General Education Re-Envisioning

Moving to Implementation in Spring 2021

The re-envisioning of our Clemson General Education curriculum has reached an important milestone!

We have created a new model entitled “Crossings.” New students in fall 2022 will be following the new curriculum.

This is an image showing two lines crossing each other. It is decorative only.

We will be moving forward with a new learning outcome area focused on Global Challenges – global, local, regional, national, international, virtual or philosophical. We have strengthened our Ways of Knowing (disciplinary courses in arts & humanities, mathematics, natural science, and social sciences) and Communication student learning outcomes and courses. We have created a productive assessment plan, and we have created opportunities for professional teaching development with OTEI.

These are great milestones, but we still have a lot to collectively accomplish! It’s time to move to a new home. (**Update – the new home is clemson.edu/crossings.) We are working now on creating a new website to communicate information and opportunities to students, faculty, advisors, staff, parents, transfer partners, and more. Stay tuned for a launch in March 2021.

As always, thank you to the 600+ colleagues who have contributed to and shaped our collective work.

If you have questions or comments in the mean time, please contact Associate Dean Dr. Bridget Trogden (trogden@clemson.edu).

Fall 2020 Open Meetings on Clemson General Education Program

We are at the final stages of the multi-year planning process for general education revisions and look forward to implementation in the coming semesters.Logo for Clemson Forward strategic plan

The General Education Committee invites Clemson faculty, staff, and students to two open meetings about general education.

Because our originally planned August 2020 retreat was cancelled, we split the content into two sessions. Both are designed to allow for attendee discussion and collaboration. Registration is requested, and the information and pertinent background for each meeting is below.

Open Meeting 1 – Proposal & Transition Plan

Wednesday, November 11 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Meeting has now passed, and recorded information is below.

At this meeting, we discussed the proposal for general education revision (effective fall 2022), with an overview of changes and breakouts with committee members. Zoom recording and the copies of proposals and catalog changes are available by contacting Trogden@Clemson.edu

Open Meeting 2 – Pedagogy, Assessment, and Course Review

Thursday, December 3 from 2:00-3:30 p.m.

At this meeting, we reviewed and discussed results from last year’s general education program assessment and effective pedagogies. We also discussed and addressed questions about this year’s assessment plans and upcoming course review. Breakout sessions were included on the summaries from AY 19-20 assessment. Zoom recording and copies of summaries are available by contacting Trogden@Clemson.edu.

Additional information:

Questions or comments can be directed to Associate Dean Bridget Trogden – Trogden@Clemson.edu.

September General Education Committee – an update

What is the General Education Committee working on this year?

Great question!

  1. We expect this semester to bring to fruition the last of the major pieces of a general education curriculum revision, as originally intended in the ClemsonForward strategic plan. We’ve already engaged a number of faculty, students, and staff in the “Challenges” plans and updates, and are moving forward with a proposal and transition plan to UCC (Undergraduate Curriculum Committee) this semester. That plan will be posted on this blog as soon as it is ready.
  2. We analyzed our committee composition and will be making a recommendation to the Faculty Senate Policies Committee to add the rank of Principle Lecturer.
  3. Assessment of student learning outcomes for Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences will occur this year, in accordance with our assessment plan.
  4. We will be conducting regular review of the courses that fulfill our student learning outcome areas. Last year, the Communication (Oral and Written) area was reviewed. This year, we would like to review Mathematics and Natural Sciences, which is all done through Curriculog and is open and transparent. Department chairs and department curriculum committee chairs will be contacted when the review calendar is set.
  5. The August 2020 General Education Program retreat was postponed due to the necessity of COVID-related pedagogical shifts. We will be planning a make-up event in November and will share dates, details, and virtual meeting sign-up links as soon as they are available.
  6. We have been exploring the opportunity of an Information Literacy student learning outcome for our general education curriculum. Nearly 76% of higher ed institutions have Information Literacy as an institutional learning outcome. Do we believe that this should be an add-on to a current general education student learning outcome area, or should it be a distributed outcome similar to the Office of Global Engagement’s Global Competency Outcomes? Discussion and deliberations will ensue.

