of integration will, in most cases, be possible in Part II, Knowledge Domains, and Part III, Key Topics. With respect to Part I, Language and Reasoning Skills, programs will be asked to identify one or more upper division courses within their major that build on the fundamental skills developed in the required Writing Studies sequence. Thus, beginning with a basic writing and information literacy course taken in the freshman year (WRIT 1120), students will move on not only to a more discipline-focused Writing Studies course (WRIT 3XX) but also to structured learning of writing skills in one or more of their major courses.

In previous drafts of these recommendations, we attempted to include two “themes�? that are not directly addressed in the proposed liberal education core: civic engagement and moral and ethical reasoning. In both cases, we believe that relevant learning outcomes can be achieved without making them explicit requirements within the core. We expect that moral and ethical reasoning skills are currently, and will continue to be developed in a variety of courses, especially within the major. The office of civic engagement is currently helping faculty integrate community based learning strategies into course curriculum, sustaining strong volunteer opportunities and generating other kinds of co-curricular activities to promote citizenship. As campus wide learning outcomes, both of these will be assessed in the near future.

The explicit and implicit coordination designed to achieve the goals of a liberal education between the major course of study and the Liberal Education Core requirements will create a more holistic approach to accomplishing the academic mission of the University of Minnesota Duluth.

UMD Liberal Education Core
Draft Outline with Criteria
January 2009

The proposed UMD Liberal Education Core has three parts. The first part is designed to strengthen students’ language and reasoning skills, including information literacy. Part two provides breadth of knowledge and experience with multiple modes of inquiry through coursework distributed across four broad knowledge domains. In part three, students bring together knowledge and skill to study three key contemporary topics.
While individual parts of the core have minimum credit requirements, as indicated below, there is no minimum credit requirement for the overall core.
Criteria for All Liberal Education Courses

The use of active learning strategies is strongly encouraged in all liberal education courses.

Courses approved for liberal education credit—

o Will be suitable for a wide spectrum of students;
o Will be taught by those familiar with the goals and methods of teaching liberal education courses;
o Will help students to understand the nature and value of a liberal education and to recognize how the course in question contributes to such an education;
o May be offered at the 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level;
o Will be offered regularly (at least every other year).

If approved by the appropriate department, a liberal education course may also be used to satisfy a requirement within the major or minor.

Language and Reasoning Skills

a. Writing and Information Literacy (minimum 6+ credits)

All UMD students become skillful writers and users of information resources through a strong focus on writing that spans the four years of their college careers. A strong foundation in written communication and information literacy is provided through two required Liberal Education Core courses:

Writing Studies 1120 College Writing (3 credits)
This course is normally taken in the freshman year.

Writing Studies 31xx Advanced Composition (3 credits)
The prerequisites for each particular WRIT 31xx course will be determined by the relevant programs in conjunction with the Writing Studies Department. Taking WRIT 31xx in the sophomore year, with a prerequisite of 40 credits, may be optimal for students in some majors.

Advanced skills in these areas are then further developed within the student’s major field of study at the 3000- and/or 4000-level during the junior and/or senior years. Each program will be asked to identify a course or courses where this will be achieved.

b. Speaking and Logic (minimum 3 credits)

UMD students will select at least one course from the following categories.

• Oral Communication
• Languages
• Logic and Quantitative Reasoning

(criteria are currently being developed for all three of these areas)

Knowledge Domains – Ways of Knowing

All UMD students complete liberal education courses in the four major knowledge domains. In addition to content intrinsic to each of these areas, these courses will introduce students to the principle modes of inquiry within each domain.

Criteria for all Knowledge Domain Courses

Courses approved for knowledge domains may come from a variety of departments and may involve instructors from more than one department or collegiate unit. Departments may submit courses for more than one knowledge domain. A particular course may be submitted for only one knowledge domain. If suitable, a course may be approved for inclusion in both a knowledge domain and in the key topics section of the Liberal Education Core. Such knowledge domain courses may be used to satisfy one Key Topic requirement.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, courses approved for credit for the knowledge domains will—

o Identify the established modes of inquiry within the knowledge domain and explore some of the various ways in which scholars/researchers/practitioners investigate, test, and create knowledge;
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the particular knowledge domain;
o Explain how knowledge in the domain is professionally validated and enters the public realm and with what effect;
o Point out connections to other fields and disciplines, as appropriate
o Situate the course content, at least minimally, within the historical development of major ideas in the field.

THE NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATH
(minimum 6 credits, different designators, 1 course must have a lab)

Natural Sciences

The natural sciences focus on the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theory of natural phenomena. Disciplines that typically are included in this domain are biology, chemistry and biochemistry, the geological sciences, astronomy, the environmental sciences, and physics.

Liberal education courses in the natural sciences teach students how to formulate and test scientific hypotheses, interpret experimentally obtained data, and draw conclusions from the data. They also create a link between scientific ideas and problems that arise in the everyday world.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in the natural sciences will—

o Focus on content appropriate for the natural sciences ;
o Familiarize students with the scientific method by actively engaging them in the process of objectively developing and empirically testing hypotheses;
o Address the variety of ways by which scientists arrive at, develop, and test ideas about the natural world, including the distinction between statistical distribution of patterns, testing of hypotheses using experiments, and the development of theory to guide experiments and observations, and the distinction between prediction, statistical analysis, and experimental data in drawing conclusions about cause and effect;
o Help students to understand how established scientific methods and accepted theories have developed historically out of a process of discovery, debate, and consensus-building over time within the scientific community;
o Increase quantitative literacy skills and engage students in mathematical thinking through the analysis and interpretation of data and by providing direct problem-solving experiences.

To be approved for liberal education credit as a natural science course with a lab, the course will include one or more of the following:

o a laboratory or field work component, consisting of, on average, at least two hours per week, which may involve direct experimentation, fieldwork, or computer simulations, and in which students have first-hand experience in producing and handling data, using tools of the discipline (i.e., thinking and working like a scientist in the discipline);
o hands-on discovery-based experiments, measurements, simulations or analyses that test basic concepts or hypotheses;
o quantitative examination and testing of phenomena that may be described in terms of principles recognized within the discipline;
o examination of the relationship between structure and function of biological specimens;
o exploration of biological systems to understand how individual organisms interact with each other and the environment;
o use of mathematical models to describe or predict responses and behaviors in living systems;
o laboratory experiments that allow students to confront interpretation of mistakes and unexpected results.

Mathematics

As a knowledge domain, mathematics uses formal symbolic systems to treat such concepts as quantity, space, change, and structure. It consists of many fields including but not limited to algebra, geometry, calculus, arithmetic, trigonometry, topology, probability, statistics, set theory, group theory, graph theory, and chaos theory; some types of linguistics study fall within the mathematics domain as well.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in math will—

o Develop students’ ability to understand, use, and analyze formal symbolic systems by which mathematics operates and expresses itself;
o Demonstrate and engage students in the processes of mathematical reasoning and discovery;
o Represent mathematics as both a tool applied in other fields of science and as a body of knowledge that is valuable in its own right;
o Create a link between mathematical ideas and problems that arise in the everyday world, for example, probabilistic thinking and decision-making.

THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
(minimum 6 credits, different designators)

The Social Sciences are those branches of knowledge that investigate how cultural, social, and structural factors influence human social behavior. Disciplines typically included in this domain are anthropology, geography, political science, psychology, sociology, and economics; interdisciplinary fields and sub-disciplines that make important contributions to social science inquiry include education, communication, women’s studies, and cultural studies.

Liberal education courses in these fields introduce students to the major theoretical perspectives in the given field, such that students understand the meaning and application of key concepts, learn how to both test and build theory, and articulate policy implications of theory. Students are introduced to the standard methodological approaches utilized by social scientists so that they learn how to formulate hypotheses, collect data, interpret and analyze data, and draw conclusions.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in the social sciences will—

o Focus on content appropriate to any of the many branches of social science;
o Demonstrate some of the ways in which social scientists study human group behavior;
o Engage students actively in one or more of methods by which social scientists formulate hypotheses, gather and interpret data, and reach conclusions;
o Acknowledge and, where appropriate, demonstrate the relevance of other disciplines—especially those within the domain of the social sciences-- to the material under study.

THE HUMANITIES
(minimum 6 credits, different designators)

The Humanities are those branches of knowledge concerned with human thought and culture. They typically include language, literature, history, and philosophy, as well as important interdisciplinary fields and sub-disciplines such as English; linguistics; foreign languages, literature, and cultures; cultural studies; and communication.

In humanities courses, students learn to describe, analyze, interpret, and otherwise critically examine the products and processes of human culture, including material artifacts, activities, and systems of meaning and value (such as particular philosophical, linguistic, and intellectual traditions or innovations). Humanities courses typically situate the objects of study historically and within the context of a particular culture or cultures. Humanities courses introduce students to the theories and methods of inquiry relevant to a particular field, or fields, of humanistic study, and they make students aware of the controversies within that discipline. Humanities courses therefore encourage students to examine objects of humanistic study closely, analytically, and critically in order to deepen their appreciation for the diversity and complexity of human culture.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in the humanities will—

o Focus on course content appropriate to the wide field of humanistic studies;
o Involve students in the active, critical examination of the products and/or processes of human culture;
o Situate the objects of study historically and in relation to the culture(s) that produced them;
o Familiarize students with the established mode(s) of inquiry in the relevant subfield(s) of humanistic study;
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the field.

