importance of the freshman year experience, including coursework &
experiential learning and learning communities

assessment of Gen Ed programs is essential for accreditation, and
in some cases, funding

campus-wide participation & support of the General Education
program

student-centered learning & "engagement" in learning process

(a written summary
of conference themes will be sent via e-mail)

General Education Goals/ Student Learning OutcomesThe GEC continued the
discussion of the Gen Ed Program goals and student learning outcomes.
Edited or re-written versions of goals/student learning outcomes were
distributed by Johnson, Hollenback, Leonard, Hindson.
Pribek distributed a list of other concerns related to revision to the General
Education goals and program. A lengthy discussion followed concerning merits and
drawbacks of global vs. specific goal statements, need for simplicity vs. overly
ambiguous goals, loss of buy-in from campus community if the outcomes are overly
prescriptive, etc. By committee consensus the following statements were seen as
global, yet appropriate for the Gen Ed Outcomes list.

Agreement

1.Demonstrate effective communication skills

2.Demonstrate effective critical thinking skills

3.Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of and respect for a wide array
of disciplines and demonstrate an understanding of how they are interrelated.

4.Demonstrate the ability to integrate skills and knowledge and to apply
them to real life situations.

5.Demonstrate knowledge of one’s role as an engaged citizen in a changing,
diverse and global world.

6.Demonstrate the ability to articulate how human experience is shaped by
one’s historical context and by social factors such as gender, class, sexual
orientation, religion, culture, race and ethnicity

Non-consensus items: May have merit, but concerns
were voiced.

1.
Discovery and Experience (concerns:vague, what does this mean, how will it be interpreted, does this wording
mean that any course on campus is Gen Ed, etc.)

2.Evaluate and Unify (or re-label this as Integration of Knowledge) (concerns:
evaluate and unity of what? Is this part of critical thinking? How will it be
interpreted? Etc.)

3.Demonstrate an understanding of how dynamic and complex systems, both
those which occur in nature and
those which are humanly created, achieve stability, change through time, and
respond to changes in the environments that sustain them. (concerns: wording
is not “user” friendly, what does it really mean? Is it too specific?)

4.Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of multiple methods of inquiry
including mathematics.(concerns: is this part of critical thinking and part
of knowledge gained across an array of disciplines?)

5.Demonstrate an ability to articulate the roles that science, technology,
and economic factors play in society and their costs and benefits to human
beings and societies. (concerns:
too specific?)

6.Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the fine arts and the
humanities and how they contribute to the enrichment of human life and society.
(concerns:too specific?)

7.Demonstrate the ability to articulate the components of a healthy
lifestyle and to understand which factors can enhance or limit the physical and
mental well-being of self and others. (concerns? Too specific?)

The committee did not feel the ‘agreement’ list should be
sent out across campus until members had additional time to provide commentary.The chair will send both lists out to committee members asking for
feedback.A final discussion on
these statements will occur at the April 1 meeting.

Laura Nelson provided a brief review of the backlog problem in CST 110 and
presented a proposal with a four step resolution of the problem.The proposal included increased resources allocated from the Deans and
Provost for more sections of CST 110, blocking Seniors from enrollment beginning
in spring 2003, blocking juniors from enrolling beginning in 2004 and increasing
the number of sections offered during summer terms. The most pressing itemis blocking enrollment of seniors as this has immediate
implications for the upcoming advising/registration period. Discussion followed
regarding the appropriateness of the GEC’s involvement in resource allocation
and concern about resources in light of budget concerns. No action was taken
given the late hour.The chair will
solicit feedback on the proposal via e-mail so that she can forward this to
Laura prior to the April 1 meeting.