1Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

ad hoc committee forad hoc committee forGeneral Education Core ReviewGeneral Education Core Review

Fall Ainina (RSCOB) David Bukovinsky (RSCOB) Ava Chamberlain (COLA) Mark Cubberley (LAKE) Mindy Diesslin (COSM) Travis Doom (co-Chair, CECS) Fred Garber (CECS)

Carol Loranger (Chair, NV) Elizabeth Pulley (CONH) Kim Ringo (CONH) Vaughn Shannon (COLA) Michelle Smith (LAKE) Amy Wissman (COSM) CEHS declined participation

Wright State University Faculty SenateWright State University Faculty Senate

2Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

ChargeCharge

The General Education Core Review Committee shall: 1. review the Wright State core to ensure the university-wide general

education core learning objectives and university learning outcomes are consistent with appropriate program accreditation standards and national and state norms; satisfies the educational needs of our students and provides our students with the foundation for productive careers.

2. explore opportunities to differentiate and distinguish Wright State graduates by providing unique educational experiences and skills that give our graduates a competitive advantage as they begin their careers

Charge delivered Nov 2014 Charge “complete” March 2015

3Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Executive SummaryExecutive Summary

Recommendations in the spirit of continual improvement

Outcomes of this process include:

– Revised mission statement to clarify the distinctiveness of the Wright State core

– Revised element learning objectives that focus on assessable universal requirements for all baccalaureate students

– Revised distribution requirements to allow more elective flexibility, simplify transfer, and improve the GE experience for a diverse range of students. IW/MC designations/requirements incorporated into elements outcomes

– Suggested guidelines for instruction, access, and assessment of general education courses

4Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Assessment and ImprovementAssessment and Improvement

Recommendation: The Faculty Senate should affirm that status as a general education course requires periodic reassessment. The Faculty Senate should charge UCRC or an appropriate ad hoc body to work with the Vice President for Curriculum and Instruction or his proxies to develop and finalize a plan for regular course-level assessment of general education element learning outcomes by December 2015 so that proposed Wright Core can be implemented in Fall semester 2016

5Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Instructional Quality and AccessInstructional Quality and Access

Recommendation: The Faculty Senate should affirm the expectation that every general education course shall be coordinated by a full-time faculty member (NTE, TET, or faculty senate eligible) who teaches the course at least once each year.

Recommendation: The Faculty Senate should affirm the expectation that the ratio of students to faculty and instructional support staff for general education courses remain at levels that allow faculty and staff to know, teach, and provide substantive feedback to student learners.

Recommendation: The Faculty Senate should affirm a goal that, every academic term, the university shall offer a distance or blended-mode offering of at least one course in each element of the general education curriculum.

6Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Mission of the Wright State Core [Proposed]Mission of the Wright State Core [Proposed]

The Wright State Core builds a foundation for life-long learning that equips students to act as engaged, conscientious, and educated citizens of a diverse world. The Wright State Core is an integrated program of courses that provides students with the breadth of skills, depth of knowledge, and range of experience expected of university graduates. A university degree goes beyond training graduates for a profession; it transforms lives. The Wright State Core prepares students to live well, to take joy in their cultural heritage, and to give direction and meaning to their lives.

It fosters the knowledge and skills essential for critical thinking, creative problem solving, meaningful civic engagement, multicultural understanding, and appreciation of the arts and sciences. Building on this foundation, Wright State graduates will be able to synthesize knowledge from multiple disciplines, to contribute meaningfully to their communities, and to engage effectively with the increasingly interconnected global and technological environment in which they live and work.

7Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

University Learning Outcomes [Proposed]University Learning Outcomes [Proposed]

At the end of their Core/general education studies, Wright State graduates will be able to:

1.communicate effectively in multiple modes

2.demonstrate quantitative literacy

3.articulate, synthesize, and evaluate arguments and evidence using the methodologies employed by the natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities

4.demonstrate understanding of contemporary social and ethical issues

5.demonstrate multicultural literacy within a complex global environment

8Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

General Education Credit Hour Distributions General Education Credit Hour Distributions (Current)(Current)

ELEMENTS REQUIRED DISTRIBUTIONS HOURSCOMMUNICATION One first-year composition course

One second-year writing course6

MATHEMATICS One course 3GLOBAL TRADITIONS

One interdisciplinary Global Studies course One history course

6

ARTS/HUMANITIES

One course 3

SOCIAL SCIENCE Two courses from different disciplines 6NATURAL SCIENCE

Two lecture/lab science courses 8

ADDITIONAL CORE COURSES

Two additional approved Wright State Core courses from any of the Elements (some programs may designate these courses)

6

MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE

As part of the Core, in addition to the interdisciplinary Global Studies Course (Element 3), students must take a second designated multicultural competence class in any Element or as an additional course.

n/a

WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

As part of the Core, students must take two Integrated Writing (IW) Core courses

n/a

TOTAL 12 courses 38

9Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

General Education Credit Hour Distributions General Education Credit Hour Distributions (Proposed)(Proposed)

ELEMENTS REQUIRED DISTRIBUTIONS Current Proposed State COMMUNICATION One first-year composition course