THE FINE ARTS
(minimum 3 credits)

The Fine Arts use imagination, creativity, and discipline-specific skills to reflect the complexity of human life. They typically include art, creative writing, dance, graphic design, music, and theatre.

Fines Arts courses develop the student’s ability to think and act with creativity, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, imagination and flexibility. These courses also develop the student’s ability to appreciate the aesthetic value of static and kinetic fine art.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses and the criteria for knowledge domain courses, courses approved for liberal education credit in the fine arts will—

o Provide students opportunities to learn about the techniques of artistic creation;
o Provide students opportunities to experience or observe the creative process;
o Enable students to draw on the intellect, emotions, and knowledge of historical context in order to comprehend, analyze, and interpret works of art;
o Enable students to comprehend the relationship between the creative process and the historical, socio-economic, and cultural forces surrounding it;
o Familiarize students with the established modes of inquiry in the relevant subfield(s) of the fine arts;
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the field and/or about the material under study;
o Develop aesthetic values and the ability to appreciate art.

III. Key Topics

Engaging appropriately with people of various cultures, functioning effectively in international situations, and recognizing the impact one has on the natural environment have become essential competencies in the 21st century. Being liberally educated today means being knowledgeable and capable in these three critical areas.

Ideally, these courses are taken later in the student’s course of study and build on their developed language and reasoning skills and experience with the knowledge domains.
Courses approved in this section must focus on only one of the three designated key topics. Departments may submit appropriate courses for inclusion both in a knowledge domain and as a key topic. Such knowledge domain courses may be used to satisfy only one Key Topic requirement.

Criteria for All Key Topic Courses

Courses approved for liberal education credit in Key Topics will---

o Examine one of the three designated key contemporary topics and explore ways in which it may affect the life of the student in the present and in the future;
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions the topic presents;
o Examine connections to other fields and disciplines, as appropriate;
o Situate the course content, at least minimally, within the historical development of the critical forces contributing to the topic;
o Make the chosen topic the dominant focus of the course, integral to its content and objectives, as evidenced by the syllabus, course assignments, and learning activities described in the proposal.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
(minimum 3 credits)

Courses approved for the Global Perspective requirement focus on developing an awareness of contemporary global topics and transnational connections. Global topics entail interrelationships among cultures, societies, nations, and other social units worldwide, and they include transnational processes such as migration, urbanization, trade, diplomacy, and information flow. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments. Courses will examine global topics facing at least one country other than the United States, with an emphasis on shifts in cultural, economic, political, and social relationships. Students will have the opportunity to consider matters such as the rights and responsibilities of global citizenship and to develop greater cross-cultural competence.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will—

o Critically examine the rights and responsibilities of the globally competent citizen;
o Examine at least one non-U.S. country, culture, or region;
o Help students to understand current global developments, to consider how they will participate in global change, and to anticipate how they might be impacted by current and future trends in international politics, economics, and social and cultural norms;
o Provide students with opportunities to develop cross-cultural competence.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES
(minimum 3 credits)

Courses approved for the Cultural Diversity in the United States requirement focus on creating awareness of diverse cultural values and increasing a commitment to knowledge and competence across various cultures, with an emphasis on those represented in the United States. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments. These courses provide students with an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the culturally complex social fabric of the United States and to enhance their abilities to interact with the diverse groups that make up our nation.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will—

o Critically examine issues of human and cultural diversity;
o Provide an understanding of differences based on race, class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, affectional orientation, and/or religious affiliation;
o Examine diverse traditions and values, as well as the social, cultural, and political contributions of different groups;
o Advance students’ understanding of how different cultures historically have shaped, and been shaped by, social, political, and economic realities in the United States, with an emphasis on past and present aspects of social justice;
o Provide students with opportunities to develop cross-cultural competence.

THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
(minimum 3 credits)

Courses approved for the Natural Environment requirement focus on developing an awareness of the interaction of the natural environment with societal needs and desires. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments. Courses will examine the relationship between the science of the natural environment and its interaction with economic, social, and political forces in a local, national and/or global context. Students will develop the ability to understand and analyze the impact of their lives on the natural environment.

In addition to meeting the criteria for all liberal education courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:

o Address in detail one or more important environmental topic;
o Consider both the scientific as well as the economic, social and political dimensions of the topic, with some attention to the relationship between scientific inquiry and policy-making;
o Cover fundamental scientific principles applicable to environmental issues, and utilize these principles to evaluate the validity of information pertaining to the topic in question;
o Provide the economic, social and political context necessary to analyze the topic from a public policy perspective, with special consideration to the challenge of reconciling the needs of human society with those of the natural environment essential to sustaining all life.

All eleven departments in the College of Liberal Arts submitted reports. Reactions varied widely and are difficult to present in a brief summary. While some expressed support for the proposal (“generally favorable�?) and appreciation for the work the Task Force has done, most focused on problems they saw in the draft, as we expected them to do. What follows is a list of concerns raised repeatedly and/or strongly by CLA departments:

1. Offered every year
The criterion that all general education courses be offered at least once a year is impossible for some to departments to meet. (4 departments)

2. Where do our courses fit?
A number of departments expressed concern about where courses will fit in the new program. It was felt that the proposal was not sufficiently clear about this matter. Some examples--
a. Some departments felt that that the new knowledge domain categories do not fit what they do as well as the current categories. (at least 3 departments)
b. Questions were raised about whether a department could submit their courses for more than one category. (3 departments)
c. Some departments asked whether the same course could be approved for inclusion in more than one knowledge domain.
d. They also asked whether the same course be approved for inclusion in a knowledge domain and one of the key contemporary issues categories.

3. 4000-level
Several departments are skeptical of the proposal that general education courses be offered at the 4000 level, citing the difficulty of serving the needs of both majors and non-majors at that level and questioning how the need for prereqs in such courses will be handled (4 departments)

4. Writing requirement
Four departments were opposed to making a change to the current writing requirement, for a variety of reasons (4 departments)

5. Oral communication requirement
The feedback regarding the draft oral communication category tended to reflect one of two extremes: certain departments thought the proposal TOO PRESCRIPTIVE and others thought it NOT PRESCRIPTIVE ENOUGH.

One department was concerned that the draft criteria were so restrictive that only public speaking would likely qualify. Another department felt that their courses would fit in the proposed category, except that the criteria may be too prescriptive.

A third department felt that the draft criteria were so loose that they would result in very little enhancement of speaking skills. Yet another department that such courses ought to be taught by only communication faculty with expertise, and pointed out their own faculty lacked the expertise to teach oral communication.

6. Science with a lab
One department in CLA expressed concern about dropping the requirement for a science course with a lab, and one requested clarification about whether or not the proposal maintained that requirement.

7. The term “general education�?
Three departments objected to the use of the term “general education�? and expressed a preference for “liberal education.�?

College of Education and Health and Human Service Professions
Department Response Summary

1. All of the reporting departments were supportive of more oral and written communication offerings in the proposed GE program.

2. Two of the departments were interested in how foreign languages would fit into the proposed GE program.

3. All of the reporting departments were concerned about verticality. Concerned were centered around how pre-requisites would be met, how to control enrollment, how to have the courses meet GE criteria and be made specific to the individual program needs.

4. Two of the departments were concerned about how the proposed GE program would align with accreditation needs.

5. One department felt that there was not enough math

6. Two programs were concerned that the current LE courses offered through the department would not meet the criteria set for the proposed GE program.

7. One department felt that the proposed GE program was “oriented�? toward Science/Engineering and Fine Arts. They felt that Business and CEHSP was left out

8. One department felt that Health was not well represented in the proposed GE plan

9. Two departments were concerned about supporting the 2+2 structure and the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum with the proposed GE program

Labovitz School of Business and Economics
Department Response Summary

In general, all departments felt that the degree programs are sufficiently flexible that most of the proposed changes could be accommodated without much difficulty. Some department offerings might change slightly, but without any expected major shifts in resources, with the exception that if upper division courses needed to be offered for Category 3, additional resources would be needed.

Category 1: Oral and Written Communication skills:
There is general agreement that 2 writing courses from the writing department, and another upper division course from LSBE that has a writing focus is an improvement over the current requirements. There was support for offering remedial writing and then raising the expectations for WRIT1120 or somehow targeting instruction based on current skill level.

Category 2: Ways of Knowing
· Math and Science - Want to continue to require a specific math course
· General comments - How are the ‘ways of knowing’ woven into Category II? The answer is that each course would have some coverage of ways of knowing. This led to concerns that this would be very inefficient. Might it instead be possible to have a 1-credit course on methods / ways of knowing for each of the domains?