Announcement – Professional Development Opportunities for Teaching Faculty

1.) Assessment Team for General Education Program

The Division of Undergraduate Studies is putting together a team of faculty to assess samples of student work from this academic year according to our General Education student learning outcomes and rubrics.

This year, we are assessing the areas of Communication (written and oral), Mathematics, and Natural Science. We welcome interested faculty to participate on the assessment team; expertise with the areas is needed, but experience in teaching our exact General Education courses is not required.

  • The team will conduct their work from Tuesday, May 26 to Friday, May 29, approximately 9 am-4 pm each day. Team members must be available during the scheduled time period every day, excluding lunch break and breaks as needed. (*At this time, we intend for the team to meet in person on campus, but if the COVID-19 situation necessitates that this be done virtually, team members must be comfortable working remotely, with guidance from the Division of Undergraduate Studies.)
  • Compensation is $2,000 total, transferred to a Fund 15 account (for professional development or summer salary, inclusive of fringe).
  • We anticipate needing 16 faculty. Because assessing student work is an excellent form of professional development, we aim for a team where two-thirds of the assessment team have previous experience and one-third of the assessment team is new to General Education Program assessment. (Experience is not necessary, and an orientation will occur prior to May 26.)

Faculty interested in being part of the assessment team should complete a short information form by 5 pm EST on Saturday, May 2.

Questions can be directed to Director of Undergraduate Assessment Rene’ Schmauder (aschmau@clemson.edu).

2.) CT2 and Challenges Institute

The ever-popular CT2 Institute (Clemson Thinks2) will be running again this summer, with the opportunity for faculty attendees to also learn about and incorporate Challenges and/or Global Learning into courses and curricula.

All instructors may apply. We especially encourage departmental/ interdisciplinary teams of 2 or 3 who are interested, across multiple classes, multiple sections, and/or vertically throughout a curriculum.

Application deadline: May 7, 2020 at 5 pm EST. Institute dates will be June 1-2 and August 5-6, 2020. Compensation is expected to b $2,000 per participant transferred to a Fund 15 account (for professional development or summer salary, inclusive of fringe).

More information about the opportunity and how to apply can be found in the flyer.

Questions can be directed to Dr. David Knox (knox2@clemson.edu), Dr. Bridget Trogden (trogden@clemson.edu), Dr. Taimi Olsen (taimio@clemson.edu), or Dr. Kyle Anderson (kdander@clemson.edu).

3.) TeachingForward Fellows

Four Fellows will provide leadership to faculty colleagues in professional teaching development, helping us meet ClemsonForward goals.

Application deadline: May 31, 2020 by 5 pm EST. Appointment duration is August 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. Workload is estimated to be 6 hours per month and compensation is expected to be $6,000, transferred to a Fund 15 account (for professional development or summer salary, inclusive of fringe).

More information about the opportunity and how to apply can be found in the flyer.

Questions can be directed to Associate Dean Bridget Trogden (trogden@clemson.edu) or OTEI Director Taimi Olsen (taimio@clemson.edu).

4.) Faculty Learning Communities

The Division of Undergraduate Studies and the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation will again be sponsoring a number of faculty learning communities (FLCs) for the upcoming academic year. OTEI Director Taimi Olsen will issue a call for FLC leaders and topic proposals soon!

5.) Preparing for Fall – Assignments & Signature Assignments

Do you need to do a refresh on the assignments in a course you teach? Do you want to learn more about evidence-based and learning-focused teaching? We have a tool for that!

The Division of Undergraduate Studies and OTEI have created an asynchronous Canvas course that covers “Learning-Focused Assignment Design.”

  • Part 1: Faculty can begin the course at any point (time estimate: less than 2 hours).
  • Part 2: Faculty will then engage in a facilitated peer review of an assignment with OTEI staff.

Suggested start time for 2020 Summer Cohort: June 1

This two-part series can be used as Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness according to the Clemson Faculty Manual definitions, and we can directly add a credential documenting participation to the faculty member’s Digital Measures portfolio.

