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COVER PAGE

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM 2012-13 Growth Agenda for Wisconsin Grants Program

Please include a signed cover page with your electronically submitted proposal.

INSTITUTION: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh AMOUNT REQUESTED: $418,400 PROJECT TITLE: Promoting Student Success through Curricular Reform

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Carleen Vande Zande TITLE: Assistant Vice Chancellor, Curricular Affairs and Student Academic Achievement DEPARTMENT: Office of Provost and Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs PHONE: 920-424-3190 FAX: 920-424-0247 ADDRESS: 800 Algoma Blvd, Dempsey Hall Room 335, Oshkosh, WI 54901 E-MAIL: [email protected]

OTHER INVESTIGATORS: Dr. Lori Carrell TITLE: Professor of Communication, Director of Center for Excellence in Teaching Pollock Alumni House 800 Algoma Blvd. [email protected] 920-424-1402

ONE-SENTENCE PROJECT DESCRIPTION: To increase success for all students through general education curriculum reform resulting in increased student engagement and retention.

Institutional Approval: Institution:

Provost/Vice Chancellor Grants Officer

Electronic submission of proposals should be sent to: [email protected] cover.doc

mailto:[email protected]



DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: As a part of its university-wide Growth Agenda goals, UW

Oshkosh has approved a new University Studies Program, reconfigured academic learning

support programs, expanded its existing assessment system, and built an infrastructure to support

this holistic curricular reform. The UW System core strategies, the university mission and the

academic priorities of the University’s Academic Program Plan are foundational to the design,

intent and anticipated outcomes of this program. The multi-year project revolves around the

implementation of a new University Studies Program and the creation of a learning environment

in which students of all backgrounds can be successful. Additionally, this project is built upon

the findings of the University’s participation in several System and national initiatives, such as

the Equity Score Card, WI Transfer Equity Study, Give Students a Compass, Inclusive

Excellence, Diversity Dialogues, Student Success in Gateway Courses, and the AAC&U Degree

Profile work. The overall goal of this UW System Institutional Change Grant is: To increase

success for all students through general education curriculum reform resulting in increased

student engagement, retention, and number of graduates.

The three-year project consists of three main outcomes, one each for faculty

development, academic learning support and the assessment of student learning. This project

builds upon the University’s ongoing focus on retention, curriculum reform, and Inclusive

Excellence. Each outcome promotes the mission of UW Oshkosh, which includes an “inclusive

learning environment, the centrality of student and faculty interactions, and preparing students

with the integrative learning skills, and practical skills needed to succeed in and contribute to a

rapidly changing society.”

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Project Narrative UW System Institutional Change Grant Proposal Submitted by UW Oshkosh

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: As a part of its university-wide Growth Agenda goals, UW

Oshkosh has approved a new University Studies Program, reconfigured academic learning

support programs, expanded its existing assessment system, and built an infrastructure to support

this holistic curricular reform. The UW System core strategies, the university mission and the

academic priorities of the University’s Academic Program Plan are foundational to the design,

intent and anticipated outcomes of this program. The multi-year project revolves around the

implementation of a new University Studies Program and the creation of a learning environment

in which students of all backgrounds can be successful. Additionally, this project is built upon

the findings of the University’s participation in several System and national initiatives, such as

the Equity Score Card, WI Transfer Equity Study, Give Students a Compass, Inclusive

Excellence, Diversity Dialogues, Student Success in Gateway Courses, and the AAC&U Degree

Profile work. The overall goal of this UW System Institutional Change Grant is: To increase

success for all students through general education curriculum reform resulting in increased

student engagement, retention, and number of graduates.

The University adopted new campus-wide learning outcomes in 2008 and subsequently

revised its general education curriculum, which is now called the University Studies Program.

The new curriculum is infused with high impact practices (HIPs) and pedagogies of engagement

designed to support the success of all students, thus leading to increased retention and graduation

rates. Foundational to this new curricular initiative will be smaller class sizes in first year

courses, learning communities, significant faculty development, increased student participation

in high impact practices, focused academic learning support, systematic outcomes assessment

and increased attentiveness to the student experience.

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The three-year project consists of three main outcomes, one each for faculty

development, academic learning support and the assessment of student learning. This project

builds upon the University’s ongoing focus on retention, curriculum reform, and Inclusive

Excellence. Each outcome promotes the mission of UW Oshkosh, which includes an “inclusive

learning environment, the centrality of student and faculty interactions, and preparing students

with the integrative learning skills, and practical skills needed to succeed in and contribute to a

rapidly changing society.”

Outcome A: Professional Development of Faculty - This is a key component of the grant.

Activities will assist faculty in integrating pedagogies of engagement, designing assessments,

and the transitioning of existing courses to fit the new University Studies curricular model.

Outcome A-1: Freshman Seminars - To create freshman seminar courses that develop connections among students and faculty focused on select University learning outcomes and responsibility areas (intercultural knowledge, community engagement, and sustainability).

Project Activities Timeline Assessment 1. Dept. Dialogues Spring 2012 On-line plan submission by dept/program

2. Collective Identification Spring 2012 Courses/Instructors Identified for Initial Quest Offerings

3. Initial Professional Development: Quest I Summer 2012 Courses/Instructors Identified for Initial Quest

Offerings

4. Initial Professional Development Quest II Fall 2012 Syllabi for new and modified courses complete

and processed through faculty governance

5. Initial Professional Development: Quest III

January interim 2012

Survey of Instructional Readiness; Assessment of Syllabi for learning outcomes and high impact

practices by USP Committee. 6.

Community Building/Collaborative

Policy Clarification Professional Development:

Quest Program

Summer 2013

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Outcome A-2: Learning Communities - To design learning communities (both interdisciplinary and disciplinary) aimed at integrating undergraduate education.

Project Activities Timeline Assessment

1.

Structured collaborative dialogues among

instructors teaching paired learning community

courses

Fall 2012 Needs assessment: List of questions about learning communities from each instructional pairing.

2. Best practice learning communities workshop

January 2012

Workshop Evaluation: Needs assessment questions answered?

3.

Expansion of peer mentor program (strategic and collaborative planning;

leadership determination; advertising; training)

2012-2013 Program and policies established; students identified and trained

4. Peer mentor instructor collaborative dialogues

May interim 2012; Three

meetings per semester 2013-2014; 2014-2015

Syllabi evaluated by USP Committee: Incorporate peer mentor and other learning community

expectations

5. Effectiveness Survey Fall 2014 Completed survey

Outcome A-3: Course Design - To assist faculty in integrating pedagogies of engagement, designing assessments and transitioning existing courses to align with the new University Studies Curriculum.


1.

Create on-line resources related to

pedagogy and assessment of ELOS

and HIPS

2012-2013 academic year Track usage of website

2.

CAPSTONE Experience/Course:

Best practice Workshops

Offered repeatedly: January & May

interim: 2012-2013; 2013-2014; 2014-

2015

Revised syllabus or Capstone experience description (may be submitted to assessment

committee and /or curricular review as appropriate)

3.

Enhancing Student Writing (Instruction &

Assessment): Best Practice Workshops


interim: 2012-2013; 2013-2014; 2014-

2015

Revised writing assignments and assessment procedures; rubric usage

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4. Using ePortfolio to Enhance Student

Learning: Workshops


interim: 2012-2013; 2013-2014; 2014-

2015

Documentation of rubric usage in Quest and Explore course assignment uploads to USP

ePortfolio (noted during USP program assessment; rubric use is not mandatory)

Outcome 4-A: To develop a collaborative community of teaching scholars.


1. Incorporate community building

activities into all USP professional development activities

These activities are integrated in

all events outlined in A-3

Pre and Post test survey: USP community belongingness and

campus value

2. Create on-line chat room for USP instructors: pose implementation

issues to the team

3. Designate space for USP instructors to gather regularly

4. Acknowledge USP instructors at

every public gathering (opening day, etc.)

Outcome B: Student Support - Existing academic and student support services will align their

services based on the new University Studies Program curriculum in gateway courses.

Underserved students, including transfer students, will receive customized services to meet

distinct needs identified through assessment, data collection and the ongoing monitoring of

student progress.

Outcome B-1: Academic Learning Support - To design academic learning support aligned with the University Studies curriculum. The following assessments will be conducted over a three -year period.


1. Identify courses for learning support Summer 2012; 2013; 2014 List of courses for academic support based

on student data 2. Meet with faculty Summer 2012; 2013; 2014 List of faculty; courses

3. Recruit & hire student leaders Summer 2012; 2013 Roster of qualified Supplemental

Instructional leaders for courses

4. Train support personnel Fall 2012-2015 Roster of qualified, trained leaders and

advisors 5. Collect data on Jan. 2012-spring 2015 OSAR report/Institutional Accountability

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student participation based on

demographics, grades

Report-decrease DFW rate in USP courses by 5%/year and increase rate of participation

of underserved students in HIPS by 10% each year

6. Examine retention rates Jan. 2012-spring 2015 OSAR/IA Report-increase retention rate to

82% over a five year period

7. Prepare OSAR report Annually July 2012-July 2015 OSAR/IA Report

Outcome B-2: Transfer Student Support - To assist transfer student success by helping them to become familiar with the University learning outcomes and academic learning services through advising and coursework.

Project Activities Timeline Assessments 1. Create orientation Summer 2012 Completed course/approved

2. Create transfer student course Summer 2012 Completed course/approved

3. Collaborate w/ 2 year colleges

Fall 2012-Spring 2015

Goal setting & annual reports; Degree Profile AAC&U for Identify degree criteria

4. Conduct Transfer Center Orientation

Summer 2012, Summer 2013, Summer 2014

100% participation of underserved students with successful completion of transfer applications; follow

up GPA transfer students; measure transfer student participation in HIPs and academic support

5. Align USP &

degree requirements

Fall 2012-Spring 2015 Completion of transfer policy & new degree profiles

6. Hire Transfer Center Specialist Fall 2012 Hiring specialist

7. Hire Transfer Center PALS

Fall 2012, 2013, 2014 Successful hiring & training of 6 PALS per year

Outcome B-3: Integration of Curricular and Co-curricular activities - To assist Student and Academic Affairs in developing activities and assessing student participation in high impact practices based on university learning outcomes.