Category 3: Key Contemporary Issues
• Why was the natural environment issue included?
• If Category III is designed to be taken separate and apart form Categories I and II, we may be significantly increasing the size of the core, may also reduce possibility of getting a minor (requires many specific upper division courses) .
∀ We had an extended discussion of alternative models to cover the ‘issues’ courses. The first (the one in the proposal) is a ‘stand-alone course’ model. The second model is an ‘integrated’ model wherein the issue is incorporated into a variety of courses. We in LSBE struggle with this issue in a variety of contexts, including the coverage of ethics. The real problem is that if the material is in theory integrated, in practice it often means that no one covers it. Therefore, it was concluded that the integrated model was not viable on either a philosophical or practical basis.
∀ Where is the critical skills / thinking piece? It seems to have dropped out of the document, but is very important.
∀ What impact does Category III have on the 60-60 split between LD and UD? Will students still be required to have 60 credits in lower division courses?

General comments / concerns
∀ How different is this proposal than what we do now? Maybe by improving the standards, the current model is fine.
∀ There should be conversations centered around criteria for courses constituting LibEd and the way of teaching LibEd, rather than focusing on the model, as the current model can work
∀ Please be sure not to lose the logic and language of the document. It’s very helpful to explain our logic behind the LibEd program.

Swenson College of Science and Engineering
Department Response Summary

There is significant, widespread opinion that the math and science requirement as outlined in the September 2008 document should be strengthened—that is, that 2 courses in “The Natural Sciences and Math�? is insufficient.

There is widespread, but not unanimous, opinion, that all students should take at least one lab science course.

There is widespread support for a requirement of a math or quantitative reasoning course; significant support for something “like the current category 2, math, logic, and critical thinking�?.

There is some support for broadening the Fine Arts category to Creativity/Design, with the idea that engineering design courses would meet the criteria.

There is widespread (nearly every department) concern about an expansion in the number of courses a student must take (over the current situation) if double dipping is not allowed between Key Contemporary Issues courses and Ways of Knowing courses. Significant support for allowing the goals of the Key Contemporary Issues are to be accomplished as parts of several courses rather than in one course. Some support for requiring only 2 of the 3 Key Contemporary issues.

There is significant support for more flexibility in the Oral Communication requirement, including that the requirement be accomplished as parts of several courses.

School of Fine Arts
Department Response Summary

1. All three departments request that some courses be counted in more than one category. For Music and Art Education, this preference is driven by accreditation. Both programs suggest that there are specific courses that are required through Education and Social Work that meet requirements in the major AND in current General Education categories.

2. The SFA programs support offering general education courses of fewer than three credits. In the current program Music offers one credit music ensembles that can be repeated and Theatre offers two credit courses in dance technique.

3. Some faculty suggested that the criteria are too prescriptive and begin to infringe upon academic freedom.

4. The new General Education/Fine Arts requirement criteria make it more difficult for courses that focus entirely on artistic expression. Some faculty have expressed a willingness to integrate course work that includes a focus on the broad scope of the place of artistic expression in the world, but others feel that these courses necessarily need to be entirely the process of creating a performance/work of art.

5. Large lecture courses, with 200-300 students enrolled, would experience more difficulty integrating active learning strategies.

6. Currently SFA students are required, in addition to the General Education program, to complete one course in the two departments other than their own. This requirement has been under scrutiny by the faculty for some time, but remains limited to a few courses in each department. Currently, these courses are also satisfying categories 9 and 10. Some perceive the reduction of the general Education Fine Arts requirement to one course as adding an additional course requirement within SFA.

7. The departments agree that the total number of credits required must not grow beyond what is currently required.

The proposed UMD General Education Program has three parts. The first part expands an emphasis on written and oral communication skills, including information literacy. Part two reorganizes the knowledge domains to offer students experience with various modes of inquiry. Part three expects students to bring together knowledge and skill to study three key contemporary issues.
In this draft, proposed criteria for all components of the plan, with the exception of the Writing & Information Literacy portion of Part 1, are included.

General Recommendations
• The Task Force recommends a focused effort to re-commit our faculty, staff and students to the importance and value of a liberal education, both in terms of pedagogy and advising. Emulation of national trends and current best practices will be encouraged.
• To be considered for inclusion in the new liberal education curriculum, all courses will be resubmitted for approval. Course proposals should clearly show that the course satisfies the new criteria for the General Education Program.

Proposed Criteria for all General Education courses

Courses approved for general education credit will---

o Be suitable for a wide spectrum of students
o Be taught by those familiar with the goals and methods of teaching liberal education courses
o Make use of active learning strategies, including those which require writing, speaking, and accessing information beyond that provided in the course textbook and assigned readings
o Help students to understand the nature and value of a liberal education and to recognize how the course in question contributes to such an education
o Be offered at the 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level
o Be offered regularly (at least once a year)

I. Writing, Information Literacy, and Oral Communication Skills

WRITING Writing Studies 1120
Writing Studies XXXX

The Task Force recommends that the existing introductory writing class, WRIT 1120, be followed with a second course preferably within the student’s first two years of study. Programs will identify an additional upper division course or courses within the major that provide additional writing experience.

The process of creating the details of the above portion of the new draft General Education program is not complete. Course criteria will be developed at a later date to suit the agreed-upon writing sequence.

ORAL COMMUNICATION 1 Course selected from a variety
of courses across several disciplines

The oral communication requirement redefines the current Category 3 by recommending that all courses approved for this area provide instruction in formal and/or informal oral communication.

These courses emphasize the theory and practice of oral communication in a variety of settings – one on one, small groups, and/or formal and informal presentations to larger groups. The courses emphasize effective spoken communication of ideas related to a broad range of subjects and/or to a specific area of study. General education courses in oral communication teach the fundamentals of oral communication which can be adapted for use in any field, including listening respectfully and critically, explaining points clearly, asking questions to gain understanding, and adapting messages for different audiences and contexts.

Through a variety of assigned and evaluated oral communication activities, such as those listed below, these courses must provide instruction and feedback for students in order to increase their competence in spoken communication.

Criteria for Oral Communication courses

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses, courses approved for general education credit in Oral Communication will:

o Examine the thought processes necessary to organize speech content
o Analyze components of effective delivery and language
o Analyze ways in which oral communication is amplified or inhibited by non-verbal forms of communication
o Require students to demonstrate, through at least two assignments in formal and/or informal settings, the ability to communicate information and ideas effectively to groups and/or individuals. These assignments should include critical evaluation and feedback and account for at least 20% of the students’ final grade.

Assignments that can satisfy this requirement include, but are not limited to:

o Group presentations-- incorporating individual presentations
o Facilitating/Participating in group discussions and community gatherings
o Chapter/Section presentations to class
o Individual presentations/Speeches-- formal/informal
o Panel discussions
o Engaging in outreach activities that incorporate oral communication skills (e.g., community teaching, coaching, presenting)
o Various forms of interviews/interrogations
o Press conference
o Various persuasion/influence appeals (e.g., sales presentations, solicitations, motivational presentations)
o Individual creative/aesthetic performances (e.g., storytelling, performance of literature, interpretations and readings, stage performance)
o Debates (individual and team)
o Critiques of and responses to others' performance, presentations.

II. Knowledge Domains – Ways of Knowing

All UMD students complete general education courses in the four major knowledge domains. In addition to content intrinsic to each of these areas, these courses will introduce students to the principle modes of inquiry within each domain.

By reducing the number of categories from ten to four, and by requiring that knowledge domain courses discuss the multiple ways in which scholars and researchers acquire knowledge in these broad areas of intellectual inquiry, the new general education curriculum substantively revises the distribution model upon which the current UMD Liberal Education program is based.

Criteria for all Knowledge Domain-Ways of Knowing courses

In addition to meeting the criteria for all general education courses, courses approved for credit for the knowledge domains will—

o Identify the established modes of inquiry within the knowledge domain and explore some of the various ways in which scholars/researchers/practitioners investigate, test, and create knowledge
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the particular knowledge domain
o Explain how knowledge in the domain is professionally validated and enters the public realm and with what effect
o Point out connections to other fields and disciplines, as appropriate
o Situate the course content, at least minimally, within the historical development of major ideas in the field
o Courses approved for Knowledge Domains may come from a variety of departments and may involve instructors from more than one department or collegiate unit.

THE NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATH (2 courses, different designators)

Natural Sciences

The natural sciences focus on the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theory of natural phenomena. Disciplines that typically are included in this domain are biology, chemistry and biochemistry, the geological sciences, astronomy, the environmental sciences, and physics.

General education courses in the natural sciences teach students how to formulate and test scientific hypotheses, interpret experimentally obtained data, and draw conclusions from the data. They also create a link between scientific ideas and problems that arise in the everyday world.

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses and the Criteria for Knowledge Domain-Ways of Knowing Courses, courses approved for general education credit in the natural sciences will:

o Focus on content appropriate for the natural sciences
o Familiarize students with the scientific method by actively engaging them in the process of objectively developing and empirically testing hypotheses
o Address the variety of ways by which scientists arrive at, develop, and test ideas about the natural world, including the distinction between statistical distribution of patterns, testing of hypotheses using experiments, and the development of theory to guide experiments and observations, and the distinction between prediction, statistical analysis, and experimental data in drawing conclusions about cause and effect
o Help students to understand how established scientific methods and accepted theories have developed historically out of a process of discovery, debate, and consensus-building over time within the scientific community
o Increase quantitative literacy skills and engage students in mathematical thinking through the analysis and interpretation of data and by providing direct problem-solving experiences.

