Report of the General Education Committee
2002-03

Fall 2002

9/27/02:
Larry Duetsch was elected Chair.
Soc 243 was added to the distribution list in Soc. and Beh. Science.

10/7/02:
Bios 107 added to distribution list in NA, if Bios 106 deleted.
Discussion of Gen. Ed. from NCA self-study; need to expand assessment.

10/25/02:
Proposal for a graduation requirement in global/new-western cultures recommended to Senate.
Members of the AAAC joined the meeting to discuss the next steps in assessing the general education curriculum.

Prof. Duetsch retired in Dec. 2002.

Spring 2003

Gerald Greenfield was asked to coordinate the duties of General Education for the Spring semester.

2/10/03:
The Committee was convened by G. Greenfield. E. Zepp volunteered to Chair the Committee for Spring 2003.
An agenda for the Committee was set:

a) reconsider the University Seminar requirement and look at other formats
b) pursue surveys of U.S./General Education courses.
c) re-examine Gen. Ed. goals (add diversity and technology?)
d) work on measures for Gen. Ed. goals
3/3/03:
Official business could not be conducted due to a lack of a quorum.3/10/03:
Report on the AAC & U Gen. Ed. conference: Megan Mullen: Program Design for Powerful Learning
Jerry Greenfield: Charting Processes, Strategies, and Politics for General Education Reform
Carmel Ruffolo: Connecting General Education and the Majors
Patrick Goldsmith: Designing an Assessment Strategy
Discussion of the current General Education program.3/24/03:
Official business could not be conducted due to a lack of a quorum.
3/31/03:
Preparation of a resolution on University Seminar to send to the Senate.
Discussion of possible alternatives to U.S.4/21/03:
Informal meeting to continue discussion of alternatives to U.S.The Chair circulated a document to take to the Senate: "Recommendation to Senate on University Seminar." Document was approved by members and distributed at the Senate meeting of 4/22/03.4/22/03:
The Faculty Senate resolved that:
--the University Seminar (GNED 101) graduation requirement be eliminated.
--the General Education Committee is charged with examining alternatives to the University Seminar
to take effect with entering students in Fall 2004, and to bring these forth to the Faculty Senate for
consideration. These alternatives are illustrated by, but not limited to, those included in the
background document distributed at the meeting.4/28/03:
Discussion with P. James about the administrative decision to delete the position of "Director" of
General Education.

In accordance with the Faculty Governance policy called to the attention of the Committee by the
Secretary of the Faculty, the Committee reviewed the decision of the Ethnic Studies Steering
Committee to remove the ethnic diversity flag (DV) from the "Body in Question" course in
the Biology Department (BIOS/ETHN 108). The ESSC action was approved.

Discussion of how to deal with the INFORMATION LITERACY REQUIREMENT, given the
deletion of the U.S. requirement. The suggested solution (consultations having taken place
with appropriate departments, offices, etc.): instructors in English 095, 100, and 101 will take
one class period to bring the students to the library and stay with them for the Information
Literacy presentations. This solution was approved.
Four sub-groups (volunteers) were established to consider alternatives to U.S. 5/5/03:
(Candidates for seats on the Gen. Ed. Comm. were invited to the meeting).
Discussion with Vice Chancellor/Provost Martin and the Committee on reorganizing the “administration" of General Education. Agreement was reached on a fundamental distinction between the Committee Chair and a Director of General Education. A position description for the Director of General Education was discussed and a selection committee was formed (L. Allen, D. Cress, F. Kavenik, and E. Zepp).Informal meeting 7/9/03 to propose agenda items for the Fall.

Submitted by E. Zepp, Chair, Spring 2003