1. Conduct an audit of existing Summer 2012 Completed audit of existing service learning,

volunteer experiences/community sites

2. Create new contacts in community & campus

Summer 2012-Summer 2015

Listing of service & volunteerism sites to a sufficient level to support Quest III students per semester

3. Faculty release time for

civic engagement coordination

6 credits 2013, 2014, 2015 Completed release time contract

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Outcome C: Assessment - To monitor the student success pathways of all students at the

University, a new assessment plan will be created to inform the campus community regarding

the relationship between diversity and excellence, representational equity, and the achievement

of select student populations. Additionally, the plan will provide evidence for curricular

decision-making based on student achievement of the university learning outcomes.

Outcome C-1: Systematic Outcomes Assessment - To create a University Studies assessment plan that supports the new University Studies Curriculum.

Project Activities Timeline Assessments

1. Conduct an audit of existing University

Studies Summer 2012 Completed audit of current university studies

assessments from mapping activity

2. Develop course embedded assessments 2012 - 2014

Completed and approved University Studies Assessment Plan

creation of course embedded assessments Approval of plan and assessments

3. Create assessment rubrics 2012 - 2014 Completion of rubrics reflecting learning outcomes for each element of plan

4. Train faculty who teach

course embedded assessments

2012 and ongoing Training plan, schedule, completed training

5. Pilot rubrics 2012 - 2014 Complete Pilot

6. Examine data on performance, retention

Annual basis – summer

OSAR Report Retention increased to 82%

Increase participation in HIPs of underserved students by 10%

Outcome C-2: Development of an ePortfolio - To implement an ePortfolio system that supports the assessment of the university-wide learning outcomes through activities, including design, training and implementation of the ePortfolio for students and faculty alike.


1. Design ePortfolio format, procedures and guidelines 2012-2013 Completed and approved design for

ePortfolio

2. Train faculty to use ePortfolio

for University Studies assessments

Summer 2013, 2014, 2015 Completed faculty training

3. Pilot ePortfolio with entering Fall 2013 Completed pilot with report

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freshman fall 2013

4. Implement and expand use of ePortfolio for all University Studies students fall 2014

2013-2014 Completed implementation Plan for ePortfolio

5. Publish annual ePortfolio results Annually OSAR Report

Outcome C-3: Monitoring Student Success - To develop a database and data reporting system that connects academic learning support, data for university initiatives, retention activities and student success reporting.


1. Complete an audit of existing data collection

Summer 2012 -Fall 2012 Audit completed

2. Identify data needs based on

university initiatives & learning outcomes

Fall 2012; 2013; 2014

Data list for initiatives updated each fall to include closing achievement gap data,

representational equity data, retention data, graduation data

3. Design database Fall – Spring with annual revisions Completed design aligned to data needs

4. Design reporting structure and format

Spring 2013 and each summer Design/process completed

5. Train Directors Summer 2013 and each summer Completed training programs

6. Examine student data on retention and performance

Summer 2013; 2014; 2015

OSAR Report Published to include retention and student performance data

STATEMENT OF NEED: The institution-wide change represented in this grant proposal

centers on the need for a more cohesive undergraduate experience to foster greater retention and

success for all students. The University Studies Program represents a shift in curriculum design

from a distributive general education model to a more cohesive and integrated learning

experience supported by numerous high impact practices, such as freshman seminars, learning

communities, community engagement projects, inquiry-based synthesis projects and capstone

experiences. New partnerships will be formed across the campus where faculty and staff plan

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integrated experiences. The curricular change is also a response to two prior Higher Learning

Commission reviews stating that the general education curriculum needed attention.

The outcomes of the grant represent a continuation of several key campus initiatives

identified in the Academic Program Plan focusing on retention and curriculum reform. The work

of this grant will build upon the findings of the Equity Score Card DFW Report for gateway 100-

and 200- level courses. As a result of discussions and analysis of student data in the College of

Letters and Science, faculty have identified relevant pedagogies to address the learning needs of

underserved student populations. These pedagogies, in turn, have informed the goals of this

grant. A coordinated academic learning support team has identified tutor and Supplemental

Instruction training that focuses on culturally relevant pedagogies in gateway courses. The

adoption of two early warning systems, the Early Alert system and the Multicultural Tracker

system, have also assisted the University in identifying specific academic challenges of minority,

first generation and transfer students.

The data collected by the Give Students a Compass program provided a clear direction for

the integration of two or more high impact practices for each student. The WI Transfer Equity

Study showed that students of color have significant challenges at the point of transfer. Faculty

also participated in curriculum mapping activities to identify where the university learning

outcomes were introduced and reinforced across all courses and majors. Preliminary data

collected by the Titan Transfer Center has demonstrated the need for transfer students to become

familiar with the learning outcomes, the high impact practices and the learning support structure

available on this campus. Two System Closing the Achievement Gap grants have assisted the

campus in exploring new training, new strategies, and new structures to support the academic

learning needs of all students through their participation in high impact practices.

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GROWTH AGENDA: This grant addresses several aspects of the UW System Core Strategies,

including the preparation of students, the building of stronger communities, and the increased

success of all students. The University Studies Program represents a significant cultural and

curricular change at UW Oshkosh aimed at providing all students with high impact practices that

research shows will enhance their retention and graduation rates. The connection with the

community will be strengthened through the participation of all students in community-based

learning experiences in their sophomore year. Additionally, students will engage in more

capstone experiences that will either take place in the community or have the community serve

as the focus of student research projects. Furthermore, the civic engagement component in Quest

III will foster key employment skills, which are transferable to the workforce. Finally, the

inquiry approach found in the new curriculum will foster our students’ abilities to problem solve

and think critically. These are major skill sets needed by today’s employers for college

graduates.

Enhancing teaching and learning through significant professional development

opportunities for our campus faculty and staff is another major aspect of the grant that will help

contribute to increased student success. Continued focus on culturally responsive pedagogies will

benefit all students and will assist the University in reducing the achievement gap among our

current student population. Faculty and student interaction, as afforded by high impact practices

will allow underserved students to benefit from the types of experiences that research shows will

lead to significant academic gains. Attentiveness to the student experience through data analysis

and monitoring of student progress will continue throughout all aspects of this project with

particular attention paid to underserved students and closing the achievement gap.

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The new University Studies Program will impact all students, all faculty and staff and all

academic programs. Each department will be able to create a USP course and all faculty

members will be eligible to participate in faculty development experiences. All academic

programs will be responsible for the assessment of the USP learning outcomes. Additionally, all

academic support programs will align their services and offerings to support the university

learning outcomes. Student Affairs will expand its community outreach in the form of

volunteerism, service learning and other experiential learning offerings. The work of the grant

will also support UW Oshkosh’s commitment to Inclusive Excellence. We have continued to

monitor retention rates for all students and we pay special attention to underrepresented students

in our disaggregation of data. As we move forward, we will continue to look for representational

equity of students from underrepresented populations engaging in high impact practices.

The UW Oshkosh academic community has just approved a complex, collaborative

process of campus-wide curricular reform, demonstrating the collective will, stamina and

competence to enact institutional change. The proposed project will require much of this

energized campus, as together we implement research-based practices chosen for their potential

to enhance student learning.

PLANS FOR SUSTAINABILITY: The University will provide ongoing support for several

aspects of this grant to ensure sustainability of the project. The funding of the freshman seminars

will continue after the end of the project. Additionally, the salaries of the assessment analyst, the

ePortfolio position, the Director of the University Studies Program and Coordinator of the First

Year Experience will continue to be funded by the University. The University also has a strong

faculty development program that will fund faculty activities associated with this project after

year three of implementation.

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Budget Narrative: The funding requests for this multi-year project are projected over a three

year period. This narrative is organized by outcome with funding requests stated year by year for

each outcome. The budget sheets are organized by year as requested. The University will fund

$300,000 for the implementation of 76 sections of the Freshman Seminars for the three years of

the project. The University will fund $60,000 per year for three years for the Director of the USP

and fund $18,000 per year for three years for the half time Director of First Year Experience.

Outcome A Faculty Development: The funding requested for a Faculty College and Workshops

for year one is $108,000, $75,000 of which will be provided by the university. For year two

$63,200 is needed, $5,000 of which is contributed by the university. Funding requested for year

three is $63,200. Programs focus on strategies for faculty to design freshman seminars and

assessments, to build the USP community of scholars and to adapt existing courses. These

amounts are based on approximately 60 Faculty will be paid a stipend of $1000 for course

development for year one. The will be paid $400 for attendance at an Interim Intensive

Workshops over three years. A total of $6,000 or $2,000 for three years is requested for supplies

and expenses for workshop materials, and books. A request for funding for Peer Mentoring

training will be $3,800 for year two and three. Funding requested for faculty development for the

implementation and training for assessment of capstone, writing and ePortfolio is $24,000 per

year for years two and three for a total of $48,000. The university will provide year one funding

of $25,000 for this training. We are requesting funding of $10,000 over a three year period for

assessment conference attendance by faculty.

Outcome B Academic Support: Additional academic learning support and advising will be

required. The current Center for Academic Resources (CAR) will implement a Peer Educator

model and add more sections of Supplemental Instruction (SI) and tutors. The total amount

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requested for CAR for USP course support (twenty Peer Educator courses per year at $850 per

course) is $17,000 per year for three years or $51,000. An additional request is to fund ten SI

sections for $15,000 for year three. The University will fund $20,000 for year one and $6,000 for

year two for these services. An additional .25 for the increase to the SI Coordinator position is

requested for a total of $13,000 for years two and three. Faculty and advisors in the UPS

program, in collaboration with the Titan Transfer Center, will create orientations and a course for

transfer students requiring funding for $6000 (six faculty stipends at $1000) in year one. The

transfer student experience will be partially supported by the AAC&U Degree Profile project for

a total of $6,000 a year for year one. Two student assistants (PALS) will assist the Advising and

Admissions offices for a total twenty hours per week for forty-four weeks for $8,500 per year for

three years for a total of $25,500. The Advising Office will request funding for training of

advisors for an amount of $4,000 for materials and conferences across three years. We request

funding for a Coordinator of Civic Engagement is needed for a dedicated person to interface with

the faculty, the Volunteerism Office and community. Faculty release in the amount of $9,000 per

year for three years ($27,000 total) is requested to support a two-course release annually. A half

time Volunteer Coordinator in Reeve Union will also support the community aspects of the USP

civic engagement curriculum at $20,000 for years one and two for a total of $40,000.