Mathematics

As a knowledge domain, mathematics includes uses formal symbolic systems to treat such concepts as quantity, space, change, and structure. It consists of many fields including but not limited to algebra, geometry, calculus, arithmetic, trigonometry, topology, probability, statistics, set theory, group theory, graph theory, and chaos theory.

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses and the Criteria for Knowledge Domain-Ways of Knowing Courses, courses approved for general education credit in math will:

o Develop students’ ability to understand, use, and analyze formal symbolic systems by which mathematics operates and expresses itself
o Demonstrate and engage students in the processes of mathematical reasoning and discovery
o Represent mathematics as both a tool applied in other fields of science and as a body of knowledge that is valuable in its own right
o Create a link between mathematical ideas and problems that arise in the everyday world, for example, probabilistic thinking and decision-making.

THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (2 courses, different designators)

The Social Sciences are those branches of knowledge that investigate how cultural, social, and structural factors influence human social behavior. Disciplines typically included in this domain are anthropology, geography, political science, psychology, sociology, and economics; interdisciplinary fields and sub-disciplines that make important contributions to social science inquiry include education, communication, women’s studies, and cultural studies.

General education courses in these fields introduce students to the major theoretical perspectives in the given field, such that students understand the meaning and application of key concepts, learn how to both test and build theory, and articulate policy implications of theory. Students are introduced to the standard methodological approaches utilized by social scientists so that they learn how to formulate hypotheses, collect data, interpret and analyze data, and draw conclusions.

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses and the Criteria for Knowledge Domain-Ways of Knowing Courses, courses approved for general education credit in the social sciences will:

o Focus on content appropriate any of the many branches of social science
o Demonstrate some of the ways in which social scientists study human group behavior
o Engage students actively in one or more of methods by which social scientists formulate hypotheses, gather and interpret data, and reach conclusions
o Acknowledge and, where appropriate, demonstrate the relevance of other disciplines—especially those within the domain of the social sciences-- to the material under study.

THE HUMANITIES (2 courses, different designators)

The Humanities are those branches of knowledge concerned with human thought and culture. They typically include language, literature, history, and philosophy, as well as important interdisciplinary fields and sub-disciplines such as English; linguistics; foreign languages, literature, and cultures; cultural studies; and communication.

In humanities courses, students learn to describe, analyze, interpret, and otherwise critically examine the products and processes of human culture, including material artifacts, activities, and systems of meaning and value (such as particular philosophical, linguistic, and intellectual traditions or innovations). Humanities courses typically situate the objects of study historically and within the context of a particular culture or cultures. Humanities courses introduce students to the theories and methods of inquiry relevant to a particular field, or fields, of humanistic study, and they make students aware of the controversies within that discipline. Humanities courses therefore encourage students to examine objects of humanistic study closely, analytically, and critically in order to deepen their appreciation for the diversity and complexity of human culture.

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses and the Criteria for Knowledge Domain-Ways of Knowing Courses, courses approved for general education credit in the humanities will:

o Focus on course content appropriate to the wide field of humanistic studies
o Involve students in the active, critical examination of the products and/or processes of human culture
o Situate the objects of study historically and in relation to the culture(s) that produced them
o Familiarize students with the established mode(s) of inquiry in the relevant subfield(s) of humanistic study
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the field.

THE FINE ARTS (1 course)

The Fine Arts use imagination, creativity, and discipline-specific skills to reflect the complexity of human life. They typically include art, creative writing, dance, graphic design, music, and theatre.

Fines Arts courses develop the student’s ability to think and act with creativity, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, imagination and flexibility. These courses also develop the student’s ability to appreciate the aesthetic value of static and kinetic fine art.

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses and the Criteria for Knowledge Domain-Ways of Knowing Courses, courses approved for general education credit in the fine arts will:

o Provide students opportunities to learn about the techniques of artistic creation.
o Provide students opportunities to experience or observe the creative process.
o Enable students to draw on the intellect, emotions, and knowledge of historical context in order to comprehend, analyze, and interpret works of art.
o Enable students to comprehend the relationship between the creative process and the historical, socio-economic, and cultural forces surrounding it.
o Familiarize students with the established modes of inquiry in the relevant subfield(s) of the fine arts.
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions within the field and/or about the material under study.
o Develop aesthetic values and the ability to appreciate art.

III. Key Contemporary Issues

Engaging appropriately with people of various cultures, functioning effectively in international situations, and recognizing the impact one has on the natural environment have become essential competencies in the 21st century. Being liberally educated today means being knowledgeable and capable in these three critical areas.

The proposed new general education program therefore requires that students take a Key Contemporary Issues course in each of the following three categories: Global Perspectives, Cultural Diversity, and the Natural Environment. Contemporary yet enduring, these three issues may be defined in different terms five to ten years from now; the categories therefore should be reviewed and possibly undated on a regular basis.

Ideally, these courses are taken later in the student’s course of study and build on their developed communication skills and experience with the knowledge domains. Courses approved in this section can also satisfy requirements in a student’s major or minor and must focus on only one of the three designated key issues.

Criteria for all Key Contemporary Issues courses

Courses approved for general education credit in Key Contemporary Issues will---

o Examine one of the three designated key contemporary issues and explore ways in which it may affect the life of the student in the present and in the future
o Identify some of the controversies and/or unanswered questions the issue presents.
o Examine connections to other fields and disciplines, as appropriate.
o Situate the course content, at least minimally, within the historical development of the critical forces contributing to the issue.
o Make the chosen issue the dominant focus of the course, integral to its content and objectives, as evidenced by the syllabus, course assignments, and learning activities described in the proposal.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES (1 course)

Courses approved for the Global Perspective requirement focus on developing an awareness of contemporary global issues and transnational connections. Global issues entail interrelationships among cultures, societies, nations, and other social units worldwide, and they include transnational processes such as migration, urbanization, trade, diplomacy, and information flow. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments.
Courses will examine global issues facing at least one country other than the United States, with an emphasis on shifts in cultural, economic, political, and social relationships. Students will have the opportunity to consider matters such as the rights and responsibilities of global citizenship and to develop greater cross-cultural competence.

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:

o Critically examine the rights and responsibilities of the globally competent citizen
o Examine at least one non-U.S. country, culture, or region
o Help students to understand current global developments, to consider how they will participate in global change, and to anticipate how they might be impacted by current and future trends in international politics, economics, and social and cultural norms
o Provide students with opportunities to develop cross-cultural competence.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY (1 course)

Courses approved for the Cultural Diversity in the United States requirement focus on creating awareness of diverse cultural values and increasing a commitment to knowledge and competence across various cultures, with an emphasis on those represented in the United States. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments. These courses provide students with an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the culturally complex social fabric of the United States and to enhance their abilities to interact with the diverse groups that make up our nation.

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:

o Critically examine issues of human and cultural diversity
o Provide an understanding of differences based on race, class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, affectional orientation, and/or religious affiliation
o Examine diverse traditions and values, as well as the social, cultural, and political contributions of different groups
o Advance students’ understanding of how different cultures historically have shaped, and been shaped by, social, political, and economic realities in the United States, with an emphasis on past and present aspects of social justice
o Provide students with opportunities to develop cross-cultural competence.

THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT (1 course)

Courses approved for the Natural Environment requirement focus on developing an awareness of the interaction of the natural environment with societal needs and desires. Courses can come from a variety of disciplines, including interdisciplinary approaches involving two or more departments. Courses will examine the relationship between the science of the natural environment and its interaction with economic, social, and political forces in a local, national and/or global context. Students will develop the ability to understand and analyze the impact of their lives on the natural environment.

In addition to meeting the Criteria for all General Education Courses, courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:

o Address in detail one or more important environmental issue or topic.
o Consider both the scientific as well as the economic, social and political dimensions of the topic, with some attention to the relationship between scientific inquiry and policy-making.
o Cover fundamental scientific principles applicable to environmental issues, and utilize these principles to evaluate the validity of information pertaining to the topic in question.
o Provide the economic, social and political context necessary to analyze the issue or topic from a public policy perspective, with special consideration to the challenge of reconciling the needs of human society with those of the natural environment essential to sustaining all life.

General

Themes are a nice vision, awareness for course planning, creation. Nice conceptually, difficult for those teaching it.

Themes are almost a perfect match to the learner outcomes.

All the themes are wonderful, but not all equal in importance.

Are all the liberal ed objectives covered? Not collaboration, but then someone pointed out that Civic Engagement requires collaboration.

Part of this is to get faculty to look more at their courses and become more in-depth.

Great guide for faculty planning. There is a fear about communicating this, transferring it to the students and having it as a requirement.

Suggestion that we visit or talk to other programs that use themes.

Need to be sure we consider accreditation. And transfer issues.

Flexibility

Certainly flexible, but so much that it is not streamlined. The Categories are both flexible and streamlined, but the Themes are not. Programs are already doing many of the themes, but not all. Question was whether we could leave it up to the programs to implement the themes, but most programs could not satisfy ALL the themes (rough count was that most programs already cover about half of them, but not always the same half) – is that acceptable?

