Faculty asked to endorse general education goals

UCCS Faculty Assembly representatives want campus faculty to vote on proposed General Education goals.

The assembly, at its Nov.10 meeting, unanimously approved a motion to forward the final draft of the UCCS General Education Goals to all faculty.

Peg Bacon, provost, said she was pleased with the progress toward making the goals official. She said it is important for the university to review the purpose and meaning of general education, and revise them accordingly. By doing so, she said, it better prepares UCCS students to succeed in a changing global society. She praised the General Education Task Force and the Educational Policy and University Standards Committee for their efforts over the past months.

“The next step,” she said, “is to get this out to all faculty for approval.”

The goals of the general education program focus on three interrelated areas reflected through the undergraduate general education curriculum.

The first area, designated “Evaluate and Create,” states that students must be given the skills to investigate, gather information and solve problems to develop solutions and new ideas. Critical thinking, reasoning, and communication are among those skills.

“Know and Explore,” the second area, requires imparting to students an understanding of natural and social sciences, arts and humanities, as well as a desire to expand that understanding. Students’ knowledge must include aspects of their culture, the physical world, human behavior and societal institutions.

The third area, “Act and Interact,” says general education must cultivate in students an awareness of self and an awareness of society. To effectively participate and impact society, a student must learn responsibility and how to engage and include other persons.

Over the last 12 months, the General Education Task Force combined the expertise of its members, information from general education programs across the country, and a campus-wide survey conducted last February to define the goals and create a first draft.  Review and revisions followed a series of open forums held this fall, and the task force created the final draft. The goals were then discussed and approved by the Faculty Assembly and the EPUS committee.

Catherine Kelly, Faculty Assembly president and associate professor, Education, sent faculty an e-mail containing details and a web link for voting.