Outcome C Assessment: The assessment of the new UPS curriculum and majors will be

supported by an ePortfolio and data collection software program. Funding is requested for the

SAS Analytic Software for a total of $9,500 over a three-year period. The University will fund

salaries for an assessment analyst ($51,000 per year for three years), and the ePortfolio specialist

(up to $60,000 per year for three years).

PROJECT TITLE:CATEGORY:INSTITUTION:

Funds Cost to Funds Cost to Funds Cost to

Requested Institution Requested Institution Requested Institution

$59,000.00 $235,000.00 $141,200.00 $434,000.00 $146,200.00 $429,000.002 Classified Staff: $0.00 $60,000.00 $0.00 $60,000.00 $0.00 $60,000.003 Limited Term Employee: $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00$8,500.00 $20,000.00 $12,300.00 $6,000.00 $27,300.00 $0.00

6 Other (i.e., Guest speakers, Consultants, etc):7 Fringe Benefits

$67,500.00 $315,000.00 $153,500.00 $500,000.00 $173,500.00 $489,000.00

1 Equipment: $5,500.00 $2,000.00 $2,000.00 $0.002 Supplies & Expenses: $4,000.00 $3,000.00 $3,000.00 $0.003 Other (describe): $3,300.00 $3,300.00 $3,300.00 $0.00

$7,300.00 $5,500.00 $8,300.00 $0.00 $8,300.00 $0.00$74,800.00 $320,500.00 $161,800.00 $500,000.00 $181,800.00 $489,000.00

Supplies & Expenses Sub Total:

PROJECT FUNDING TOTALS:

Personnel Salary Sub Total:

EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES & EXPENSES Briefly identify items. Justify each in Budget Narrative detailing travel (i.e., mileage, meals, lodging)

University of Wisconsin OshkoshFY2013-14 FY2014-15FY2012-13

PERSONNEL SALARY*Identify Personnel in Budget Narrative

1 Faculty and Academic Staff:

4 Research and Grad Assistants: 5 Student Workers:

University of Wisconsin SystemGrowth Agenda Grants Program

2012-13 BUDGET FORM Promoting Student Success through Curricular ReformInstitutional Change Grant

Itemized Growth Agenda Grant Request Category 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

UWO commitment

Grant request

UWO commitment

Grant request

UWO commitment

Grant request

Personnel Salary 16 Sections of

Freshman seminar - - $300,000 - $300,000 -

Director of USP $60,000 - $60,000 - $60,000 -

Director of FYE .5 FTE $18,000 - $18,000 - $18,000 - Faculty College

Workshops - stipends $75,000 $33,000 $5,000 $58,200 - $63,200

Peer Mentoring Training - - - $3,800 - $3,800

Fac. Dev. Assessment Capstone ePortfolio $25,000 - - $24,000 - $24,000

CAR for USP Support - $17,000 - $17,000 - $17,000 Additional 20 SI

Sections $20,000 - $6,000 - - $15,000

SI Coordinator Postion, inc. of .25 - - - $13,000- - $13,000

Orientations for Transfer Students $6,000 - - - - -

2 PALS 20 hrs/wk X 44 weeks - $8,500 - $8,500 - $8,500

Coordinator of Civic Engagement - $9,000 - $9,000 - $9,000

Volunteer Coordinator - - - $20,000 - $20,000 Assessment Analyst $51,000 - $51,000 - $51,000 - ePortfolio Specialist $60,000 - $60,000 - $60,000 -

Subtotal of Personnel: $315,000 $67,500 $500,000 $153,500 $489,000 $173,500

Equipment/Supplies SAS Software $5,500 - - $2,000 - $2,000

Advisor Training Materials - $2,000 - $1,000 - $1,000

Supplies & Expenses - $2,000 - $2,000 - $2,000 Conference Attendance - $3,300 - $3,300 - $3,300

Subtotal of Equipment/Supplies: $5,500 $7,300 - $8,300 - $8,300

Project Funding

Totals: $320,500 $74,800 $500,000 $161,800 $489,000 $181,800

3 -Year Total: UWO Commitment = $1,309,500 3-Year Total: Grant Request = $418,400

PROVOST AND VICE CHANCELLOR • ACADEMIC AFFAIRS UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN OSHKOSH • 800 ALGOMA BLVD • OSHKOSH WI 54901-8622

(920) 424-0300 • FAX (920) 424-0247 • www.uwosh.edu/provost S:\Provost\Staff Files\Growth Agenda\UW System Grant Proposal 2012\Final\UWO Growth Agenda #1A Provost Memo.doc.docx

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution • www.uwosh.edu

February 23, 2012 Office of UW System Academic Affairs 1660 Van Hise Hall 1220 Linden Drive Madison, WI 53706 Dear Grant Committee, I am writing to offer my full support for the enclosed Growth Agenda grant proposal submitted by the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh entitled Promoting Student Success Through Curricular Reform. The proposal focuses on the implementation of a new University Studies Program as well as expanded academic support, increased faculty development and new assessment practices. The scope of the project will extend to all academic departments and all academic affairs divisions including the Registrar, Advising and Admissions. Student Affairs are equal partners in the civic education of our students as we foster personal and social responsibility. Additionally academic and student support services will be involved in order to improve retention and increase student success for all students. The University’s commitment to Inclusive Excellence provides a strong foundation for the creation of a learning environment where all students can succeed. Through the implementation of high impact practices for all students, the University seeks to increase retention and to increase the number of graduates. Moreover, through this project, the University will focus on the Growth Agenda core strategies of preparing students, increasing graduates, and building stronger communities. The outcomes of the project support the University’s Academic Program Plan as well as the mission of the University. The academic priorities of retention and curriculum reform are the driving forces behind this project. The outcomes will assist the University in sustaining the work we started with the Equity Score Card project, the Give Students a Compass project and the WI Transfer Equity Study. Campus initiatives such as the Diversity Dialogues and the Student Success in Gateway Courses dialogues among faculty in the College of Letters and Science also inform our work. The project furthers the faculty efforts of the General Education Reform Team and the Enrollment Management Team’s work on looking at recruitment and retention. This project, if funded, would be part of the overall university-wide effort to focus on retention issues and to increase the number of graduates at the institution as reflected in the new academic program plan. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions regarding this grant application. Sincerely,

http://www.uwosh.edu/provost

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CARLEEN M. VANDE ZANDE, Ph.D. 176 Harmsen Avenue

Waupun, WI 53963 Academic Degrees Ph.D. University of Wisconsin 1985 Curriculum & Instruction M.A. University of Wisconsin 1980 Curriculum & Instruction/Spanish B.A. Daemen College 1978 Spanish Education Professional Experience 2008-present Assistant Vice Chancellor, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Associate Professor, College of Education, UW Oshkosh 2007 Professor of Education, Marian University 2007-2008 Special Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs

Chair, Faculty Development, Marian College Co-Chair of Strategic Planning, Marian College 2006-2007 Acting Dean of Graduate Studies, Marian College 2005-2006 Interim Dean School of Education, Marian College Faculty and Administrative Load Graduate courses taught: EDL 756 Introduction to Postsecondary Education in the US

TDE 626 Principles of Curriculum and Assessment TDE 610 Curriculum & Instruction Seminar TDE 612 Action Research Current Professional Assignments and Activities 08-11 Consultant Evaluator, Higher Learning Commission, Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality Systems Evaluator, Higher Learning Commission, Academic Quality Improvement Program Strategy Facilitator, Higher Learning Commission, Academic Quality Improvement Program Change Panel Chair, Higher Learning Commission Eternal Grant Evaluator Title III grants-Department of Education Grants 08-11 AAC&U TG-Give Students a Compass Grant, 2011-12, Campus rep UW System COBE Grant, 2011-2012, Campus PI UW System Closing the Achievement Gap Grant, 2011-2012, Campus PI UW System Prior Learning Assessment Grant, author, 2011-2013 UW System Closing the Achievement Gap Grant, 2010-2011,Campus PI Title III Trio Grant for UW Oshkosh, author collaborator, 2010-2015 Title III Student Success Grant, Carroll University, External Evaluator, 2009-2014 AAC&U Give Students a Compass Grant, 2008-2011, Campus PI Title III Student Success Grant, MPTC External Evaluator, 2008-2012 Service to UW system 08-11 AAC&U/UW System Compass team, 2008-2011 Compass Institute Planning team, invited, 2009, 2010 President’s Summit Planning team, invited 2009, 2010 Panelist Academic Affairs workshop invited panelist, June 2010 More Graduates Workshop Planning team, December, 2010 Business Intelligence Workgroup, June, 2010 UW System representative at AAC&U Gen Ed Conference, June, 2010 Invited presenter UW System Board of Regents, June 2010 Invited presenter UW System Board of Regents, Oct. 2010 Invited presenter WI Transfer Equity workshop, Oct. 2010 Invited presentation Retention Conference, March, 2011

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Assessment Workshop Planning team, March, 2011 Invited presentation UW Superior assessment workshop, Aug. 2011 Invited researcher- AAC&U/UW System Compass Research, 2011-2012 Invited presenter UW System Board of Regents, Oct. 2011 Invited UW System FYE Data Workshop presenter, Nov. 2011 Service to UW Oshkosh Campus 08-11 CETL Leadership Team 2010 to present Web Advisory Group-2010 to present Enrollment Management Team-2008 to present Faculty Senate Committee for Assessment 2008 to present Coordinated Academic Support Services 2010 to present Enterprise Risk Management 2010 to present Give Students a Compass Committee 2008-2011 Campus Pride Index Task Force 2009-2011 On-line Task Force 2009-2010 College of Business Strategic Planning 2011 LLCE Strategic Planning 2011 UWO Citizenship Board 2009 to present UWO Volunteerism Committee 2008 to present Community Service 08-11 Shaler Scholarship Board-President Schmul Scholarship Board-President Waupun Community Hospital Board, Waupun, WI Agnesian Healthcare Quality Council, Fond du Lac, WI League of Women Voters, Oshkosh, WI Commission on Education, Reformed Church in America, Chicago, IL Task Force on White Privilege, Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI Hands on Oshkosh, 2008, 2009, 2010 American Democracy Project-12 community/university events Publications Vande Zande, C., David, Debra and Samiller, Kay. (2011). Evidence based decisions for equity. AAC&U. Making Excellence Inclusive, Fall 2011, 5-6. Vande Zande, C. (2011). Underserved Student Success in High Impact Practices: A New Model of Retention Leadership. AAC&U http://leap.aacu.org/toolkit/wp-content/files_mf/uw_oshkosh_inclusive_excellence_study.pdf Vande Zande, C. and Rettig, P. (2010) Academic Learning Outcomes for the Student Athlete, Athletics Administration, Dec. 2010 45 (8), 20. Vande Zande, C. (2010) Looking at underserved student success in high impact practices,” Higher Learning Commission Case Studies, Chicago, IL. Vande Zande, C. (2009) “The Role of the Department Chair in Supporting Assessment Plans,” Higher Learning Commission Case Studies, Chicago, IL. Vande Zande, C. (2009) “Data and Accountability: Case Studies,” Higher Learning Commission Case Studies, Chicago, IL. Vande Zande, C. (2007) chapter “Performance Assessments” in Anthony Dallmann-Jones, Effective Teaching and Assessment, RLD Publications, Lancaster, PA.