Flexibility: some categories have no stars, some are inundated. Some programs are cornering the market. Are these all going to be classes that are not totally early, survey, or pre-requisite courses?

It is valuable to broaden it to not be just the survey courses.

Some admitted ambivalence about the flexibility. Majors are so full – can’t get any more classes in. This is a good reason to build in flexibility. However, so much flexibility might undermine what lib ed is supposed to be. Maybe only those that are in the Categories should be truly lib ed.

Flexible and streamlined can be taken too far. Just take two courses from every college. Flexible, streamlined, probably not specified enough. This also ignores the fact that categories and themes are then not satisfied.

It is a lot easier to agree or disagree with something concrete.

Streamlined (implementation)

Overly complicated to implement. People envisioned a large number of lists: lists of all courses that count in each category; that count in each theme. Then, each program would have a list of what they recommend (or sometimes require) for their majors.

Will theme courses count even for non-majors? Would the same status apply to courses regardless of the major? One list for majors and one not?

Who will certify if the courses are acceptable for a theme? Needs to be campus-wide criteria for the courses, but could the programs then certify them (or do initial pass, with brief review by EPC)? This will require much discussion at the program level and a large amount of effort for certification, assuming that each program / department have to submit a whole list. More complicated because so many courses COULD qualify – since opened up to ALL courses.

Tracking could be an issue, as well as explaining it to the students. Tracking and explaining. It is already murky water, but the tracking part is not the big issue. Someone knowledgeable about APAS stated that APAS is the easiest part of the problem.

These needed to be stated as measurable objectives (that can be measured by a rubric). Create the objective, then develop the rubric. Basically, rubric-based criteria.

Breadth
A few thought the program was too broad. Also, the themes are “apples and oranges�?. Creative expression is very different from historical perspective. Some are more related to process, some to content. Some more abstract than others. Some are higher priority than others, although not willing to decide for sure which are highest priority. Could they be grouped more? For example, require 2 courses in “Cultural competency�?, which includes both International and within U.S. (and not require one from each); and “Making the world a better place�?, which includes both civic engagement, environment.

Another thought on breadth is the question that if most of the themes are covered in your major, then are you actually achieving breadth? Could someone take all the themes in their major? It would not be going backwards from what we are doing now. However, a later comment was that learning about that in their major will help them gravitate towards that, and embrace it more fully. For example, students who might now say they are not interested in learning about international perspective in general, may find it more meaningful when tied to courses in their major.

Communication skills are needed, including by engineers. For now, accreditation accepts oral communications covered doing presentations in multiple courses throughout the major. If oral communications is a single course, faculty may omit those presentations later in the program.

Question #2 Effective Oral and Written Communication?

The various discussion groups agreed that there is an essential need for more writing instruction. UMD students are generally not prepared as they enter upper division classes where there is the expectation of advanced writing skills. The Writing program would love to see more writing through out the student’s career at UMD. There is a need for more writing instruction that is intentionally trying to achieve the learning outcomes related to communication skills.

One suggestion made was that Oral and Written instruction be an expectation for courses approved to satisfy the themes.

Some wondered if there should be a reading component in Category #1? They felt we should be more intentional about the need for reading assignments connected to communication with a focus on reading expository texts.

The Oral Communication category should include interpersonal relationships

Another suggestion had to do with the name of Category 1. One person suggested that it could be simply be titled Communication. Another suggested that it should be Written, Oral, and Interpersonal Communication. There was the suggestion that the current definition did not include interpersonal communication skills.

Could we introduce a practicum in Written and Oral communication? Making the writing assignments more “real world�? would help the student recognize the purpose of these skills.

How do we immediately identify ESL students and provide for their needs. It was stated by one person that these students are often overlooked early in their careers as needing special help in progressing toward mastery of writing and speaking English and this causes significant problems as they move forward in their academic career.

Someone felt that both definitions for Written and Oral are two department specific. Make all the categories open to all departments.

Where does the student get the discipline specific writing skills if not in the major? Perhaps the advanced writing course could be at the 2000 level rather than at the tail end of their career. It was observed that the Advanced Composition requirement is not truly “embedded�? in the major program. It is listed as a requirement but it is designed and delivered outside of the program. It was suggested that the WRIT 31xx could be a course designed and delivered by the programs.

The way that writing is learned is a long-term process, and the skills involved need to be repeated over and over again. Writing intensive courses should be happening through out the course of a four/five year career. Can we require that writing assignments happen all through the course of the students career both inside and outside of their major?

Can we add the need to include teaching writing in liberal education courses as criteria for promotion and tenure?

Should we continue to accept as transfer Freshman writing from all PSOE programs or community colleges?

Question Three: What is the most effective way to get liberal education integrated into the curriculum?

Many discussion groups brought up the issue of double dipping and how that would be handled. Can a student take one course that would satisfy 5 themes?

If a particular major course is deemed satisfactory in satisfying a theme or category does it mean that the major course has to be opened to the entire college?

Discussion groups agreed that being able to offer these classes in the major is a huge step forward in integration but then again the problem becomes who deems what is acceptable in terms of, do you cover a topic in one day and so on. By integrating gen ed into majors students would be able to see the importance and the relation.

Some thought the themes should be integrated into categories

Since liberal education is woven through all four/five years faculty will consider things that they haven’t considered in a while

It was suggested that programs should re-visit what they have, adding courses, offer more classes and combining things that may satisfy more than one need.
Many groups agreed that the faculty/staff need to be committed to this program in order for it to work and the instructor is going to be crucial

The instructor should:
• Link courses to cross teach
• Require reading
• And provide more connectedness to enable students to see the connections in real life

Curriculum coordination in the dept will become more critical than ever before. The faculty will need to agree on whose covering what and there will have to be agreement and follow through so that the faculty can understand it and deliver it.

It was stated that the fundamental question is have we simplified it since we now have 8 themes and all 10 categories are now covered in 4?

Themes add a complex layer to explain to the students. Suggested that the way it is represented should be easier for students to understand.

We should re-investigate how our curriculum currently addresses the issue of integrating a program in the curriculum.

A suggestion made by one participant was how a dept should review the curriculum with the themes in mind instead of an over arching committee and the only thing left would be the categories, the themes should be done by dept. We should rely on dept to make sure the themes line up. Others agreed that it seems more valuable to have the themes be viewed departmentally.

One suggestion was to have a list of courses under each theme that meet the requirements.

It was said that the program is very subjective, how do you quantify?
- How are we going to assess this, the measurable outcomes

Suggested that lib ed should be exposure to other topics outside of major
- two years of unrelated studies and then start major: have we moved away from that through this program

This program would be a great opportunity to create new courses, to collaborate with other colleagues from other departments. Our current system does not do this.

Offer capstone courses: integrating disciplines and goes through eight themes

Some thought more courses should address multiple themes with pedagogy and ideally you will get themes over and over again throughout 4 years.

Curriculum in classes should be changed to meet more of the themes
- The most effective way would be to look at courses and integrate in the themes
- Should be no limit on themes within a course, however, some thought there should be a limit.
- Various learning models, not taking a 1xxx level course as a senior
- Think outside of the box
- Pairing like English and math: comparing and showing how they can relate. English and math isn’t an obvious pairing…
- Some thought no themes should have designator
- Some thought there should be a designator, making it easier for grad planner and decision making strategy for students

QUESTION 4 A: What is the most effective way to integrate theme-based subjects into the proposed general education program? (Molly)

I felt that 4 themes emerged from the 3 group discussions:
Structure
Process
Accountability
Concern
I have applied the comments to the themes

Structure:
• There was a suggestion that there be fewer guidelines
• It was stated that there are broad cultural themes…need for more explanation
• There was a questions about who will create the definitions of the themes
• There was a comment that criteria will be important
• There was a suggestion that we need to make sure there are no hidden pre-requisites
• It was suggested that there be a vote to approve the mission with consideration for how all of us integrate themes…
• It was suggested that the mission statement drive the pedagogy
• One person felt that there needs to be some mechanical accountability (structural)
• There needs to be very clear criteria to determine parameters for the theme and who will guide that process
• There was a suggestion that there needs to be a determination of how much content related to the theme needs to be imbedded in a course in order for it to meet the criteria
• It was pointed out that there needs to be real world applications…we need to think about who the experts are and what their training is.
• It was suggested that each department have an ad hoc committee to oversee the theme alignment and implementation
• There was a question about whether the themes should be met within the major or not
• It was suggested that only a set number of courses can meet the theme requirement

Process:
• It was suggested that departments are the place where it is decided whether or not the themes are met
• The question then was raised…do we take the word of the department
• It was suggested that as resources follow course (theme) development there could be mischief
• There was a suggestion that there needs to be criteria for the qualification of the courses that meet themes
• It was suggested that the process of the course alignment with the themes be established by having programs align course with a system similar to the accreditation processes
• It was suggested that courses be pre-approved.
• Input from faculty was requested
• It was suggested that faculty use the course guide format to process theme content.
• A checklist to determine theme criteria was suggested
• It was suggested that faculty go back to their programs and look at what they are already doing related to the themes
• The need for faculty buy-in was stated
• A tool “sniff test�? was suggested for aligning courses
• It was suggested that task force members meet with departments to help with the new process
• It was suggested that a committee be used to determine theme qualifications

