General Education Comparison Summary
1-17-06
Benchmark
Schools
1)
Appalachian
2) California State University-Chico
3)
Eastern
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12) Northern University
13)
14)
15)
16)
Southern University at
17) Southern University at Edwardsville
18)
19)
Governor's
20)
Northeastern
21)
Eastern
All schools, including WIU, are trying to answer the same question: what experiences and courses should the educated student have? By looking at other institutions, we can get a sense of the similarities and differences in how this basic question is answered. By examining other schools, we get a sense of how they define general education.
Several basic ideas were shared by one or more schools. Many of the categories that make up WIU’s current general education program are widely shared. All schools required students to take basic writing, natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, social sciences courses, but many differed in the number of required hours for each. Several themes emerged among schools that were examined.
Common themes:
W requirement or equivalent
Eastern
Speech requirement
Eastern
Northern
University of Illinois-Springfield
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Humanities requirement
Appalachian
Eastern
Northern
University of Illinois-Urbana (with Arts; could take only Arts courses)
University of Illinois-Springfield
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Specific History requirement
University of Illinois-Chicago (“Understanding the Past”; not clear whether this need
involve a history course per se—Gen Ed in transition to this new requirement)
Civic Life or Engaged Citizenship requirement
University of Illinois-Springfield (13 credit hours)
Specific Creativity/fine arts
requirement
Appalachian
University of Illinois-Urbana (with Humanities—could take only Humanities courses)
University of Illinois-Chicago
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Well-being requirement
Appalachian
Multicultural requirement (Western/U.S.
or non)
University of Illinois-Urbana
University of Illinois-Springfield (two “Comparative Societies” courses)
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Non-Western/non-U.S. Culture
requirement
University of Illinois-Urbana
University of Illinois-Chicago (“Exploring World Cultures” requirement)
University of Illinois-Springfield (two “Comparative Societies” courses)
Foreign language requirement
Eastern
University of Illinois-Urbana
Interdisciplinary requirement
to
mass communication to racism)
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Quantitative Reasoning (statistics, calculus, logic, computer programming)
University of Illinois-Urbana (two courses)
Truman (two courses, one of which is statistics)
In addition, each school has created a general education program that is distinct, and that highlights different values about what is important general education.
Unique elements of selected schools:
University of Illinois-Springfield: 13 credit hours of Engaged Citizenship required: two 100-level courses in Comparative Societies from the humanities & social sciences (the credit hours here are drawn from the humanities and social sciences areas, not the 13 credit hours for Engaged Citizenship), one upper-level course on US communities (focusing on a specific social location like race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.), one upper-level course on Global Awareness, one Engagement Experience (study abroad, service learning, prior learning credit, applied studies, etc.), one EC elective, and one semester (for 1 c.h.) attending a series of speakers “who exemplify engaged citizenship.”
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale: Problem Based Learning Option, as a voluntary alternative to a more traditional Gen Ed structure. “Students working in groups of no more than six students . . . solve real world, interdisciplinary problems, over three semesters.” Guided by specially-trained full-time faculty. No traditional, scheduled classes. The program covers 30 credit hours.
University of Illinois-Chicago: Writing requirement in ALL Gen Ed courses. Each Gen Ed courses requires EITHER lab writing, a substantial writing assignment, OR problem sets or written data analysis; each requires written feedback by faculty. Also, Thematic Focus: one course each (minimum) in Analyzing the Natural World, Understanding the Individual and Society, Understanding the Past, Understanding the Creative Arts, Exploring World Cultures, Understanding US Society. Seems possible to avoid mathematics, take only one science course, and take no humanities courses. Social science courses look unavoidable (unless each area has options from the humanities—in which case social science courses do look avoidable).
Truman State is quite directive in its general education humanities courses, requiring one course in fine arts, one in literature, one in history, and one in philosophy/religious studies. Part of their general education program is entitled Interconnecting Perspectives, which is designed to help students make learning connections between courses. Interconnecting Perspectives includes a junior interdisciplinary seminar that is “writing enhanced” and integrates material across two disciplines. Writing enhanced courses are similar to WIU’s W requirement; students must take the junior seminar and two additional writing enhanced courses, and there is a sophomore-level writing assessment which looks at work produced in those courses. New students also take a one week general orientation class, with the same group of students taking an additional common class together (perhaps similar to WIU’s FYE). Finally, the interconnecting perspective category includes foreign language requirement and an “Intercultural” requirement (a course covering non-U.S., mainly non-western societies, with a stated goal of increasing “understanding of cultural diversity and cultural interaction”).
Appalachian State University is in the second year of an extensive review of general education. They have not made public recommendations for the structure of a new general education curriculum, but have made extensive resources available on their general education website for others interested in this process at Appalachian State and elsewhere.
California State University, Chico requires a WP (Writing Proficiency) course which is an upper-division course in the major (not gen-ed) as “the backbone of the graduation writing assessment requirement.” The WAC (Writing across the Curriculum) Program provides support for faculty who are teaching WP courses and for students who are taking them.
Each general education course has an assessment plan with a clear purpose, including learning outcomes associated with each course.
James Madison University requires, in its skills category, two Information Literacy tests be passed by the end of the second semester at JMU: the Technology Competency Test (Excel) and the Information Seeking Skills Test (library collections, information searchers, accuracy of information, etc.). “The Human Community” requirement consists of a wellness component (choose one of three courses) and a socio-cultural dimension (choose one of four courses).
Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville strictly follows the requirements of the Illinois Articulation Initiative. SIU has an active university committee on assessment, which includes assessment of general education.
Missouri State University requires a 9 credit hour program titled “Public Affairs in the 21st Century” which includes American History, American and Missouri Government, and a capstone course offered on related topics such as animal rights and homelessness.