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Vande Zande, Carleen and Roose, Deborah. (2005) Excellence in Teacher Education: How Liberal Arts Institutions Contribute to the Conversation.” AILACTE Journal, 2(1), 1-14. Vande Zande, Carleen. (2004). Chapter In Peggy Maki, Peggy. "Assessing Learning: Building a Sustainable Commitment Across the Institution for. Stylus Publishing, 2004 Presentations: “ Transfer Issues at UWO,” Provost Summit, Oshkosh, WI, Oct. 27, 2011. “Assessment and the General Education Framework,” Oshkosh, WI June 2, 2011. “Retention and Student Success Pathway at UWO,” Oshkosh, WI, May 23, 2011. “Retention: Making all parts work together for success,” State of Wisconsin TRiO Annual Conference, Madison, WI, April, 19, 2011. “Campus Perspectives on Give Students a Compass Project,” UW System President’s Summit on Teaching and Learning, Madison, WI, April, 14, 2011. “Data Collection for Analyzing Student Achievement,” UW System Retention Conference, Madison, WI, March 2011. “The Compass Project and Study Abroad for Underserved Students,” AAC&U Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, January 27, 2011. “Lessons Learned Through the Give Students a Compass Project,” UW System Compass Institute, November 12, 2010. “WI Transfer Equity Study: Data implications for campuses,” UW System Conference, Madison, WI, Oct. 19, 2010. “Inclusive Excellence and Student Success,” UW System Board of Regents, Oshkosh, Oct. 17, 2010. “Inclusive Excellence and the Compass Program,” UW System Board of Regents, Milwaukee, June 10, 2010. “General education reform at the system level, California State System Conference on General Education, Fullerton, CA May 3, 2010. “HIPs and campus inquiry: A campus journey,” UW System President’s Summit on Teaching and Learning, Madison, WI, April 30, 2010. “Looking at underserved student success in high impact practices,” Higher Learning Commission, Chicago, IL, April 11, 2010.

“Give Students a Compass and Improve Learning Success: Lessons Learned,”AAC&U Annual Conference, Washington, DC, Jan. 22, 2010.

uwosh.edu/usp

IntroductionOne of more than fifty articles in the General Education Reform website’s archive of Best Practice Resources is Laurence Musgrove’s piece from the Winter, 2008, issue of Liberal Education, “The Metaphors We Gen-Ed By,” chronicling the general education reform process at St. Xavier University. During their accreditation visit, external evaluators noted that St. Xavier’s core curriculum was “so open to choice within the disciplinary distribution requirements that it failed to guide students adequately through common experiences.” Furthermore, the evaluators pointed out, students “were not particularly concerned about where they would end up, as long as they could get their tickets punched enough times to be exchanged for that bigger ticket, the diploma.” The team also noted that “without a committee or administrative structure to oversee the curriculum, program assessment and improvement would be very difficult.” In fact, there was no coherent general education program to oversee and assess, “just an incoherent flock of courses with responsibility for oversight nested within individual departments.” It is impossible not to recognize how uncannily similar this sounds to the way general education has operated at UW Oshkosh for some thirty years.

In addition to these and other shortcomings of our current model, which prompted the now well-known demand from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) that we revise and twice assess a new general education program prior to our next accreditation visit in 2017 (see Appendix C), other data point strongly to the need for reform. National Survey of Student Engagement data gathered over nearly a decade has repeatedly shown that student engagement at UW Oshkosh consistently trails that at our peer institutions. Data from 2011, for example, shows us to be significantly behind other UW System campuses in high-impact practice areas such as learning communities, service learning, faculty-student research, and senior capstone experiences.

The University Studies Program (USP) proposal is the result of years of dedicated work by people at UW Oshkosh committed to changing all of that.

This proposal is the product of years of difficult, collaborative work by faculty and staff members from across the university. In 2007 the Liberal Education Reform Team began their work, culminating in the completion of a general education reform “framework,” approved by the Faculty Senate in spring 2011. The efforts continued in summer and fall of that year, when a large group of faculty and staff were charged with moving the framework forward into a concrete and detailed proposal. In fall 2011 alone, that work included listening sessions at dozens of meetings with academic departments and programs and several public presentations to gather feedback to incorporate in revised versions of the document. These versions have been available for campus input on the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning website since September.

This collaborative process has been informed by best-practice literature on general education reform; the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U); successful national models of reform at universities such as Portland State and Western Illinois; and the desire to incorporate data-supported, high-impact practices throughout the first three semesters of our students’ academic careers. As such, it embodies exemplary local and national thinking on general education.

While many possible names for the proposed program have been considered to communicate the magnitude of this change for our academic community, the etymology of the word “university”—meaning both “combined in one” or “whole” and a “community of scholars”—provided a compelling point of departure for the reform team. We are envisioning a Liberal Education program that builds a vibrant community connecting teachers and learners across our campus.

All students at UW Oshkosh, regardless of their choice of major, will participate in a coherent 41-credit University Studies Program that addresses our Essential Learning Outcomes (see Appendix A) in a purposeful, coherent curriculum that serves a four-fold purpose:

• First, in our embedded First-Year Experience (FYE) Quest I course, students in small classes taught throughout the disciplines will engage in a range of FYE activities designed to ensure a successful transition into university life.

• Second, students will take an integrated series of liberal arts QUEST courses that feature an immersion in distinctive campus initiatives—Sustainability; Intercultural Knowledge and Competence; and Civic Knowledge and Engagement—which will prepare them for purposeful, 21st-century global citizenship. Simultaneously, students will be learning the skills and habits of mind that employers repeatedly name as the most crucial to success in the new global marketplace, among them the ability to solve complex problems; to write and speak effectively; and to collaborate successfully with others.

• Third, our program will require students to explore the diverse ways of knowing taught in the sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and the fine and performing arts. Modeled on our current general education breadth requirements, this part of the proposal engages students’ intellectual curiosity in courses chosen from the categories of Nature, Culture, and Society.

• Finally, this program will help students build coherent connections across their University Studies coursework in two ways. First, students will CONNECT their University Studies experiences in an advanced writing course that will promote further development of writing competence with content related to one of the campus’ distinctive initiatives. This course will also provide culminating, assessable opportunities for reflection on the purpose, value, and experience of Liberal Education. Second, all students will have a required capstone experience in their chosen major that includes an opportunity to assess how successfully they’ve engaged the Essential Learning Outcomes in their academic careers at UW Oshkosh.

The current proposal provides our students with an assessable, common intellectual experience that also embraces the traditional breadth of a liberal arts education to prepare them well for the challenges of work, for engaged citizenship, and for a meaningful and satisfying life.

Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2

Proposal At-a-Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Program Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

Credit Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12

Comparison Chart: Current General Education Requirements and the USP . . . . . . . . . . Page 13

Assessment Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15

Appendix A: UW Oshkosh Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17

Appendix B: QUEST Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18

Appendix C: Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Appendix D: High-Impact Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26

Summer/Fall 2011 General Education Reform Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back cover

Proposal At-a-GlanceThe University Studies Program introduces UW Oshkosh students to the opportunities of university life and the goals of a Liberal Education. Students participate in learning communities and connected, invigorating experiences designed to build intellectual curiosity and to lay the foundation for lifelong intellectual development and global citizenship.

Student learning is the focus of the 41-credit University Studies Program. In addition to their broad exploration of knowledge and the development of essential skills desired by employers, students will ask big questions related to three themes drawn from the “responsibilities” of the campus Essential Learning Outcomes: Sustainability, Civic Knowledge and Engagement, and Intercultural Knowledge and Competence. These areas of inquiry relate to our campus’ distinctive initiatives and are phrased in terms of Signature Questions (SQs):

• How do people understand and create a sustainable world?

• How do people understand and engage in community life?

• How do people understand and bridge cultural differences?

The program itself is divided among three interconnected areas: QUESTION, EXPLORATION and CONNECTION.

• The QUESTION component is designed to promote students’ development of the foundational skills necessary to succeed at the university, an understanding of and engagement with the Signature Questions, and an awareness of the value and importance of a Liberal Education. Students will participate in small learning communities, as disciplinary courses are paired with writing and speaking courses in the first two semesters. In the third portion of this sequence, students will participate in a community engagement project.

• The EXPLORATION component is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of the human experience through different disciplinary ways of knowing about Nature, Culture, and Society. These categories reflect existing divisions of the College of Letters & Science, and students will take a required number of credits in each category.

• The CONNECTION component is designed for students to integrate and synthesize knowledge from their QUEST and EXPLORE experiences in an advanced writing course based on one of the Signature Questions.

Through coordinated learning experiences, students will also explore their responsibilities as educated citizens in the 21st century. The skills, knowledge, and responsibilities that are the focus of University Studies student learning are drawn from the UW Oshkosh Essential Learning Outcomes (approved in May 2008 by the UW Oshkosh Faculty Senate).

As a community of scholars, the faculty and staff who teach in and support the University Studies Program will be committed to students’ academic success, the value of Liberal Education, and the implementation of research-based teaching and learning practices.