Accountability:
• A need for accountability was suggested due to the opportunity for mischief
• A need for quality control was suggested
• A need to monitor the depth and quality of theme courses was discussed
• Evaluation guidelines were recommended
• It was proposed that an accountability source be created for programs to follow
• It was suggested that documentation is needed for proof that the theme meets the criteria

Concerns:
• Technology was identified as missing
• It was suggested that we might get tied up in the mission statement and pedagogy
• One person thought that some of the themes were subjects and some were not
• There was a suggestion to change the word subject to content “We don’t want students talking about content we want it applied�?
• A need to broaden diversity in the US to global diversity was mentioned
• Interpersonal collaboration was missing according to one person

QUESTION 4 B: What is the most effective way to integrate theme-based subjects into the proposed general education program? (Michael)

In addition to exploring the extremes of the (for us) well-worn dialectical tension between breadth and flexibility I found that many of the comments, questions and debates sort of fit into the following categories (oops, I mean themes, uh, I mean issue areas)

THEME DEFINITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
-How much is required to satisfy themes? (too burdensome or too easy) Do we need quantification (determine how much course time goes to a given theme)?

-Two Extremes Explored: themes as thick/detailed (burdensome?) versus thin/simpler (lib ed lite?)

-Too Many! Combine/collapse themes to make more do-able?

-Choose/select themes? (select x of y). Makes easier to implement/satisfy requirements

-If allow selecting just some themes may defeat purpose (select out what unfamiliar with/afraid of)

RELATIONSHIP OF THEMES & CATEGORIES
-Double Dipping & Two Possible Extremes:
Allow course to satisfy 5-6 themes simultaneously (if we do this, then what is the point of themes?)

Limit double dipping (to one theme only? then would double number of courses needed for gen eds, and this is not workable)?

-As written, categories look really easy to satisfy (i.e. all math and sci courses offered would fit category 2?), while the themes look harder to satisfy.

-Do we even need to review courses for cats 2-4?

-Even if cat 2-4 = easy hurdles, themes still = some limits & enforce breadth.

-Is historical theme as valuable as a history category course?

-Why not keep the categories and lose the themes? Dean Krug like the 4 category model most, and thinks themes may be unwieldly (b/c multiple levels, etc.). Themes seem to be proliferating?

-Themes not adequate perhaps? Lib ed lite = a key phrase heard again. Should force students out of their comfort zone/career track?

THEMES & “FEDERALISM�? (University vs. College vs. Major/Program)
-Some committee must evaluate each course? Who/how?

-Who decides?
-University b/c of transfer issues (like EPC lib ed sbcm), or b/c of issues of objectivity, neutrality and consistency.

-Dept would be too easy and try to force courses to fit into themes.

-How deal with transfers if colleges determine themes? (for instance, CSE theme equivalent to CLA)

-Academic freedom. Who defines course content? Themes restrict faculty autonomy (good OR bad? both?)

-Need good coordination at all levels/units (dept-college-university, etc.)

THEMES IN THE GEN ED REQS vs. MAJOR PROGRAMS
-Themes in the Major or force to do it outside? That is the question?

-Not a burden b/c some programs already cover themes. But others may not (engineering?)
-Some progs naturally satisfy mult themes, others have few naturally associated.

-Most programs already cover many of these themes.

-Satisfy themes both within and without major (not just one or the other).

-If themes in major programs, will not get breadth/roundedness. If embed themes too deeply in majors, the point is missed?

-Require only so many courses within a major can count to themes? Or limit each department to a particular theme (or themes)?

-Themes harder to implement – faculty within program must agree (if teach same course), and must buy into integrating the themes generally.

-How combat perception that courses in major more important?

STUDENT NEEDS
-Grad planner and integrating themes into that, to help students plan and graduate on time (requires temporal continuity to themes so student plan can work)

-Make process as open as possible so students can learn what want, not what is available/left over.

-If transfer majors or schools, will not have prereqs to get theme courses in that area (if prereqs allowed). May take longer to graduate (what if take lower level prereq course, but later need higher level prereq)??

-Do categories make it harder to graduate on time?

-Will students recognize the themes in the courses? Will they be visible enough to students?

-Perhaps we ought to explain lib education’s importance to students better so do not perceive jumping though hoops.

-Advising = key to navigating gen ed system, can prevent the above student problems (transferring, etc.).

IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES
- Curricular Bottlenecks result? Identify and anticipate bottlenecks: some themes get less courses? (then = more demand for that?)

-Need coordination between levels to prevent bottlenecks, etc..

-Define category reqs as courses or credits?

-Prereqs allowed? (this makes themes extra complicated for students – bottlenecks)

-How related to course development, etc.? (would we need to recruit more theme courses in some cases? How make sure the supply of courses meets demand?)

- How guarantee consistency of themes (despite different teachers for one course, or between different colleges)? How enforce consistency? Ought to?

-How assess?

SUGGESTIONS FOR PROCESS OF DEFINING THEMES
-How define/specify themes? Pick 15 random courses from catalog and see if task force can identify which theme(s) the courses might fit under? (test hypothesis that these themes really actually exist submerged throughout our programs)

-Task force make language then test it by letting other faculty (test subjects?) try to implement/apply definitions (like a dry run, to test and anticipate problems)

Question #5 Does the proposed program fulfill the LE Mission Statement, especially with regards to skills?

FIRST GROUP -
How does what we have not fulfill the mission statement?
Oral – important, incorporate in the current courses and major.
Every discipline is diff – and how oral communication is delivered differs
Busi Comm – is a great example because it relates to the discipline and is applicable to the field

Written – UMD should consider having a written component outside the Writing Studies Dept.
- concern with the loss of being well-rounded
- lab reports vs written thorough reports/evaluations
- Freshmen comp – is fine as is
- Comp 31xx – is tailored to the discipline, but could even be better

Concern with categories 9 & 10 and others may get lost in the mix/selection.

Measurement of the three components in the mission statement –
Aware – easy to measure
Prepared –
Committed – how to measure? Can we get this? Require internships, service learning, leadership opportunities within each dept. How do you measure or track this?
Duluth community is small and may not be accommodating or able to handle this.

Agree that the new Statement fulfills the goals, but will it be less flexible.

SECOND GROUP -
SKILLS are lacking in the current program. What are the skills learned in this class?

NO – how will students know if the LE program was done effectively or not? How is it measured?

Cultural diversity sensitivity is being glossed over (currently). There is no depth or understanding to cultural diversity.

Real life situation and issues are not addressed. Broaden the perspectives outside the classroom. More depth of themes needs to be woven more – applied.

Courses need to be written to be able to have measurable outcomes. Intense undertaking to have any course be re-written to truly satisfy the LE program.

On-going statement from students: How does this apply to me? For students to understand and respect the value and purpose of the LE mission statement and program. The relevance of the course to real life situations is important. Student focused rather than covering content in the course.

It is very difficult to weave LE into every LE course OR UMD course. How can/will this be done?

How to get faculty on board? Faculty like their content, but how do you make them revamp their current delivery of courses….not allow them to count their course as LE until they are revamped?

‘LE is wasted on the young.’ (The respect of it is not seen until years later.)

Not every course has to fulfill the mission statement…object to the vocational nature of the mission statement. Listed occupation and vocational twice in the statement…implies the delivery of LE will be this way. (second sentence for the mission statement of GREAT concern)

When you get an education it is the person who is getting educated..abstract thinking, cognitive thinking, etc. FOR example, the depts should inform students about what professions they can move on to after school not LE. Depts need to think of more ways to inform their students about careers/skills.

THIRD GROUP-
It depends…the skills are more pedagogy rather than a structure you proposed.

There is some overlapping in the themes.

Goals – opposed to ones that are untestable. Providing proof that a course fulfills the objectives will be difficult to gauge. Grades, completion of major/minor are proof. Exposure to or awareness may be an avenue to consider.
Surveys – follow-up done on graduates would be one form of measurement.

Mixing of words – General vs Liberal Education Program. Defining each directly needs to be done.

Why have Liberal Educ and Student Outcomes? The new proposal replaces the current LE program.

The new DRAFT lists ‘prepared’ as the most likely way to measure skills and measurement.

SUMMARY

MISSION STATEMENT – There is concern with the impression on the vocational nature of the mission statement. There is concern with the implication that our LE program will be delivered in a vocational nature.

MEASUREMENT of the skills is the main issue.

PEDAGOGY is of great concern..how the courses are delivered matters. The time it takes to re-design and incorporate new elements is of concern.

Four Categories

The following category focuses on preparing students to communicate effectively through writing and speaking:

I. Written and Oral Communication

A. Written Communication:
WRIT1120—College Writing (3 cr) or its equivalent must be completed during the first two semesters of attendance at UMD as part of the UMD General Education Program or Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

WRIT 31XX—Advanced Composition will continue to be embedded in majors across the university.