Additionally, the Assignment Design series provides faculty with an opportunity to develop or adapt a Signature Assignment for General Education Program assessment and review. Signature Assignments will be necessary for all courses seeking new attribution in the General Education Program, and the General Educatin Committee is reviewing all current courses in the Program on a rotating basis.  We will be assessing Arts & Humanities (Literature & Non-literature) and Social Science student learning outcomes in the 2020-2021 academic year. Accordingly, we especially invite faculty teaching courses in these areas to participate in the opportunity.

Questions can be directed to Associate Dean Bridget Trogden (trogden@clemson.edu) or OTEI Director Taimi Olsen (taimio@clemson.edu).

6.) 2020 General Education Program Retreat

Update: This will be postponed until later in the fall semester.

Our second annual General Education Program Retreat will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2020, from 9 am to 4 pm in the Watt Family Innovation Center. The agenda will include the opportunity to engage with data on student learning, hear updates on General Education curriculum revision, and learn more about effective teaching from colleagues. Faculty, academic staff, and students (undergraduate and graduate) are welcome. Registration for the event will be posted at a later date.

Questions can be directed to Associate Dean Bridget Trogden (trogden@clemson.edu).

Continued Re-Envisioning: Integration

Introduction

The General Education Committee, now in its second year, has reviewed the work of the General Education Task Force and writes with continued purpose to re-envision the General Education curriculum at Clemson.

As the General Education Task Force noted in May 2018, a Clemson General Education curriculum should/could involve Ways of Knowing (i.e. – traditional disciplines of arts and humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics), Communication (i.e. – composing, editing, oral/written/digital presentation), and Integration. Currently, Clemson’s General Education curriculum emphasizes Ways of Knowing and Communication, but falls short on the Integration component.

At the August 2019 General Education Program retreat, approximately 200 stakeholders were able to examine and make meaning from course assessment and survey data related to student learning. Qualitative feedback collected from attendees indicate that our current General Education curriculum needs improvement in encouraging students to practice application, engage in diversity, and take ownership for their intellectual development. Nearly all of the input can be summarized into two needs: improving our curriculum and truly supporting its delivery.

Our discussions over the past year-and-a-half have focused on these opportunities. We revised our student learning outcomes and assessment rubrics last year for all but the Integration components, and we supported a program of faculty development to focus on assignment design in courses that are part of the General Education curriculum. Now it is time to further discuss and implement curricular improvements.

Update

The link below includes an update document for what the General Education Committee is working toward.

Update document (available by contacting Trogden@Clemson.edu)

Our timeline includes:

  1. Open discussions and focused discussions with faculty, staff, advisors, Chairs, students, and other stakeholders in the spring semester.
    • Link to menu of in-person opportunities.
    • Qualtrics survey to provide input (anonymous).
    • Leave a blog comment below (not anonymous).
    • Contact a General Education Committee member.
  2. Analytics/dashboard creation to help us model change. (With CCIT.) Continued partnership with Provost Office on instructional budget models.
  3. Creation of a transition plan and teach-out plan.
  4. Updates to our SACSCOC Vice President. (With Office of Institutional Effectiveness.)
  5. Faculty/teaching development opportunities for General Education course revision and assignment creation.
  6. Moving a proposal to the University’s Undergraduate Curriculum Committee in fall 2020 for a 2022 launch.

Progress Report

(This report was created for the September Council on Undergraduate Studies meeting, but has been posted to the blog for the sake of transparency.)

August and September Progress Reports

The General Education Committee has been hard at work over the past month, ready to get back to the work of improving our curriculum and the structures that support it!

General Education Retreat – August

We had over 150 faculty, staff, students, and guests in attendance. The energy and discussions were fantastic! The blog page for the event has handouts and data sets that were used at the retreat, and we plan to make this an annual event.

Existing Curriculum

We created new student learning outcomes and rubrics last year for a portion of the General Education curriculum, and around 80 faculty participated in collaborative faculty development around assignment design.

