CCRI General Education Program Action Plan
Developed by Ruth Sullivan, John Cole, Jeanne Mullaney, Joseph Amante y Zapata, Shawn Parker
at the AAC&U Institute on General Education and Assessment,
May 31-June 3, 2017 at Loyola University, Chicago, IL
Situation:
CCRI has a Gen Ed program that has not changed in many years, gen ed courses that have never been mapped to outcomes, no assessment, and a high probability of graduating students not fulfilling all of the elements in our definition of an “Educated Person.”
Urgent need:
Our two main transfer partners, Rhode Island College (RIC) and the University of Rhode Island (URI) have implemented new Gen Ed programs in the last year and a half, worsening our articulation of gen ed courses. The RI Council on Post-secondary Education, the Commissioner of Post-Secondary Education, the college Administration all want to ensure seamless transfer of gen ed from CCRI to URI and RIC.
Barriers and Roadblocks:
Inertia, faculty conservatism or disillusionment, poor communication, memory of previous failures and dead ends.
Campus Champions/Stakeholders/Decision-Makers:
VPAA, Meghan, Academic Advisory, CRC, Council for Post-Secondary Ed
Key Strategy:
Gen Ed committee will handle the redesign of General Education by working with CRC in the way that academic programs are when they are changed.
Communication strategy:
Present plan to governance committees and department meetings, collect info about impact, opportunities.
Hold workshops at key points to prepare faculty and staff for changes, seek focused input, present problems in context of problem-solving exercises. Avoid open-ended discussion, one-direction reporting, and unclear goals.
Develop and implement a PR campaign about the abilities around which general education will be oriented. Target faculty, staff, students, prospective students and employers.
Proposed Schedule:
Fall 2017
Principal objective: Revise and refine “Educated Person” as outcomes for new General Education program.
1)VPAA announces 2-year Gen Ed Project in weeks before semester starts, charges Gen Ed committee with the 2019-20 goal and explains that committee will work with CRC
a)Shawn will work with Chris DeFazio to get on CRC agenda
b)Introduce plan of work to CRC at first meeting of the fall semester
3)Shawn convenes Gen Ed committee with primary focus on revision of “Educated Person”
4)Shawn goes to Academic Advisory for feedback on proposed changes to Ed Person in fall 2018
5)Host open workshops (consider faculty/advising/students) forums to facilitate conversation re: Educated Person and actively work on outcomes in 2017 October
6)Gen Ed committee craft/refine our “Educated Person” in October/November
7)Gen Ed committee would revise “Educated Person” and seek feedback, suggestions, recommendations from CRC beginning November
8)Set “Educated Person” as GE Outcomes
Spring 2018
Principal objective: Develop framework & structure of Gen Ed program, map courses and outcomes, credits, outcomes per course, take to second Gen Ed meeting in spring 2018
9)Gen Ed Committee meets to:
a)Identify anchor courses, categories, credit distribution for GE
b)Begin conversation about application/recertification process
10)Take to CRC for feedback (first meeting)
11)Inform Chairs committee, solicit feedback
12)Gen Ed Committee incorporates feedback from CRC and Chairs
13)Start to work on articulation with RIC and URI (conceptual)
14)Take to CRC for preliminary approval (without specific courses)
15)Gen Ed Committee approves initial application for GE status
16)PR push –internal and external on the abilities-eg. CT, QL
Fall 2018
Principal objective: Conduct initial application process to determine courses in GE
17)Elaborate application/recertification process and go to CRC (first meeting) for information
18)Workshops for faculty to understand the process
19)Encourage departments/faculty to apply, especially for underrepresented outcomes
20)Gen Ed. Committee will start working on assessment process in parallel
Spring 2019
Principal objective: Approval of new Gen Ed program with courses and inclusion in the catalog for 2019-2020 academic year.
21)Workshops for faculty to understand the process
22)Meet with advising
23)Committee refines assessment process
24)Communications push college-wide for students, advising, etc.
Summer 2019
Principal objective: finalize articulation and begin assessment plan
25)Continue working with RIC and URI on articulation
26)Preparation of material to prepare faculty, recruit faculty for assessment
Fall 2019
Principal objective: Final version for inclusion in catalog
27)Take completed process to CRC for approval (first list of courses)
28)Meet with RIC and URI for final articulation
29)Inclusion in catalog for Fall 2020 (deadline in November)
Spring 2020
Principal objective: Review and refinement of program, addition of courses.
30)Ongoing addition of courses
Spring 2020
Principal objective: Full implementation; working assessment process.
31)Full implementation of new GE program requirements/courses
32)Initiation of assessment process.