B. Oral Communication:
Students are required to take one course approved to satisfy the Oral Communication requirement. Oral Communication courses focus on the theory and practice of public speaking in a variety of settings – one on one, small groups, and formal presentations to larger groups.

[Courses fitting the Oral Communication category have as their object of study the analysis, comprehension, and interpretation of oral, written, and visual communication. The courses will address the effective communication of ideas related to a broad range of subjects and/or to a specific area of study.]

The following three categories focus on developing awareness of the foundations of knowledge and inquiry about nature, culture, and society. Students are required to take 8 courses total, all having different designators, with at least 2 in each category.

II. Science and Math
Students are required to complete at least 2 courses.

Science courses focus on the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theory of natural phenomena. Math courses develop the ability to use and analyze formal symbolic systems, with an emphasis on developing skills in mathematics or statistics.

[Courses fitting the science and math category have as their object of study mathematics, biology, and physical sciences as bodies of knowledge. The courses will address how to test mathematical conclusions, and/or how to formulate and test scientific hypotheses, interpret experimentally obtained data, and draw conclusions from the data. Math and science courses also create a link between mathematical and scientific ideas and problems that arise in the everyday world.]

III. Arts and Humanities
Students are required to complete at least 2 courses.

Courses in the arts and humanities category are concerned with exploring the range of the human experience largely by way of analyzing, describing, criticizing, and evaluating human culture.

[Courses fitting the arts & humanities category have as their object of study humans, human society and human culture; and generally employ critical, hermeneutic, historical, normative and analytical methods in their engagement with these objects. In contrast to the social sciences, humanistic approaches generally address questions of meaning, aesthetics, morality and interpretation that recognize the enquirer as subjectively engaged with, rather than separate from, the object(s) of study.]

IV. Social Sciences
Students are required to complete at least 2 courses.

Courses in the social sciences category seek to elucidate human behavior and society by adapting the disposition and methods of science to the unique characteristics of the human world.

[Courses fitting the social sciences category have as their object of study human beings, human behavior and human society; and may employ a positivist approach, or other quantitative or qualitative approaches consistent with the scientific method. Unlike the humanities, social science encourages enquirers to adopt an objective viewpoint consistent with the goal of addressing empirical(ly verifiable) questions by way of experimentation.]

Eight Themes

Students are required to complete courses that have been identified as addressing the following themes. The courses that satisfy each theme do not have to be the same courses that satisfy the General Education Categories listed above. These courses could be a part of the major field of study or free electives. Courses may satisfy a category and a theme, or more than one theme. The eight themes are:

Civic Engagement
The Civic Engagement theme focuses on developing the ability to become civically aware, skilled and committed to act for the public good.

Courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:
--Provide students with significant opportunity to participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and course content.
--Require reflection on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of the course content.
--Generate a broader appreciation of civic engagement skills and create an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.

Creative Expression
The Creative Expression theme focuses on developing the ability to think and act with creativity, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, imagination and flexibility.

Courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:
--Provide students significant opportunities to learn about and practice the techniques of artistic creation.
--Enable students to comprehend, analyze, and interpret works of art.
--Enable students to comprehend the relationship between the creative process and historical, socio-economic, and cultural forces.

Cultural Diversity in the United States
The Cultural Diversity in the United States theme focuses on creating awareness of diverse cultural values and increasing a commitment to knowledge and competence across cultures.

Courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:
– Critically examine issues of human and cultural diversity.
– Provide an understanding of differences based on race, class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, affectional orientation, and religious diversity.
– Examine diverse traditions and values, as well as the social, cultural, and political contributions of different groups.
– Advance students’ understanding of how social difference in the U.S. has shaped social, political, and cross-cultural relationships.

Historical Perspective
The Historical Perspective theme focuses on developing an awareness of the past and its relevance to the present and the future.

Courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:
--Consider the development, through time, of some topic, problem or subject.
--Feature an emphasis on historical context, and how the topic, problem, or issue in question has been conditioned by a range of different contexts.
--Involve direct engagement with primary sources and documents, with some attention to the complexities of interpretation and the dynamic relationship between historical texts and their contexts.
--Consider the value of historical study for its own sake, as means of understanding the diverse manifestations of human nature, culture and civilization within human history.
--Consider the value of historical study as a means of informing our understanding of the present.

Information and Quantitative Literacy
The Information and Quantitative Literacy theme focuses on the ability to access, evaluate, and make use of information gathered through multiple methodologies. It also focuses on the ability to formulate, and evaluate conclusions and inferences from quantitative data.

Courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:
– Address how to determine the information needed and access the needed information effectively and efficiently.
– Provide an understanding of how to valuate information and its sources critically (including qualitative, numeric and graphical data).
– Expect students to investigate questions by selecting and utilizing appropriate data and quantitative methods.
– Promote interpretation of numeric and graphical results to address questions and issues under consideration.

International Perspective
The International Perspective theme focuses on developing an awareness of contemporary global issues.

Courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:
– Expose students to the responsibilities of global citizenship.
– Develop knowledge about at least one non-U.S. country, culture, or region in some depth.
– Encourage students to understand our changing global world, the ways in which they will participate in global change, and anticipate how they might be impacted by international policy and economics.
– Provide students with opportunities to develop intercultural competence.

Moral and Ethical Reasoning
The Moral and Ethical Reasoning theme focuses on developing an awareness of the ethical implications of ideas and actions.

Courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:
--Explore moral and ethical theories (Normative Ethics).
--Apply knowledge of ethical and moral theories (Normative Ethics) to practical issues and concrete cases (Applied Ethics).
--Position moral and ethical judgments as the outcome of a process of debate and discussion in which arguments on both (all) sides of an issue are weighed, and enact this process in the classroom.
--Emphasize the nexus between moral/ethical judgments, actions, and their consequences.
--Consider the implications of moral and ethical reasoning for individual conduct, as well as the conduct of communities and polities.

The Environment
The Environment theme focuses on developing an awareness of the interaction of the natural environment with societal needs and desires.

Courses meeting the requirements of this theme will:
--Address in detail one or more important environmental issues or topics.
--Consider both the scientific as well as the economic, social and political dimensions of the topic, with some attention to the relationship between scientific enquiry and policy-making.
--Cover fundamental scientific principles applicable to environmental issues, and utilize these principles to evaluate the validity of information pertaining to the topic in question.
--Provide the economic, social and political context necessary to analyze the issue or topic from a public policy perspective, with special consideration to the challenge of reconciling the needs of human society with those of the natural environment essential to sustaining all life.

Other recommendations

1. Courses applying to be accepted as satisfying a General Education Program requirement will no longer be restricted to only the 1xxx or 2xxx level.

2. All programs will be asked to undergo a self-study of their curriculum to address several issues.

a. Each program will explore how they plan to accomplish the mission of a liberal education through the courses required for their majors. The learning outcomes contained in the new mission statement must be achieved throughout the students’ educational process and not only within the 35-40 credits that satisfy the General Education Program. Each program should inspect and identify where they are currently achieving these outcomes within their major coursework.

b. Each program will develop a strategy for satisfying the specific needs of the newly designed General Education Program. This would include resubmitting courses for approval for the appropriate categories and themes. In particular, it is expected that many majors will choose to incorporate one or more of the required themes into the courses already required within the major.

3. The Task Force recognizes the importance of pedagogy in General Education courses. A recommendation with respect to pedagogy will be provided in more detail at a later date.

4. There needs to be a carefully designed program to educate the faculty, staff, and students about the details of the new program. This would include generating as much support as possible for redefining the way we promote and deliver liberal education on campus.

Liberal education is a philosophy of education that empowers individuals with broad knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of values, ethics, and civic engagement. These broad goals have been enduring even as the courses and requirements that comprise a liberal education have changed over the years. Characterized by challenging encounters with important and relevant issues today and throughout history, a liberal education prepares graduates both for socially valued work and for civic leadership in their society. It usually includes a general education curriculum that provides broad exposure to multiple disciplines and ways of knowing, along with more in-depth study in at least one field or area of concentration.

Liberal education is a philosophy of education that empowers individuals with broad knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of values, ethics, and civic engagement. These broad goals have been enduring even as the courses and requirements that comprise a liberal education have changed over the years. Characterized by challenging encounters with important and relevant issues today and throughout history, a liberal education prepares graduates both for socially valued work and for civic leadership in their society. It usually includes a general education curriculum that provides broad exposure to multiple disciplines and ways of knowing, along with more in-depth study in at least one field or area of concentration.

By its nature, liberal education is global and pluralistic. It embraces the diversity of ideas and experiences that characterize the social, natural, and intellectual world. To acknowledge such diversity in all its forms is both an intellectual commitment and a social responsibility, for nothing less will equip us to understand our world and to pursue fruitful lives.

