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Structural Reform # : Beauty Pageant

What would change with this proposal?


1. Eliminate the existing Student Choice (Depth or IN) and Interdisciplinary (ID) requirements and
reduce the Institutional Requirement from 7 hours to 4 hours.
2. List ALL newly proposed designations (from all proposals) with a simple and concise description.
For example, a partial list may look like (without the concise description):

(GL) Global Learning


(PC) Personal Skills and Capacities
(TS) Technology and Society
(CA) Communication and Argumentation
(CW) Communication and Writing
(CI) Critical Inquiry
(GI) Global and International Learning
(AS) Applied Science and Technology
(WP) Wicked Problems
(EX) First Year Exploration
(TC) Scientific and Technical Communication
(IB) Institutional Best

a) Provide the list and description to the Gen Ed committee, all faculty, and a sampling of students;
and solicit a top 5 ranking of the designations from each survey participant. It would be
interesting to see if there is a difference between what the Gen Ed committee chooses, the faculty
chooses, and what students choose.
b) Tally the rankings to pare the list down to the Top 3 designations.
c) Allow each student to choose a course from one of the Top 3 designations to fulfill the Gen Ed
Institutional Requirement.

3. (OPTIONAL) Reboot the Diversity (DV) requirement to center it on American Institutions (AI)
courses.
a. While not specifically a part of this proposal, we think the following is a good idea for Gen Ed
reform.
b. Reformulate AI courses so that they address the following as they introduce students to U.S.
history, politics, or economics:
i. Focus on topics of diversity in the context of U.S. history, politics, or economics.
ii. Define and analyze events, policies, and social structures that caused and perpetuate
power and resource imbalances, discrimination, and oppression in the United States.
iii. Explore the dynamics of discrimination, oppression, and violence broadly defined.
iv. Investigate the problems and benefits of a multicultural society.
c. Existing DV courses would remain in the curriculum, but students would no longer need to
look for double-dip opportunities.

Why Make These Changes?


Beauty Pageant:
This process is fair to all proposed designations and recognizes that there may not be a
proposal that has found the right combination of designations.
This process recognizes that no single designation will meet the needs of all (or even a majority)
of students.
This process maximizes the possibility that all students will be able to choose a Gen Ed
approved course that best meets their interest and needs.
This process avoids false dichotomies when comparing one proposal with Gen Ed designations
against another with different designations.
Guiding Principles for this Reform Proposal

Provide the best possible educational solution for our students that will prepare them for their next steps
in life (transfer or career pursuits) and for lifelong learning.
Keep it simple (and fair).
Provide a format that ensures maximum integration of learning across required designations.
Have minimal impact of on department/division enrollment and budgets.

(OPTIONAL) Reboot the Diversity Requirement:


As currently conceived, the DV requirement is a burden on students because it complicates their
course selection and scheduling processes.
As currently conceived, the DV requirement is an outdated, overly siloed artifice that has been
grafted onto our Gen Ed program.
Anchoring DV in the AI requirement solves the above problems and reinforces an important point:
one cannot fully understand the American political, historical and economic experience without an
appreciation for power differentials, discrimination, and oppression.

From the student perspective, how does the General Education program change?
Current Gen Ed Structure for AS Degrees
Core Skills (12 credits minimum)
Composition (EN)
Quantitative Literacy (QL)
American Institutions (AI)

Proposed Gen Ed Structure for AS Degrees


Core Skills (12 credits minimum)
Composition (EN)
Quantitative Literacy (QL)
American Institutions (AI)

USHE Distribution Areas (15 credits)


(Take one class from each area)
Fine Arts (FA)
Humanities (HU)
Life Sciences (LS)
Physical Sciences (PS)
Social Sciences (SS)

USHE Distribution Areas (15 credits)


(Take one class from each area)
Fine Arts (FA)
Humanities (HU)
Life Sciences (LS)
Physical Sciences (PS)
Social Sciences (SS)

Institutional Requirements (7 credits)


Student Choice (Take an IN course or a
Depth course)
Interdisciplinary (ID)
Lifetime Wellness (LW)

Institutional Requirements (4 credits)


Lifetime Wellness (LW)
(Choose 1 class from one of the following areas):
Designation 1 (winner)
Designation 2 (first runner up)
Designation 3 (second runner up)

Total Credits=34 (minimum)

Total Credits=31 (minimum)

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