Program DescriptionThe purpose of the University Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is to inspire intellectual curiosity in our students, encourage them to understand their responsibilities as educated people, and lay the foundation for the skills and knowledge that will enable them to succeed not only as university students, but also as engaged local and global citizens. The program is structured around three interconnected areas:

QUESTION / EXPLORATION / CONNECTION

Three themes, drawn from the “responsibilities” of the campus Essential Learning Outcomes, provide common intellectual experiences in the QUESTION and CONNECTION components of the program. The AAC&U defines these themes in flexible and wide-ranging ways. Faculty and staff teaching in the University Studies Program are likewise encouraged to interpret them broadly through the lens of their own disciplines. These three themes derive from three of our campus’ distinctive initiatives:

• Sustainability and Its Applications

• Civic Knowledge and Engagement

• Intercultural Knowledge and Competence

The University Studies Program includes the following broad definitions, drawn from the Faculty Senate-approved Essential Learning Outcomes (May 2008). To build intellectual curiosity among students, these broad themes have in turn been phrased as Signature Questions, which provide the structure for the QUEST portion of the USP.

Knowledge of Sustainability and Its Applications is the ability to understand local and global earth systems; the qualities of ecological integrity and the means to restore and preserve it; and the interconnection of ecological integrity, social justice, and economic well-being.

Signature Question: How do people understand and create a sustainable world?

Civic Knowledge and Engagement entails understanding political and non-political processes that influence a local, state, national, or global community and applying skills and strategies that can affect the life of a community in positive ways.

Signature Question: How do people understand and engage in community life?

Intercultural Knowledge and Competence is the understanding of one’s own culture as well as cultures beyond one’s own; the recognition of the cultural values and history, language, traditions, arts, and social institutions of a group of people; the ability to negotiate and bridge cultural differences in ways that allow for broader perspectives to emerge; and the skill to investigate a wide range of worldviews, beliefs, practices, and values.

Signature Question: How do people understand and bridge cultural differences?

QUESTIONIncoming students will begin to question in a discipline-based first-year experience (FYE) course while concurrently enrolling in a second course focused upon the skills employers repeatedly name as the most crucial to success in the 21st century, among them the ability to solve complex problems; to locate and evaluate information; to write and speak effectively; and to collaborate successfully with others. By enrolling in these paired courses in their first two semesters on campus, students will be placed in learning communities and will begin to examine the campus’ Signature Questions. By the end of their second year of study, they will have explored all three SQs.

Quest I (1st semester paired courses): First-Year Experience (FYE) Quest I course + Writing (currently WBIS) or Speaking (currently Comm 111)The same Signature Question is addressed in both courses.

In Quest I, students will take two linked three-credit courses drawn from one of the three Signature Questions. By enrolling in paired courses capped at 25 and focusing upon the same SQ, students will be placed in cohort groups that will provide them with learning communities.

In all Quest I courses, students will be introduced to the value of a liberal arts education, the three Signature Questions, the UW Oshkosh Essential Learning Outcomes, and the ePortfolio documentation of their learning. This course will adopt an “embedded” FYE model, which includes the teaching of disciplinary knowledge, the use of peer mentoring, and the acculturating of students to the academic environment of this university through specific course components (see Appendix B for Quest I First-Year Experience [FYE] parameters).

Quest II (2nd semester paired courses): Quest II course + Writing (currently WBIS) or Speaking (currently Comm 111)(Note that a 4-credit lab science course might identify as a Quest II course, with lab sections serving as matched learning communities with the paired writing or speaking course.)

The same Signature Question is addressed in both courses.

These disciplinary Quest II courses will include content connected to a Signature Question while simultaneously engaging the Essential Learning Outcome of ethical reasoning in the context of the course. In the USP, ethical reasoning can be broadly construed—from the deliberation of issues and claims to engagement with the driving or pressing questions in which each academic field is engaged. The Quest II course will expose students to the process of reasoning within the stated focus of the course. The paired courses focus upon a different SQ from that which students explored in Quest I and, through this choice, they will be placed in new learning communities. Quest II is capped at 50 students.

Implementation note for Quest I and II:

ፋ The pairing process for Quest I and II classes does not require two members of the teaching community to plan the pairing in advance (though professional development will provide the opportunity for such connections as desired). Rather, “pairing” entails the common SQ focus of both courses and students’ concurrent enrollment in them.

Quest III (3rd or 4th semester)Students’ Quest III course will focus upon whichever Signature Question they have not yet addressed in Quest I or II. Students take the Quest III course in either the fall or spring semester of their second academic year. Quest III is capped at 50 students, with a substantial community engagement project documented through a paper, speech, or other method of learning assessment. (See Appendix B for the Quest III community engagement project parameters.)

Implementation notes for QUESTION component:

ፋ QUESTION courses are taken sequentially (Quest I, Quest II and then Quest III). When students complete the QUEST sequence, they will have addressed all three Signature Questions.

ፋ A Learning Technologies Specialist will support the ePortfolio component of the University Studies Program.

ፋ As needed, the Information Literacy Librarian will support courses in the QUEST component of the University Studies Program, including writing and speaking.

ፋ Initial and ongoing professional development for the QUEST teaching community is planned.

EXPLORATIONWhile they QUESTION, students will also be engaged in the EXPLORATION of disciplinary ways of knowing. Students will explore the question of knowledge itself by engaging in the critical examination of disciplinary content, modeling skills and strategies used to explore that content, and cultivating a methodological approach to accumulating, processing, and applying knowledge. Students will explore knowledge of Nature, Culture, and Society as delineated in the UW Oshkosh Essential Learning Outcomes:

NatureStudents will explore the physical and natural world, mathematics, life forms, scientific explanation, and/or the environment in courses in mathematics and lab sciences.

CultureStudents will explore thought, emotion, and creative expression in courses in the humanities and the fine and performing arts.

SocietyStudents will explore the past, political communities, local and global social relations, diversity, and/or rights and responsibilities in courses in the social sciences.

Implementation notes for EXPLORE component:

ፋ EXPLORE courses need not be connected to a Signature Question, though courses with content that is connected to a Signature Question will be coded with an SQ designation to assist students with specific interest in further exploration of Sustainability, Intercultural Knowledge, or Civic Engagement.

ፋ See Credit Overview for clarification of QUEST and EXPLORE credits.

CONNECTIONAfter students have completed 15 University Studies credits, or the QUESTION component of the USP, they will enroll in a CONNECT course. An advanced writing course, CONNECT will further develop writing competence with content related to one of the Signature Questions. The CONNECT course will also provide culminating opportunities for reflection on the purpose and value of Liberal Education, while serving as a University Studies assessment point, with ePortfolios that have been in progress since Quest I. (See Assessment Plan for details.)

Implementation notes for CONNECT component:

ፋ QUEST courses will serve as pre-requisites for the CONNECT course.

ፋ Currently, some sections of WBIS (Writing Based Inquiry Seminar) are open to instructors from other disciplines. A similar option for the CONNECT course is proposed in the USP.

ፋ CONNECT courses will be offered in all three Signature Questions each semester.

CAPSTONEAs students conclude their University Studies coursework, they will be prepared to engage in the focused work of their majors. Their majors, in turn, will conclude with a course or culminating experience that also provides a final opportunity for Liberal Education learning assessment. Culminating experiences in the major may include internships, study abroad, student teaching, undergraduate research projects, CAPSTONE courses (existing or to be developed), or other appropriate learning experiences.

CAPSTONE course credits are not part of the University Studies Program credit total; nevertheless, the CAPSTONE experience will serve as the connection between students’ two programs of study (USP and the major). The CAPSTONE will enable students to retrace and reflect upon their University Studies journey while providing a final opportunity to assess how successfully they have met the Essential Learning Outcomes. Most importantly, it will underscore the value of Liberal Education at UW Oshkosh as students move forward as college-educated citizens.

Implementation note for USP-determined exceptions:

ፋ Options for separating the course pairings in Quest I and Quest II will be made available for a subset of students (e.g. CAPP speech in high school, students with AP credits, transfer students with speaking or writing course credits, specified individuals who have declared select majors prior to their first semester enrollment at UW Oshkosh, and students who fail or withdraw from one of the courses in a Quest I or II pairing.) A course sign-in policy for these students will be created and administered by the University Studies Program, in part to prevent other students from inadvertently registering for an un-paired section of a Quest I or II course.

TRANSFER STUDENTSOur attention to the specific academic needs of transfer students is critical to the student learning focus of the University Studies Program. While many campus procedures are already in place to address transfer students’ needs, and UW System transfer agreements with two-year institutions guide the admission process for many, the University Studies Program at UW Oshkosh will provide clarity and hospitality designed to serve academic success for all transfer students.

Transfer students with 29 and fewer credits (freshmen): These transfer students will be treated as entering freshmen beginning their University Studies Program. They will be required to take Quest I, II, and III courses as well as the CONNECT course. A course-by-course audit, in addition to courses approved for direct transfer in the UW System Transfer Information System (TIS), will allow credits for courses completed at other institutions in communication, writing, and other disciplines corresponding with EXPLORE course expectations. (Note: These transfer students will enroll in Quest I or Quest II courses but will not be required to enroll concurrently in the communication or writing courses if they enter with credit for those course equivalents.)

Transfer students with 30-59 credits (sophomores):These transfer students will take a zero-credit Transfer Experience Course (TYE) designed to introduce the value and goals of a Liberal Education while providing a learning community with other transfer students. The course will be tailored to address the specific needs of sophomore-level transfer students so that they may become acculturated to our campus. In addition, like the FYE, the TYE will introduce the three Signature Questions as well as provide an introduction to the academic resources, academic expectations, and academic identity of UW Oshkosh. The established Titan Transfer Center will develop, implement, and assess this course. As a component of the USP, the TYE for sophomore-level transfer students will be evaluated in two years’ time to ensure that it meets the learning needs of these students and adjustments will be made as deemed necessary. As the course aims to acculturate transfer students to life at this university, it will also focus on the value of engagement in campus activities.

In addition to the TYE course, sophomore-level transfer students will take a Quest III course with other non-transfer sophomores. Their EXPLORE requirements will be determined after a course-by-course degree audit or automatic transfer through TIS.

Implementation notes for transfer students into the USP:

ፋ Sophomore-level transfer students (30-59 credits) will not be required to take Quest I or Quest II courses, as these are specifically designed for first-year students. Most sophomore-level transfer students come to UW Oshkosh with their writing and speaking requirements fulfilled; those who have yet to take these courses will enroll in “unpaired” writing and speaking courses.

ፋ Given our commitment to global learning and citizenship, the proposed University Studies Program requires one course each in Non-Western Culture and Ethnic Studies (UW System requirement). Transfer students should be aware of these requirements.