One second-year academic research and writing course

6 6 3

MATHEMATICS One quantitative reasoning course 3 3 3ARTS/HUMANITIES One historical perspectives course

One additional course9 6 6

SOCIAL SCIENCE Two courses 6 6 6NATURAL SCIENCE One laboratory science course

One additional science course8 7 6

GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVE

One multicultural literacy course Two additional general education electives, any level/area

6 9 (12)

TOTAL  12 courses 38 37 36

10Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Multicultural Literacy RequirementMulticultural Literacy Requirement

Historical analysis and global perspectives necessary to understand our diverse world Demonstrate an awareness of the diversity of people or traditions in our world in ways that promote effective engagement, both locally and globally [ML1]Apply the methods of inquiry of the natural sciences, social sciences, or the arts and humanities to understand contemporary social or ethical issues related to cultural, economic, social, sexual, physical, political, or racial diversity [ML2]Demonstrate skills required to engage in an informed and respectful way with diverse peoples, cultures, and histories [ML3]

Recommendation: The Faculty Senate should charge an ad hoc committee to specifically consider and further improve the learning objectives of the multicultural literacy requirement over the next academic year. Furthermore, the ad hoc committee recommends that this same body develop a process to determine which existing MC-tagged courses will fully satisfy this requirement and the process by which courses will be approved and assessed as satisfying this requirement in the future.

11Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Writing/Communication Across the GE COREWriting/Communication Across the GE CORE

FOR ALL ELEMENTS: The writing and communication skills students need to interact effectively with peers and colleagues, exemplified by the ability to produce writing or other communication of an appropriate type, quantity, and level of proficiency for the specific subject, occasion, and audience.

12Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Mathematics ElementMathematics Element

The foundational skills required to use and interpret mathematics and statistics Identify and determine the values of various elements of a mathematical or statistical model [Math1]Apply a mathematical/statistical model to a real-world problem [Math2]Interpret and draw conclusions from graphical, tabular, and other numerical or statistical representations of data [Math3]

CORE DISTRIBUTIONCourse must meet all Math Learning Objectives (Math1-Math3)

13Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Art/Humanities ElementArt/Humanities Element

Perspectives necessary to understand our diverse world through historical analysis, appreciation of the arts, literature, philosophy, and religious thoughtCritically analyze and respond to significant creative, literary, philosophical, or religious works [AH1]Recognize the complex blend of imaginative vision, socio-cultural context, ethical values, and aesthetic judgment in creative, philosophical, or religious works [AH2]Critically describe some of the political, social or economic systems, historical, cultural or religious traditions, and/or technological innovations around the world [AH3]Apply appropriate methodologies to evaluate political, social, economic, literary, historical, cultural, religious, ethical, or technological questions [AH4]  

CORE DISTRIBUTIONArts and Letters Course: Course must meet all Arts/Humanities Learning Objectives (AH1-AH4)Historical Perspectives Course: Course must meet Learning Objectives AH3 and AH4.Note that any selection of two courses from the above two subareas (one from each area) will guarantee coverage of all Learning Objectives for the Wright State University General

Education Arts/Humanities Element.

14Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Communications ElementCommunications Element

The foundational skills students need in academic discourse, research, and documentation in an electronic environment Adapt rhetorical processes and organize and produce texts to meet the demands of specific genres, purposes, audiences, and stances [Com1]Employ appropriate mechanics, usage, grammar, and spelling conventions [Com2]Find, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and synthesize appropriate source material from both print and electronic environments [Com3]Use reliable and varied evidence to support claims, incorporate ideas from sources appropriately, acknowledge and document the work of others appropriately, and present focused, logical arguments that support a thesis [Com4]Use electronic environments to draft, revise, edit, and share or publish texts [Com5]

CORE DISTRIBUTION1st year Composition Course: Course must meet all Communication Learning Objectives (Com1-Com5)2nd year Academic Research and Writing Course: Course must meet all Communication Learning Objectives (Com1-Com5)

15Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Social Science ElementSocial Science Element

Perspectives on human behavior and culture informed by the disciplines of the social sciences Critically apply knowledge of social science theory and methods of inquiry to personal decisions, current issues, or global concerns [SS1]Explain and critique the methods of inquiry of social science disciplines [SS2]Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical issues involved in the acquisition or application of social science knowledge [SS3]Demonstrate, from a social science perspective, an understanding of the responsibilities of an informed and engaged citizen to participate in democratic society and the modern world [SS4]

CORE DISTRIBUTIONCourse must meet all Social Science Learning Objectives (SS1-SS4)

16Wright State UniversityFaculty Senate

GE Core Review CommitteeT. Doom, co-chair

Natural Science ElementNatural Science Element

Introductions to the scientific understanding of the physical and biological phenomena Critically apply knowledge of scientific theory and methods of inquiry to evaluate information from a variety of sources [NS1]Distinguish between science and technology and recognize their roles in society [NS2]Demonstrate an awareness of theoretical, practical, creative, and cultural dimensions of scientific inquiry [NS3]Discuss fundamental theories underlying modern science [NS4]

CORE DISTRIBUTIONCourse must meet all NS Learning Objectives (NS1-NS4)