We will be initiating a process of regular review of existing courses in the General Education curriculum this year, using a transparent and open form in Curriculog. The purpose of the review is to ensure that our curriculum “delivers high value, challenges students intellectually, and fully prepares them to engage and succeed in upper-level course work and careers after graduation” (ClemsonForward, 2016).  All courses in the General Education curriculum should have explicit connections to a student learning outcome. Department Chairs and Department or Interdisciplinary Curriculum Committees will be contacted on a regular and pre-established basis about the review.

Proposing New Courses for the General Education Curriculum

“A General Education curriculum should be more than a list of courses.” This seemed to be a common theme from the August retreat, and the General Education Committee is working to make it a practice.

But we need to determine: what IS a General Education course? We know that the courses must draw on and connect to the common student learning outcomes, as described above, but are there other criteria that faculty utilize? Are these good and robust criteria? Are they transparent? Are we using the same criteria for evaluation of transfer credits and transfer courses? The General Education Committee is working on this issue now with an eye toward transparent curricular processes, and the work of the Transfer Credit Task Force will also be important.

Continued Re-Envisioning

The August retreat included a first presentation of the idea of Global Challenges and Information Literacy areas within the General Education curriculum. The Committee members received much excellent feedback from attendees and are working now to shape a potential curriculum, with careful attention to all of the underlying factors.

General Education Program Retreat – August 15, 2019

The first of what we intend to be an annual event for faculty, staff, and graduate students to discuss our undergraduate General Education Program.

Did you know: Re-envisioning of the General Education Program is a ClemsonForward goal? 

Who is invited? Who should attend?

  • Clemson faculty – of all ranks and roles – regardless of whether they teach courses in the General Education Program.
  • Graduate students (GTRs, lab TAs, etc.) who are interested.
  • Advisors and academic staff who work with curriculum.
  • Student affairs professionals who are interested.
  • Undergraduate students who are interested.
  • Academic partner institutions.

Planned Agenda

Thursday, August 15, 2019, 9 am-3:30 pm
Watt Family Innovation Center at Clemson University

Note: The deadline for rsvps has now passed. You are still more than welcome to attend the event on August 15, but we cannot accommodate any dietary restrictions at this time. If you have accessibility/accommodation needs, please email Kathy Russ – kruss@clemson.edu – directly.

Although attendees may come in and out throughout the day, the retreat is designed to be sequential and will be best experienced through the full-day agenda.

9 am – Check-In and Coffee
Location: Watt Family Innovation Center Lobby

9:30 am – Welcome and Overview
Location: Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium

9:45-10:45 am – Data Dig Roundtables
Engage with data from General Education Program assessment of student learning (past and present) or other data on undergraduate student success. Provide suggestions for continuous improvement and implications for our teaching practices.
Location: Watt 106 and 208

11 am-12:15 pm – Progress Report on a Re-Envisioned General Education Curriculum
Presentation and discussion on the progress made and items to still be determined on a re-envisioned General Education Curriculum.
Location: Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium

12:15-1 pm – Lunch (RSVP Required)
Location: Watt Family Innovation Center Lobby

1:00-3:05 pm – Breakouts for Teaching Strategies and Discussions
Three concurrent breakouts will be available. Attendees are invited to attend any or all.

 
Open Education Resources for General Education Courses, with Dr. Yang Wu, Clemson Libraries – Watt 218
Dr. Wu will discuss the importance of and resources for adapting your course materials to utilize OER.
Facilitated Discussion with General Education Committee representatives – Watt 208  SLOs, Rubrics, and Signature Assignments: Oh My! – Watt 203
Nuts and bolts for those teaching courses in the General Education Program
  • 1-1:35 pm
  • 1:45-2:20 pm
  • 2:30-3:05 pm
  • 1-1:35 pm
  • 1:45-2:20 pm
  • 2:30-3:05 pm
  • 1-1:35 pm
  • 1:45-2:20 pm
  • 2:30-3:05 pm

3:10-3:30 pm – Wrap-Up and Next Steps
Location: Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium

Questions can be directed to your faculty General Education Committee representative and/or Associate Dean Bridget Trogden (trogden@clemson.edu).