Transfer students with 60 or more credits (juniors and seniors):The credits of these transfer students will transfer in course-by-course through the course audit or automatic transfer through TIS. They will not be required to take the QUEST sequence or the TYE. If students have completed an Associate’s degree at a UW System instution, they will automatically fulfill the University Studies Program requirements on the UW Oshkosh campus.

Students transferring out of UW Oshkosh:For students who transfer to another institution, Quest I, II, and III courses will be coded with the discipline in which they are offered. As such, they will meet requirements of general education programs of other institutions.

All current and emerging UW System agreements related to inter-institutional transfer will be honored by the University Studies Program.

Credit Overview

QUESTION

Quest I (students choose to focus upon one Signature Question [SQ], e.g. Civic Engagement) (3 credits*)

Quest II (students choose to focus upon a different SQ, e.g. Intercultural Knowledge) (3 credits*)

Quest III (students choose to focus upon the remaining SQ, e.g. Sustainability) (3 credits*)

Signature Question Writing Course (currently WBIS) 3 credits

Signature Question Speaking Course (currently Comm 111) 3 credits

Total*The 9 QUEST course credits fulfill EXPLORE course credits as delineated below.

6 credits

QUESTION credits are interconnected with EXPLORATION credits in two ways:

• The three QUEST courses (I, II and III) also count as three EXPLORE courses (nine credits);

• One Ethnic Studies course and one Non-Western Culture course are required in the USP. A QUEST course can fulfill only one of these. An EXPLORE course must fulfill the other.

EXPLORATION

NatureMath and two Lab Sciences (+ exceptions)

Note: One of the two lab sciences could be accomplished with a Quest II course.11 credits

CultureHumanities, Fine and Performing Arts (+ exceptions)

Note: Students must select courses from at least two different departments/programs.

9 credits

3 credits

9 credits

SocietySocial Sciences (+ exceptions)

Note: Students must select courses from at least two different departments/programs

Total 32 credits

CONNECTION

CONNECT Course: Advanced Writing 3 credits

Total 3 credits

University Studies Program Credit Total 41 credits

3-credit Ethnic Studies or Non-Western Culture course

• from either Culture or Society

• whichever is not fulfilled by Intercultural Knowledge QUEST course

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Assessment PlanCurrently, general education is decentralized and leaves assessment of learning outcomes to individual instructors, providing no opportunity to assess our overall general education goals. With this proposal for the University Studies Program comes the opportunity to construct a cohesive assessment plan. The purpose of assessment in the USP will be to provide a systematic and developmental process for measuring student learning related to the Essential Learning Outcomes.

The primary mechanism for assessment in the USP will be the ePortfolio that is integrated into D2L. While students will receive feedback on individual assignments in each USP course, they will also have an opportunity to reflect upon and synthesize the full contents of their ePortfolios at distinct points in their academic careers, as described below.

• QUEST courses: students will be introduced to the ePortfolio in each of their QUEST classes, in which they will also begin to archive their learning. They will be able to upload various types of learning “artifacts” (papers, speeches, community engagement reflections, videos, posters, etc.). In this way, all UW Oshkosh students will develop electronic repositories with similar content, all of which will have been evaluated by individual instructors, and thus students will have accurate, current information about their achievement of the campus Essential Learning Outcomes. This information can be sampled for campus-wide assessment purposes and will also allow UW Oshkosh to evaluate and enhance USP courses.

• CONNECT course: students will have completed their 15-credit QUEST sequence before enrolling in the CONNECT course. The learning artifacts from their CONNECT course will be evaluated by CONNECT instructors. At the same time, the placement of the CONNECT course in the USP curriculum will provide an opportunity for programmatic assessment. These data will shed light on how well the University Studies program is meeting our student learning goals.

• Major CAPSTONE course/experience: While many majors at UW Oshkosh have already incorporated a CAPSTONE experience into their programs (course, internship, clinical experience, study abroad, research project, or other experience), the University Studies Program will require that every student participate in some form of culminating experience. Using the ePortfolio, students will have the opportunity to synthesize the learning that has been documented electronically throughout their University Studies coursework. Furthermore, the CAPSTONE will provide another mechanism for institutional assessment.

While the ePortfolio is the primary mechanism for assessing the University Studies Program, departments may also integrate the tool into their own assessment plans.

Fully integrated into the USP, this assessment plan builds upon existing efforts by the university and provides a cohesive method to evaluate and enhance students’ Liberal Education at UW Oshkosh. To support and sustain these efforts, the campus has recently added an Assessment Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research and will soon be hiring an ePortfolio Specialist in the Department of Learning Technologies.

Frequently Asked QuestionsIf this proposal is adopted, when will the University Studies Program begin?

The new USP program will begin with students entering for the first time in fall 2013. A multi-year phase-in process will begin at that time to allow in-progress students to complete their general education requirements. Quest I courses, paired with speaking and writing courses, will be offered for the first time in fall 2013; Quest II courses (also paired with speaking and writing courses) will be offered for the first time in spring 2014; Quest III courses will be offered for the first time in fall 2014; and the CONNECT advanced writing course will be offered for the first time in spring 2015.

Though hundreds of us have been engaged in constructing this new endeavor, what if the program creates a significant problem we have not anticipated?

This change is monumental—affecting nearly every aspect of the UW Oshkosh academic community. This effort has focused on enhancing student learning while creating a feasible, cohesive program. Together, we will maintain these aims even as shifts become necessary; we will not wait decades to change the program again. Challenges will most certainly emerge during implementation. The USP includes an assessment plan, and as student learning assessment and/or logistical realities indicate the need for change, revisions will be proposed and considered through the curricular governance process (see next FAQ). The need for alterations is anticipated. As an academic community choosing to enact a significant change, we will need to be flexible, collaborative, and trusting.

How will these general education changes be implemented?

Discussions with the Faculty Senate are currently underway regarding initial implementation and subsequent maintenance of the proposed University Studies Program. That implementation plan is designed to maintain faculty governance, contribute to the creation of a high quality program, and meet necessary deadlines for the course-review and upcoming re-accreditation processes. When the implementation plan proposal is finalized, it will be posted to the USP website. In the meantime, departmental and program dialogues regarding potential participation in the USP is strongly encouraged. Note that the ongoing aim has been to maintain FTE currently committed to general education in each department.

Release time for a University Studies Program Director has been approved, to ensure that this new and cohesive program will have consistent coordination.

A first implementation step will be a preliminary identification process, in which departments will be asked to identify the courses they want to teach in the USP. To prepare for that preliminary identification process, departments must begin those dialogues. Three options will be possible: existing courses may identify into the program with little or no change; existing courses may require modification to identify into the program; and entirely new courses may be proposed.

Individuals and departments are strongly encouraged to consider teaching in the QUEST component of the program. A professional development workshop to support Quest I instructors (including instructors of paired writing and speaking classes) is tentatively scheduled for spring semester interim: May 22, 23 and 24.

How can I provide input at this stage of the proposal process?

All faculty/staff and students can visit the USP website to complete a survey related to the proposal. The survey will be open until February 13 at noon.

All faculty/staff and students can attend an Open Forum in the Reeve Ballroom on Thursday, February 16 from 3 to 4:15 p.m. and/or Monday, February 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Does this proposal for the reform of general education change the degree requirements?

This proposal addresses university-wide general education rather than college-based degree requirements (BA, BS, etc.). While many of us may inadvertently confuse general education and degree requirements, these two sets of required credits for students do, in fact, differ. (On this topic, see pp. 24-25 of the 2011-2013 Undergraduate Bulletin). The current proposal for the University Studies Program addresses only general education requirements at UW Oshkosh.

How will this University Studies Program affect transfer students?

UW Oshkosh has a large and growing number of students who transfer in and out of our institution. In dialogue with representatives from the two-year campuses and transfer specialists on our own campus, the reform team has sought to address their specific learning needs while respecting existing UW System agreements. Proposal information specific to transfer students is included in the Program Description on the USP website.

Appendix A: UW Oshkosh Essential Learning OutcomesCharged in 2007, the Liberal Education Reform Team (LERT) adapted the AAC&U definition of Liberal Education for our 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 endured 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.

Original source: Advocacy “What is a liberal education?” www.aacu.org/leap.

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World• Through study in fine and performing arts, humanities, mathematics and science, and

social science focused by engagement with big questions, both contemporary and enduring

Skills, both Intellectual and Practical• Identification and objective evaluation of theories and assumptions

• Critical and creative thinking

• Written and oral communication

• Quantitative literacy

• Technology and information literacy

• Teamwork, leadership, and problem solving practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance

Responsibility, as Individuals and Communities• Knowledge of Sustainability and Its Applications

• Civic Knowledge and Engagement—local and global

• Intercultural Knowledge and Competence

• Ethical reasoning and action

• Foundations and skills for lifelong learning developed through real-world challenges and active involvement with diverse communities

Learning: Integrated, Synthesized, and Advanced• Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies

demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems.

Source: Learning Outcomes are adapted from AAC&U report, College Learning for a New Global Century.

Appendix B: QUEST Parameters

Quest I and the First-Year Experience (FYE) ComponentThe proposal for Quest I is to “embed” a First-Year Experience (FYE) within a disciplinary University Studies course. This “embedded” model, used across the country, means this University Studies Quest I course can be taught within any discipline.

In order to identify as Quest I, courses will include the following characteristics, in addition to their disciplinary content.

Liberal Education and Essential Learning OutcomesThe embedded FYE course will introduce students to the ideas associated with a Liberal Education. It will emphasize how the goals of a Liberal Education will inform students’ learning experiences at the university with the aim of providing the foundations and skills for lifelong learning. The Quest I course will also provide an explicit introduction to the campus Essential Learning Outcomes and the University Studies Program, engaging students’ intellectual curiosity while providing a supportive transition to university life.

Signature Questions:As the first class in a student’s college career, Quest I with its embedded FYE will expose students to the campus’ three Signature Questions and will itself address one of those questions in greater depth. Approximately 25 percent (or more) of the Quest I content will focus upon and/or integrate that Signature Question.

• If the Quest I course focuses upon the Intercultural Knowledge Signature Question, that class will be designated as either an Ethnic Studies or Non-Western Culture course (whichever is appropriate), supporting another USP goal of developing students’ global learning and their responsibility as citizens of an increasingly diverse world.

