General Education Task Force

On November 12, 2010, Provost Everts requested that a task force be formed to undertake a review of General Education at Illinois State University. The work of the task force, co-chaired by Dr. Claire Lamonica and Dr. James Palmer, will be undertaken from January 2011 through May 2012, when recommendations for program revision will be forwarded to the Provost.

Final Report (05/01/12)

General Education Task Force Final Report to the Provost

Mission Revision

As a step in this process, the task force has begun revising the mission, goals, and outcomes of the general education program. The current document is still in draft form, and the task force welcomes your comments. Please consider sharing your feedback.

• Revised Mission, Goals and Outcomes

DRAFT Subcommittee Reports

• Administrative Structure and Communication Report 
• Administrative Structure and Communication Presentation
• Writing Across the Curriculum Report
• Writing Across the Curriculum Presentation
• Structure and Curriculum Mapping
• Co-Curriculum Report
• Co-curriculum Presentation
• Pedagogy and Faculty Development Presentation
• Pedagogy and Faculty Development Report
• Assessment Committee Report
• Assessment Committee Presentation

History

The current General Education Program was approved by the Academic Senate in 1992 and fully implemented in 1998 after a two-year pilot. Program structure was modified and learning outcomes redistributed among courses following a systematic, year-long review by the Council for General Education in 2004-05. The Council for General Education, an external committee of the Senate, has oversight of the program and its goals.

General Education Program Goals and Shared Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

The four Shared Learning Outcomes below represent students' capacity to critically think and solve problems, to comprehend and contribute to diverse and global perspectives, to be stewards of life-long learning, and to advance public opportunity.

• Critical Inquiry and Problem Solving:
  Students will develop and communicate a range of interests and curiosities, engaging those interests and curiosities through critical thinking, reasoning, and problem solving.
  
  
• Public Opportunity:
  Students will identify the resources and articulate the subsequent value of civic and community engagement.
  
  
• Diverse and Global Perspectives:
  Students will be exposed to diverse and global perspectives by developing and communicating an appreciation for the impact made in personal and professional lives.
  
  
• Life-Long Learning:
  Students will utilize the skills indicative of an effective life-long learner actively pursuing knowledge and applying new information and skills in interdisciplinary approaches