Slides and Documents from the retreat

(All documents are available through Trogden@Clemson.edu)

Where Are We Now?

Where are we now with the general education curriculum re-envisioning?

A general education curriculum is not just a list of courses, so the faculty General Education Committee worked over academic year 2018-2019 on a number of tasks that will help guide teaching, learning, and assessment for our students.

Here are 4 things for all Clemson faculty (and staff and students and other interested parties) to know!

The General Education Committee has:

  1. Navigated the approval of new student learning outcomes and rubrics for disciplinary & communication areas of the general education curriculum, effective in fall 2019. (Link, also in AY 19-20 Undergraduate Catalog.) These revised student learning outcomes should be in syllabi and will be part of assessment.
  2. Created a comprehensive and regular assessment plan for the general education curriculum. (Link.)
  3. Implemented a faculty development series with OTEI on assignment design and connection to new student learning outcomes and rubrics. (Link.)
  4. Worked on a proposal for a new general education program structure, to be discussed at a faculty retreat August 15, 2019 and throughout fall 2019.

Stay tuned for information about the August 15 retreat and talk to your General Education Committee colleagues any time!

At the Juncture of “My Course” and “Our Program”

So, you teach a course. You like teaching the course. You know your subject, you know what the students are like, and you value your role. But that course is not an isolated entity: it is part of a vertical (i.e. – for a major, certification, or track) or horizontal (i.e – part of a general education curriculum, provides broad skills for life-long learning) program of study. Maybe both.

To what extent do we know what our colleagues are doing in their own courses, and how can we learn from each other?

A strong premise of faculty development in higher education – supported by research – is that providing opportunities for faculty to think about and work collaboratively on their teaching raises the quality of our individual classes and our collective programs.

Collaborations: Our Assignments

In spring 2019, OTEI and the Division of Undergraduate Studies will sponsor a short, high-impact, hands-on series for faculty teaching courses in the general education program. (Click here to sign up for workshops in March and April.) The series is based upon the evidence-based literature and will involve the peer review of faculty members’ own assignments or assignment ideas, connecting them to the revised student learning outcomes and general education vision statement that will be in the undergraduate catalog effective fall 2019. (Links to revision language and to student learning outcomes with rubrics.)

This series will be two parts: an “Assignment Tuning” and a “Design Wrap,” both in a small group with a faculty facilitator. Faculty collaborations on assignment tuning, design, and/or implementation of assignments are important intellectual exercises for the craft of teaching, and engage us in general education development rather than just looking toward accreditation compliance. A holistic general education program is more than just isolated courses.

Additionally, the Clemson Faculty Manual indicates that peer evaluation of teaching materials is a source of evidence of student learning in faculty teaching evaluation. (See page 110.) To this end, faculty attending the series will receive a certification that can be used in their own annual reports.

Status of General Education Re-Envisioning:

Here is a quick primer.

  • Anything and everything that involves curricular changes goes through Curriculog so it is open for viewing by all faculty.
  • There are no structural changes (i.e. – change in areas or courses in those areas) at this time.
  • At this time, there are also no changes to the student learning outcomes or student learning assessment rubrics for the requirements in science, technology and society (STS), cross-cultural awareness (CCA), ethical judgment, or critical thinking, so faculty teaching in those areas were not sent the message below. The General Education Committee hopes to have some models ready for faculty to consider by the end of this term.
  • The blog is always a good resource for the process as it moves along.

For questions, comments, or other information, contact:

Taimi Olsen, OTEI Director, taimio@clemson.edu

Bridget Trogden, Associate Dean, trogden@clemson.edu

Revised Student Learning Outcomes

The General Education Committee has been busy this fall! (And thank you to faculty, staff, and students who gave additional comments and input, and to Chairs for encouraging and stimulating the discussion!)

The Committee has approved and sent to the University Curriculum Committee a number of improved student learning outcomes to replace many of our competency statements, effective in the 2019-2020 undergraduate catalog.

(Update – these changes have been approved and will be effective in fall 2019. For learning outcomes with rubrics, click here.)