• Each semester, Quest I courses will be offered in all three Signature Question areas (with approximately one-third of the courses dedicated to each of the three Signature Questions).

Transition to OshkoshThe embedded FYE course will place special emphasis upon acculturating students to the university, to the expectations of a college-level education, and to the resources and opportunities that exist at UW Oshkosh.

Class Size and Co-EnrollmentThe embedded FYE course will be capped at 25 to enhance the connection between the student and the instructor. This course will be paired with a writing or speaking course, also capped at 25 students. As a result of their concurrent enrollment in both courses (embedded FYE and writing or speaking course) in their first semester at UW Oshkosh, students will form a learning community that will further aid in their transition to the university.

Peer MentorAll embedded FYE courses will be assigned a peer mentor. The peer mentor will enhance the students’ connection to the class, to the university, and to each other. Peer mentors will serve as intellectual role models and academic resources for first-year students, attending some class sessions and accompanying students to co-curricular activities. Student mentors will undergo

a training program, and mentors will receive a small stipend for their service. (Some Quest III courses may also adopt peer mentorship in their civic engagement project, as desired by instructors.) The USP Director will facilitate the expansion of the mentorship program, which is being piloted within existing FYE sections (2011-2012).

Co-Curricular ActivitiesThe embedded FYE course will delineate expectations for student attendance at a variety of co-curricular activities (events on and/or off campus) to reinforce students’ engagement in the community. In the current FYE pilot, these options have included a campus play, an international film, an art exhibit, a music performance, and an athletic event. Lists of options for each semester will be generated among the USP teaching community, to assist course planning. This component of Quest I is proposed to generate student awareness of and engagement in campus and community life (crucial contributors to retention and academic success, particularly for first-generation students who comprise more than 50 percent of our population).

AssessmentThe embedded FYE course will introduce and adopt the ePortfolio as a mechanism for student assessment. Students will be introduced to the ePortfolio as a tool that will be available for use throughout their college careers. A specialist in Learning Technologies will be hired to support this component of the USP and will be available to assist Quest I instructors with this element of instruction. In addition to the initial introduction to the ePortfolio, Quest I instructors will have students upload at least one learning artifact (paper, speech, reflection journal from the co-curricular activities, etc.) to the ePortfolio. Instructors will be free to determine the assessment tools for individual elements of the embedded FYE course, though rubrics developed for the assessment of learning outcomes in Quest I will be made available for use by the USP teaching community as desired. As an example of a learning artifact for Quest I, students in the fall 2011 FYE Pilot program attended a range of co-curricular activities with one another and their peer mentors. At the end of the semester, these students wrote brief reflective essays based on these events.

Outcomes1. Students will be able to describe the value of a Liberal Education.

2. Students will become familiar with the expectations of a college-level education, the UW Oshkosh Essential Learning Outcomes, and the University Studies Program.

3. Students will begin their acculturation to life at this university, developing familiarity with the academic resources and community engagement opportunities at UW Oshkosh.

4. Students will engage in learning communities to enhance their connections to the class, the university, and one another.

5. Students will participate in campus and community life through co-curricular activities.

6. Students will begin to take personal responsibility for their intellectual development by archiving learning artifacts in the ePortfolio.

Quest II and the Ethical Reasoning ComponentThe proposal for Quest II is that it be a disciplinary course integrating content related to one of the three Signature Questions. Like their counterparts in Quest I, Quest II courses will contribute to students’ intellectual curiosity and support their transition to university life through a learning community.

Liberal Education and Essential Learning Outcomes:In addition to furthering the aims of a Liberal Education (like all courses in the USP), the Quest II course will also begin to address the responsibility of “Ethical Reasoning” (with the “Ethical Action” component of that Essential Learning Outcome addressed more specifically in Quest III). As the Quest II course introduces broad disciplinary questions as well as content that emanates from focused study of the selected Signature Question, students will gain awareness of central ethical issues experienced by practitioners in that discipline. In Quest II classes, ethical reasoning can be broadly construed—from the deliberation of issues and claims to engagement with the driving or pressing questions in which each academic field is engaged. The Quest II course will expose students to the process of reasoning within the stated focus of the course. In its description of ethical reasoning, the AAC&U recommends that students “recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings.”

Signature Questions:• Approximately 50 percent of the Quest II content will focus upon and/or integrate the

Signature Question that is addressed in the course.

• Students will select a Quest II course with a different Signature Question from that which they addressed in Quest I.

• Each semester, Quest II courses will be offered in all three Signature Questions (with approximately one-third of the courses dedicated to each of the three Signature Questions).

• If the Quest II course focuses upon the Intercultural Knowledge Signature Question, that class will be designated as either an Ethnic Studies or Non-Western Culture course (whichever is appropriate), supporting another USP goal of developing students’ global learning and their responsibility as citizens of an increasingly diverse world.

Class Size and Co-EnrollmentQuest II will be paired with whichever writing or speaking course the student did not take in the first semester. As in Quest I, students’ concurrent enrollment in Quest II and the writing or speaking course in their second semester will form a new learning community. Quest II courses will be capped at 50 students, so two sections of the speaking or writing course (each capped at 25 students) will be paired with one section of Quest II to form the learning community. For Quest II lab science courses, a learning community will be formed through co-enrollment of the lab section with the speaking or writing course (note that the lecture section for a Quest II science course will maintain enrollments of greater than 50 students).

AssessmentThe Quest II course will assess student learning in terms of ethical reasoning and the understanding of content related to the discipline and the Signature Question. Instructors will be free to determine the assessment tools for individual elements of the course, but learning artifacts (papers, speeches, lab reports, etc.) would be appropriate for inclusion in students’

ePortfolios. Rubrics that are developed related to the student learning outcomes of Quest II will be made available for use by the USP teaching community as desired. Case studies are commonly used to teach and to assess students’ ability to recognize ethical issues.

Outcomes 1. Students will be engaged in a learning community through their co-enrollment in a

writing or speaking course and a paired disciplinary-based Quest II course.

2. Students will develop an awareness of ethical issues and the process of reasoning about them in a specific discipline and/or arena of intellectual inquiry. This introduction to ethical reasoning will serve as a foundation for further learning related to ethical reasoning and action in other USP courses and in courses in students’ majors and minors, as applicable.

3. Students will continue to cultivate personal responsibility for their intellectual development by archiving learning artifacts in the ePortfolio.

Quest III and the Community Engagement ComponentThe proposal for Quest III is that it be a disciplinary course integrating content related to one of the three Signature Questions (SQs) and including a community engagement project. This third course in the QUEST sequence will be taken in either the first or second semester of the sophomore year. The Quest III course will not be paired with another course and enrollment will be capped at 50 students. This project is expected to encompass 14 to 20 hours of campus or community experiential learning related to the Signature Question of the course. In order to identify as Quest III, courses will include the following characteristics, in addition to their disciplinary content.

Liberal Education and Essential Learning OutcomesThrough the community engagement project, the course will stress to students that a Liberal Education addresses real-world challenges through active engagement with the communities in which they live. The Quest III project is also connected to the “Ethical Action” component of the Essential Learning Outcome “Ethical Reasoning and Action,” which the AAC&U describes as “anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges.” The purpose of the community engagement project is thus to connect all students to the community, whether the university community or the larger community beyond the university, early in their college career to enhance their civic knowledge and provide them with an introductory experience in civic engagement.

Signature Questions • In Quest III courses, approximately 50 percent (or more) of the content will focus upon

and/or integrate the Signature Question addressed in that course.

• The community engagement project will be connected to the Signature Question.

• Students will select a Quest III course with whichever Signature Question they did not take in their first academic year.

• If the Quest III course focuses upon the Intercultural Knowledge Signature Question, that class will be designated as either an Ethnic Studies or Non-Western Culture course (whichever is appropriate), supporting another USP goal of developing students’ global learning and their responsibility as citizens of an increasingly diverse world.

Overview of the Community Engagement Project: Community PartnershipsCommunity-based (or service) learning is a high-impact practice, demonstrated to affect student retention and academic success. Though students may have more substantive civic engagement experiences in their major coursework (e.g. internships), this project will introduce students to civic action, community partners, and real-world challenges.

Types of Community PartnershipsQuest III students can partner with businesses; non-profit organizations; civic associations; public schools, colleges, and universities; health and human service organizations; government organizations, or UW Oshkosh campus organizations.

Project OrganizationTo ensure maximum flexibility for instructors in Quest III, the project can be organized in a variety of ways, including:

• one project for the entire class with either one community partner or multiple partners;

• multiple projects with small groups of students, with one or multiple community partner(s);

• individual student projects determined by students, with instructor pre-approval and documentation;

• a participant-observational research project with some direct action.

During the course design, the instructor can decide the organization of the project. The form of the project as well as the community partner can be determined either by the instructor or student, depending on the instructor’s preference. The project might be supervised or unsupervised, depending on the preference of the instructor. For example, the instructor and the students might participate together in a whole class project organized in advance by the instructor or the instructor might provide a list of appropriate options for students’ individual projects, requiring documentation of service and a structured learning outcome (e.g. paper or speech).

Project SupportTo assist with civic engagement projects, instructors will be provided with the support of a Community Engagement Coordinator. In addition, ongoing professional development for Quest III instructors is envisioned so project ideas, parameters, and challenges may be collaboratively addressed and supported.

AssessmentIn order to facilitate assessment, the community engagement project will have a clear connection to course content. The instructor will assess learning through students’ ability to connect the course content, the core concepts and theories of the course, with the action and practice involved in the community engagement experience.

This assessment can happen in multiple ways; for example, student blogs, media presentations, journal writing, speeches, or research papers. A central component of such assessment would be students’ reflection on their community engagement experience. Learning artifacts from these projects would be appropriate for inclusion in the students’ ePortfolios.

Outcomes1. Students will develop further connections to the university and/or the local community

through a community-engagement project.

2. Students will engage in action with immediate benefits and develop the ability to see the applicability of academic knowledge in real-world settings.

3. Students will be able to reflect on the relationship between their educational experiences and their actions within communities.

4. Through interaction, students will develop empathy for community members.

5. Students will expand their personal responsibility for their intellectual development by archiving learning artifacts in the ePortfolio.