Essential Learning Outcomes

AAC&U's LEAP Campaign has defined a a robust set of "Essential Learning Outcomes" that students develop during an excellent contemporary liberal education. Beginning in school, and continuing at successively higher levels across their college studies, students should prepare for twenty-first-century challenges by gaining:

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World

Through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences,
humanities, histories, languages, and the arts
Focused by engagement with big questions, both contemporary
and enduring

Intellectual and Practical Skills, Including

Inquiry and analysis
Critical and creative thinking
Written and oral communication
Quantitative literacy
Information literacy
Teamwork and problem solving
Practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of
progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance

Personal and Social Responsibility, Including

Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
Intercultural knowledge and competence
Ethical reasoning and action
Foundations and skills for lifelong learning
Anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges

Integrative Learning, Including

Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and
specialized studies
Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and
responsibilities to new settings and complex problems

Often-Confused Terms

Liberal education
A philosophy of education that empowers individuals with broad knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of values, ethics, and civic engagement. Characterized by challenging encounters with important issues, and more a way of studying than specific content, liberal education can occur at all types of colleges and universities. "General Education" (cf. below) and an expectation of in-depth study in at least one field normally comprise liberal education.

Liberal arts
Specific disciplines (the humanities, social sciences, and sciences).

Liberal arts colleges
A particular institutional type—often small, often residential—that facilitates close interaction between faculty and students, and has a strong focus on liberal arts disciplines.

Artes Liberales
Historically, the basis for the modern liberal arts; the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music) and the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric).

General Education
The part of a liberal education curriculum shared by all students. It provides broad exposure to multiple disciplines and forms the basis for developing important intellectual and civic capacities. General Education may also be called "the core curriculum" or "liberal studies."

Adapted from

Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Our Students Learn and Why They Should Be Learning More

By Derek Bok

2006 Princeton University Press

Chapter 10 Acquiring Broader Interests

Adapted from

Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Our Students Learn and Why They Should Be Learning More

By Derek Bok

2006 Princeton University Press

Chapter 10 Acquiring Broader Interests

#1 Distribution Requirements – “…Call upon students to complete a certain number of courses or credit hours in each of three major areas – the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. Variations of this model also exist which create more narrowly defined categories that students must sample – for example, by dividing the sciences into biological and physical or the humanities into literature and the arts.�?

Pro
1. Students gravitate to courses they find especially interesting.
2. Students have the freedom to educate themselves in the manner best suited for their intellectual makeup.
3. Students will gravitate toward classes taught by professors with a reputation of first rate teaching.

Con

1. Students seldom know in advance what courses will help them most to advance intellectually.
2. Students pick their courses for various reasons besides a desire to increase their mental powers or satisfy intellectual interests.
3. Few of the offerings from which students choose are designed for the specific purpose of furthering the goals of general education.

Summary – “…simple distribution schemes seem likely to succeed only where faculty are willing to spend considerable time advising students, where undergraduates are highly motivated to secure well-rounded education, and where special courses are provided (especially in science) that are specifically designed to awaken curiosity and create enthusiasm in young people whose principal interests lie in other areas of the curriculum. These conditions probably exist in relatively few colleges. The most likely explanation (for why the approach has survived at all) is that distribution requirements have something to offer every constituency. Students can achieve some semblance of breadth with minimal restraints on their freedom to choose from the vast array of courses in the catalogue. The faculty is not called upon to create new courses or to teach any subjects they do not wish to teach. College officials can provide a general education program without incurring any new costs.�?

#2 The Great Books – “…,such a general education program will consist entirely or mainly of a study of original texts from a variety of fields….By immersing themselves in the finest books that civilization has produced, students will come to grips with fundamental questions of human existence, social organization, and the natural and physical environment. Better yet, they will explore these subjects through the works of the greatest intellects that ever lived.�?

Pro

1. Increases students self knowledge, elevates their tastes, enhances their powers of reasoning, deepens their insight into recurring social issues and moral dilemmas, and builds a continuing interest in many fields of human inquiry and experience.
2. Insures that students will have studied the same substantial list of readings and grappled with the same set of fundamental questions.
3. Suh study may create a common core of learning within an increasingly diverse student body and thus provide a counterweight to the divisive tendencies of race, religion, and class.

Con
1. This model does not lend itself to large lecture classes.
2. Full time faculty members are rarely qualified or willing to teach these courses, thus leading to a large cadre of graduate students and part time instructors staffing many small sections.
3. Students could object to the “list�? containing few, if any, women authors or throwing too little light on non-Western cultures. And students tend to object to heavily prescribed curricula, especially when laden with required texts of ancient vintage having little apparent connection to today’s world.

Summary – “On balance, therefore, the practical disadvantages of a full-blown great Books approach will usually outweigh the benefits. That is doubtless the reason why so few colleges have elected to take this route. A much more common prctice is to include one or two courses on the history of ideas or the development of literature utilizing a list of great texts. In this way, a college can reap some of the benefits of the Great Books approach, using subjects in which the method works to best advantage and the problems of implementation are not insuperable.�?

#3 Survey Courses – “…faculties can create a battery of sweeping courses covering the growth of Western civilization, a glimpse of other major cultures and civilizations, an introduction to the great periods of Western art and music, the evolution and functioning of democratic institutions and political processes, the development of modern science, the operation of free and competitive economy, and the nature of the human mind and personality. In the hands of great lecturers, such courses offer the prospect of a panoramic view of human achievement and an impressive foundation for later experience and learning.�?

Pro
1. Covers the breadth of learning.
2. Fewer courses that offer broader coverage.
3. An organized, simple sequence of classes that deliver the entire, or most of the General Education program.

Con
1. Survey courses of this kind can easily become superficial.
2. The courses can become the delivery system for imparting large quantities of facts and information, quickly learned and quickly forgotten.
3. Large numbers of small or medium size courses are difficult to staff, or large impersonal lecture classes taught by a single professor with many discussion sections taught by inexperienced loosely supervised graduate students are not popular with undergraduate students.

Summary – The survey alternative promises to encounter serious opposition and yield disappointing results. For this reason, although a faculty may prescribe a survey course or two on subjects such as the growth of Western civilizations, it will rarely devote all or even a substantial part of its general education program to courses of this type.

#4 The Modes of Inquiry Approach – “Proponents of this curriculum argue that the volume of knowledge today is far too large and changes much too rapidly to justify a program founded on a single set of books or a fixed body of essential information. Under these conditions, the best approach to take is to have students learn about the principal ways in which scholars and scientists acquire knowledge. For example, courses in history can demonstrate how a historian understand the evolution of a major problem in the contemporary world and how conditions, events, and decisions in the past contributed to its development. Courses in literature, painting, or music may give students a sense of the possibilities and limitations of different art forms and a feeling of how individual talent, artistic tradition, and the surrounding society interact to produce great works. A course in physics may convey a sense of the way science is done by considering how a series of investigators gradually conceived and validated theories leading to important laws and principles governing the world around us.�?

Pro
1. It will lay a foundation that enables students to keep on learning throughout their lives.
2. Students will know enough about the techniques and terminology of different disciplines to overcome the inhibitions that could otherwise keep them from proceeding on their own to study more advanced material.
3. Becoming truly cultivated and broadly educated is a lifetime’s work, not an enterprise achievable in four short undergraduate years, but learning the principle modes of thought is the ideal way to begin.

Con
1. Often attacked for being too superficial to accomplish much of value. Can it be enugh to enable students to continue learning about science on their own or to teach them how to understand other scientific issues that later come to their attention?
2. If a faculty were to choose courses simply by their suitability for demonstrating a particular mode of thought, it could produce a curriculum conveying a hodge-podge of information that omitted many of the greatest works of literature and social thought.
3. Although the curriculum does not force professor to teach outside their areas of expert knowledge, it does require a substantial number of specially created courses in addition to the regular department offerings demanding more work from professors and imposing added costs that may take funds away from other needs.

Summary – Deans and presidents will have to display considerable skill to gain the necessary approval and commitment from the faculty for this model. Once in place, moreover, the new model will need continuous monitoring to ensure that all courses approved for the program actually help to achieve its purposes and that the curriculum does not gradually erode into incoherence.

Hybrid Models/Summary

“If any conclusion emerges from examining the principal methods of acquiring breadth, it is that none of them by itself offers an ideal solution. Each alternative has advantages that rival approaches cannot readily duplicate. Each has special disadvantages as well that are serious enough to make its adoption problematic. For this reason, many faculties are reluctant to adopt any of the models wholesale as the chosen way to give their students a broad general education.

The most common response is to create a hybrid curriculum that borrows from several of the traditional models….

Faculties that seek a hybrid solution quickly learn that borrowing an attractive feature from another model almost always requires giving up something valuable in return. Since there is no established metric for weighing what is gained against what must be given up, no one can be sure which combination will be best. This problem threatens to cast doubt on all collective efforts to revise the curriculum.

Even if perfection is impossible, however, faculties should still try periodically to review and improve upon their general education programs. Although no one proposal may be demonstrably better than other plausible approaches, each of the leading alternatives may be preferable to the curriculum currently in use. Over time, any system of requirements is likely to erode into incoherence through the gradual accumulation of exceptions and expedient solutions to unanticipated problems…..The proper way to evaluate a curriculum review, therefore, should be to ask not whether it has produced the one best curriculum – for no such thing exists – but whether it has arrived at a carefully considered result through a process that has strengthened the faculty’s commitment to undergraduate education and untied them in a clearer understanding of their common purpose