What has changed?

The table below shows the proposed changes next to the current catalog language. (A pdf version is also available.)

What has not changed?

Our list of courses with General Education credit are not changing right now. Our current Cross-Cultural Awareness and Science and Technology in Society requirements are not changing right now. The Critical Thinking and Ethical Judgment credits that students earn in their majors are not changing right now.

The General Education Commitee will lead more faculty discussion in spring 2019 about broader structural revisions.

Why are these changes occurring?

A general education curriculum is more than just a set of courses! Student learning outcomes are required by SACSCOC and connect the holistic development of our students to the content, pedagogy, and assignment design of specific courses.

A new mission statement was created to help articulate the purpose of a coherent and meaningful General Education curriculum, drawn directly from the values of the Clemson community as gathered in discussions over the past year.

With renewed learning outcomes, we can focus on faculty development and meaningful assessment to fulfill our University mission.

Changes

General Education Student Learning OutcomesGeneral Education Competencies

2019-2020 Catalog 2018-2019 Catalog, for comparison
Mission Statement

In order to become informed and productive citizens, undergraduate students need to think critically and synthetically about substantive and often interlinked aesthetic, ethical, historical, linguistic, philosophical, societal, scientific, and quantitative global challenges and issues.

Therefore, in addition to being prepared to complete a major course of study, Clemson University undergraduate students are required to undertake a general education core course of study to develop and to demonstrate the ability to synthesize information relevant to complex issues, to evaluate the quality and utility of the information, and to use the outcomes of their analysis to reach persuasive logical conclusions.

The Clemson University undergraduate curriculum is designed such that arts and humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, and written and oral communication contribute to the holistic development of its students.

Mission Statement

Academic institutions exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the intellectual and ethical development of students, and the general well-being of society. Undergraduate students must be broadly educated and technically skilled to be informed and productive citizens. As citizens, they need to be able to think critically about significant issues. Students also need to be prepared to complete undergraduate work and a major course of study.

The mission requires a high level of knowledge about and competence in the following areas:

 

Arts and Humanities

Students will analyze, interpret, and employ aesthetic, ethical, linguistic, and/or philosophical discourse in relevant contexts.

or

Students will create, perform, interpret, reinterpret, and/or criticize artistic works.

Arts and Humanities

Demonstrate an ability to analyze and/or interpret the arts and humanities.

Mathematics

Students will demonstrate mathematical literacy through interpretation of mathematical forms and performing calculations.

Mathematics

Demonstrate mathematical literacy through solving problems, communicating concepts, reasoning mathematically, and applying mathematical or statistical methods, using multiple representations where applicable.

Natural Sciences

Students will demonstrate the process of scientific reasoning through experimental activity and critical comparison of their results to those predicted by accepted natural science principles.

Natural Sciences

Demonstrate the process of scientific reasoning by performing an experiment and thoroughly discussing the results with reference to the scientific literature, or by studying a question through critical analysis of the evidence in the scientific literature.

Social Sciences

Students will use social science concepts and evidence to explain human actions or behaviors in the past, the present, and/or the future.

Social Sciences

Describe and explain human actions using social science concepts and evidence.

[No change is proposed at this time.] Cross-Cultural Awareness

Explain how aspects of culture are integrated into a comprehensive worldview; and then demonstrate how culture influences human behavior.

[No change is proposed at this time.] Science and Technology in Society

Demonstrate an understanding of issues created by the complex interactions among science, technology, and society.

Communication

Students will demonstrate competence in communication through organization of a central message with supporting materials in the chosen medium.

Communication

Effective oral and written communication is the means by which all competencies will be demonstrated.

[No change is proposed at this time.] Critical Thinking

Demonstrate the ability to assemble information relevant to a significant, complex issue, evaluate the quality and utility of the information, and use the outcome of the analysis to reach a logical conclusion about the issue.

[No change is proposed at this time.] Ethical Judgment

Demonstrate an ability to identify, comprehend, and deal with ethical problems and their ramifications in a systematic, thorough, and responsible way.