6/4/2007 Admissions

General Education At Widener

Scott Van Bramer – A&S

Sue Greenberg - SBA

6/4/2007 Admissions

Purpose Statement: Approved by Faculty Council November 2006 Widener University cultivates critical, creative, and

independent thinking to develop undergraduates who demonstrate intellectual integrity, civic engagement and potential for leadership.

General education promotes awareness and synthesis of different strategies of knowing, questioning, and understanding.

Through the integration of experiences both inside and outside the classroom, students learn to act as responsible citizens and to pursue knowledge beyond the boundaries of the university.

6/4/2007 Admissions

Distribution Requirements: 12 Credits in each

Humanities: art history, English, history, humanities, modern language, music, philosophy.

Science and Mathematics: biology, chemistry computer science, earth and space science, environmental science, mathematics, physics, and selected economics and psychology courses.

Social Science: anthropology, criminal justice, government and politics, communications studies, psychology, sociology, and selected economics courses

6/4/2007 Admissions

We take your education personally – GenEd courses….

are important components of the educational requirements identified by the accreditors of the professional programs

frequently serve as foundations for courses within the majors

contribute significantly to students’ ultimate success by developing intellectual qualities, cognitive (thinking) strategies,, and practical skills (NSSE study)

are taught by knowledgeable faculty

6/4/2007 Admissions

Professional accreditation requires general education

ABET (Engineering) AACSB (Business) Nursing Education Social Work Hospitality Management

6/4/2007 Admissions

School Requirements – Examples of specific GenEd courses required for majors:

Engineering• Chem 145 & 147 General

Chemistry• ASC 400 Values Seminar

Business• ANTH 105 Cultural

Anthropology• PRWR 215 Effective

Communication• PHIL 352 Business Ethics

Nursing• CHEM 105 General

Organic and Biochemistry• PSY 105 Introduction to

Psychology

Elementary Education• ENGL 101 Composition and

Critical Thought• HIST 121 & 122 Growth of

American Civilization Social Work

• BIOL 101 Principles of Biological Systems

• ANTH 105 Cultural Anthropology

Hospitality Management• ML Elementary Modern

Language• PRWR 215 Effective

Communication

6/4/2007 Admissions

NSSE Data: Communication and Integration

Widener 1st year

All

1st year

Widener Seniors

All Seniors

Made a class presentation 34% 31% 75% 61%

Worked on paper/project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources

80% 75% 92% 86%

Put together ideas/concepts from different courses when completing assignments or during class discussions

57% 51% 79% 69%

6/4/2007 Admissions

NSSE Data: Developmental

Widener 1st year

All

1st year

Widener Seniors

All Seniors

Memorizing facts, ideas or methods from your courses and readings 73% 67% 59% 60%

Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory 82% 77% 90% 84%

Synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences 70% 64% 82% 73%

Making judgments about the value of information, arguments, or methods 76% 65% 74% 70%

Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations

81% 72% 90% 79%

6/4/2007 Admissions

NSSE Data: General Education

Widener 1st year

All

1st year

Widener Seniors

All Seniors

Acquiring a broad general education 84% 80% 87% 83%

Writing clearly and effectively 81% 71% 80% 75%

Speaking clearly and effectively 58% 61% 71% 60%

Thinking critically and analytically 89% 80% 89% 86%

Developing a personal code of values and ethics 52% 53% 63% 55%

6/4/2007 Admissions

NSSE Highlights The greatest contributions of a Widener

education for freshmen and seniors were in the areas of thinking critically and analytically, writing clearly and effectively, and acquiring a broad general education. Over 80% of the freshmen and seniors said their Widener education contributed “quite a bit” or “very much” in these areas. In addition, about 83% of the seniors said their Widener education contributed “quite a bit” or “very much” in terms of acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills (see Table 3).

6/4/2007 Admissions

NSSE Highlights

Freshmen at Widener were more likely than freshmen from the other NSSE institutions to say that their collegiate experience has contributed substantially in the area of writing clearly and effectively, 81% compared to 71%.

6/4/2007 Admissions

NSSE Highlights The freshmen at Widener reported spending

more time in a typical 7-day week preparing for class than freshmen at similar institutions. In addition, Widener freshmen wrote more papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages than other freshmen and were more likely to say that their coursework during the freshman year emphasized “making judgments about the value of information, arguments, or methods” and “applying theories or concepts to practical problems or new situations.”

6/4/2007 Admissions

NSSE Highlights

Seniors at Widener wrote significantly more papers or reports than seniors at comparable institutions. In addition, Widener seniors were more likely to say that their coursework emphasized the synthesis and organization of ideas, information, or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships.

6/4/2007 Admissions

Writing Requirements

Freshman Composition Writing Enriched Courses (4)

• Multiple writing assignments

• Revisions

• 25 page minimum

• 25 students per class

• Distribution and Majors Courses Writing Samples

6/4/2007 Admissions

Faculty

Approximately 75% of 100 and 200 level A&S courses are taught by full time faculty.

No graduate students teaching general education courses.

Most adjuncts have a PhD in the field

6/4/2007 Admissions

Goals: A liberally educated person possesses knowledge beyond the boundaries of a chosen field of discipline and sustains a desire to pursue learning after leaving the university’s environment.

Students communicate effectively. Students use quantitative methods effectively. Students understand the world from multiple perspectives. Students cultivate an awareness of themselves and their role

within the human community. Students cultivate an awareness of their relationship to the

natural world. Students understand ethical theories and how to apply them

personally and professionally. Students understand and apply methods of inquiry and

interpretation. Students think critically.

6/4/2007 Admissions

Association of American Colleges and Universities “Liberal Education”

A philosophy of education that empowers individuals, liberates the mind from ignorance, and cultivates social responsibility. Characterized by challenging encounters with important issues, and more a way of studying than specific content, liberal education can occur at all types of colleges and universities. "General Education" (cf. below) and an expectation of in-depth study in at least one field normally comprise liberal education.1

6/4/2007 Admissions

General Education Network

Ways of Being - Growing and flourishing of the intellectual qualities of a liberally educated person

Ways of Knowing - Awareness and synthesis of different cognitive strategies of knowing, questioning, and understanding

Ways of Doing - Development and strengthening of the practical skills needed to be fully engaged in lifelong

6/4/2007 Admissions

Ways of Being:

Quality One: Possesses knowledge beyond the boundaries of a chosen field or discipline

Quality Two: Sustains a desire to pursue learning after leaving the university’s environment.

Quality Three: Cultivates an awareness of his/her place within the larger community

6/4/2007 Admissions

Ways of Knowing:

Strategy One: Understands the world around him/her from multiple perspectives.

Strategy Two: Has a consciousness of the wider human condition.

Strategy Three: Knows how to know.

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Ways of Doing: Skill One: Uses written and oral

communication effectively Skill Two: Manifests quantitative competency

Skill Three: Accesses and evaluates

information from a range of sources Skill Four: Thinks critically Skill Five: Possesses depth, rigor, and

discipline of thinking and learning