Appendix C: Higher Learning Commission Recommendations

1997 Recommendations • Greater coherence in the general education curriculum is sorely needed.

• General education needs to have “a coherent, integrated focus,” as “it lacks clear definition and does not clearly address the need to stimulate and examine values or to promote intellectual inquiry.”

• A systematic plan for assessing general education must be devised to coincide with a revised general education program.

• The number of general education courses needs to be reduced.

2007 Recommendations• Reconsider the policy that all natural science and social science courses count for general

education.

• Reduce the number of courses that count for general education.

• Reconfigure the general education program so that there is a practical way to assess whether the goals of the program are being met.

• Put into place a review process for individual general education courses to assure that they continue to meet the goals of the general education program.

• Put assessment strategies in place that will allow for not only collecting but also disseminating to the university information on whether the goals and objectives of the general education program are being met.

• Consider ways to integrate the “sustainability initiative” into the design and assessment of general education.

• Make information regarding the general education program available to faculty and students (currently the only, and limited, information is in the Bulletin).

The Higher Learning Commission expects UW Oshkosh to develop a general education program that addresses these concerns and to engage in two cycles of assessment, analysis and program revision prior to the 2017 reaccreditation visit.

New HLC Draft Criteria Related to General Education(relevant excerpts)

Criterion Three: Teaching and Learning—Quality, Resources, and SupportCore Component 3A. The institution’s degree programs are appropriate to higher education.

1. The institution articulates and differentiates learning goals for its undergraduate, graduate, post-baccalaureate, post-graduate, and certificate programs.

2. The institution’s program quality and learning goals are consistent.

3B. The institution demonstrates that the exercise of intellectual inquiry and the acquisition, application, and integration of broad learning and skills are integral to its educational programs.

1. The general education program is appropriate to the mission, educational offerings, and degree levels of the institution.

2. The institution articulates the purposes, content, and intended learning outcomes of its undergraduate general education requirements. The program of general education is grounded in a philosophy or framework developed by the institution or adopted from an established framework. It imparts broad knowledge and intellectual concepts to students and develops skills and attitudes that the institution believes every college-educated person should possess.

3. Every degree program offered by the institution engages students in collecting, analyzing, and communicating information; in mastering modes of inquiry or creative work; and in developing skills adaptable to changing environments.

4. The education offered by the institution recognizes the human and cultural diversity of the work in which students live and work.

3D. The institution provides support for student learning and effective teaching.

1. The institution provides to students guidance in the effective use of research and information resources.

Required HLC Assumed Practices

B. Teaching and Learning—Quality, Resources, and Support

1. The institution maintains a minimum requirement for general education for all of its undergraduate programs whether through a traditional practice of distributed curricula (30 credits for bachelor’s degrees) or through integrated, embedded, inter-disciplinary or other accepted models that demonstrate a minimum requirement equivalent to the distributed model. Any variation is explained and justified.

Criterion Four: Effective Teaching and LearningCore Components4A. The institution’s goals for student learning are clearly stated and processes of assessment are in effect for all offerings.

1. The institution demonstrates a commitment to and capacity for educational improvement through assessment of student learning.

2. The learning goals that the institution assesses are the same as the goals that the institution claims for its programs.

3. The institution uses the information gained from assessment to improve student learning.

4. Assessment processes and methodologies are informed by scholarship and good practice.

5. When the institution reports findings on student achievement of learning it does so fully and accurately.

Visit www.ncahlc.org/Information-for-Institutions/proposed-revisions-to-the-criteria-for-accreditation.html for the full document.

Appendix D: High-Impact Practices

First-Year Seminars and ExperiencesMany schools now build into the curriculum first-year seminars or other programs that bring small groups of students together with faculty or staff on a regular basis. The highest-quality first-year experiences place a strong emphasis on critical inquiry, frequent writing, information literacy, collaborative learning, and other skills that develop students’ intellectual and practical competencies. First-year seminars can also involve students with cutting-edge questions in scholarship and with faculty members’ own research.

Common Intellectual ExperiencesThe older idea of a “core” curriculum has evolved into a variety of modern forms, such as a set of required common courses or a vertically organized general education program that includes advanced integrative studies and/or required participation in a learning community (see below). These programs often combine broad themes—e.g., technology and society, global interdependence—with a variety of curricular and cocurricular options for students.

Learning Communities The key goals for learning communities are to encourage integration of learning across courses and to involve students with “big questions” that matter beyond the classroom. Students take two or more linked courses as a group and work closely with one another and with their professors. Many learning communities explore a common topic and/or common readings through the lenses of different disciplines. Some deliberately link “liberal arts” and “professional courses”; others feature service learning.

Writing-Intensive Courses These courses emphasize writing at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum, including final-year projects. Students are encouraged to produce and revise various forms of writing for different audiences in different disciplines. The effectiveness of this repeated practice “across the curriculum” has led to parallel efforts in such areas as quantitative reasoning, oral communication, information literacy, and, on some campuses, ethical inquiry.

Collaborative Assignments and Projects Collaborative learning combines two key goals: learning to work and solve problems in the company of others, and sharpening one’s own understanding by listening seriously to the insights of others, especially those with different backgrounds and life experiences. Approaches range from study groups within a course, to team-based assignments and writing, to cooperative projects and research.

Undergraduate ResearchMany colleges and universities are now providing research experiences for students in all disciplines. Undergraduate research, however, has been most prominently used in science disciplines. With strong support from the National Science Foundation and the research community, scientists are reshaping their courses to connect key concepts and questions with students’ early and active involvement in systematic investigation and research. The goal is to involve students with actively contested questions, empirical observation, cutting-edge technologies, and the sense of excitement that comes from working to answer important questions.

Diversity/Global LearningMany colleges and universities now emphasize courses and programs that help students explore cultures, life experiences, and worldviews different from their own. These studies—which may address U.S. diversity, world cultures, or both—often explore “difficult differences” such as racial, ethnic, and gender inequality, or continuing struggles around the globe for human rights, freedom, and power. Frequently, intercultural studies are augmented by experiential learning in the community and/or by study abroad.

Service Learning, Community-Based Learning In these programs, field-based “experiential learning” with community partners is an instructional strategy—and often a required part of the course. The idea is to give students direct experience with issues they are studying in the curriculum and with ongoing efforts to analyze and solve problems in the community. A key element in these programs is the opportunity students have to both apply what they are learning in real-world settings and reflect in a classroom setting on their service experiences. These programs model the idea that giving something back to the community is an important college outcome, and that working with community partners is good preparation for citizenship, work, and life.

InternshipsInternships are another increasingly common form of experiential learning. The idea is to provide students with direct experience in a work setting—usually related to their career interests—and to give them the benefit of supervision and coaching from professionals in the field. If the internship is taken for course credit, students complete a project or paper that is approved by a faculty member.

Capstone Courses and ProjectsWhether they’re called “senior capstones” or some other name, these culminating experiences require students nearing the end of their college years to create a project of some sort that integrates and applies what they’ve learned. The project might be a research paper, a performance, a portfolio of “best work,” or an exhibit of artwork. Capstones are offered both in departmental programs and, increasingly, in general education as well.

High-Impact Educational Practices

Level of Academic Challenge

Active and Collaborative Learning

Student- Faculty Interaction

Supportive Campus Environment

First-Year

Learning Communities ++ +++ +++ ++

Service Learning ++ +++ +++ ++

Senior

Study Abroad ++ ++ ++ +

Student-Faculty Research +++ +++ +++ ++


Senior Culminating Experience ++ ++ +++ ++

Table 2Relationships between Selected High-Impact Activities and Clus-ters of Effective Educational Practices

Deep Learning

Gains General

Gains Personal

Gains Practical

First-Year

Learning Communities +++ ++ ++ ++

Service Learning +++ ++ +++ ++

Senior

Study Abroad ++ + ++

Student-Faculty Research +++ ++ ++ ++


Senior Culminating Experience ++ ++ +++ ++

Table 1Relationships between Selected High-Impact Activities, Deep Learning, and Self-Reported Gains

+ p < .001, ++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .10, +++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .30

+ p < .001, ++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .10, +++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .30

Source: High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter by George D. Kuh, (Washington, DC: AAC&U, 2008). For information and more resources and research from LEAP, see www.aacu.org/leap.

Summer/Fall 2011 General Education Reform TeamSpecial thanks to the faculty and staff who serve as members of the current general education reform team (listed below). Those who comprised the Liberal Education Reform Team (LERT) in its various iterations since the initial charge in 2007 also deserve acknowledgment and gratitude. Their diligent service led to the construction and adoption of the Essential Learning Outcomes and the Faculty Senate-approved General Education Reform Framework. In addition to these designated committees, hundreds of members of the UW Oshkosh community have provided input to this reform process through dialogues, department meetings, online discussions, workshops, CETL book clubs, sessions during Provost’s Teaching and Learning Summits, e-mail, and conversation.

The team is grateful to Aimee Niendorf and Heidi Reinke for their vital contributions in the preparation of the USP proposal booklet, website, and surveys.

General Education Reform Team:• Heike Alberts, Geography & Urban Planning• David Barnhill, Environmental Studies• Franca Barricelli*, History/COLS Dean’s Office• Karl Boehler, English• Christy Brazee, Communication• Lori Carrell*, Communication• Julia Chybowski, Music• Becki Cleveland, College of Nursing• Jennifer Considine, Communication• Norlisha Crawford, English• Linda Eroh, Mathematics• Jim Feldman, Environmental Studies• Josh Garrison, College of Education & Human Services• Jim Koch*, Psychology• Todd Kostman*, Biology & Microbiology• Jordan Landry*, English/COLS Dean’s Office• Karl Loewenstein, History• Gabriel Loiacono, History• Brent MacWilliams, College of Nursing• Colleen McDermott, Biology & Microbiology/COLS Dean’s Office• Susan McFadden, Psychology• Jennifer Mihalick, Chemistry• Yoko Mogi-Hein, College of Education & Human Services• Mijeong Park, English• Barb Rau, College of Business• Ron Rindo*, English• Denise Robson, College of Business• Stephanie Rolain-Jacobs, Communication• Emmet Sandberg, Art• Druscilla Scribner, Political Science• David Siemers, Political Science• Tracy Slagter*, Political Science• Paul Van Auken*, Sociology/Environmental Studies• Carleen Vandezande, Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor• Angela Westphal, Communication

* Denotes member of General Education Reform Leadership Team.

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