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Proposal for General Education General Education Task Force September 2018 In the following document the General Education Task Force presents a proposal for a new Buffalo State College General Education Curriculum, developed in response to a charge from Provost Melanie Perreault in October, 2016. It is organized by the following sections: Backround, Research, A New General Education Curriculum, Compliance, Governance, Budget, and Conclusions. The opportunities and requirements in this proposal allow for the deliberate and meaningful integration of a student’s entire course of study. The curriculum empowers students to develop their own interests, it provides depth across a range of subjects, and it provides tools and skills for the 21 st century. The end result is a first semester, a general education, and a major that work together to deliver a coherent education, rather than a mere transcript. A First Semester Seminar provides an introduction and broad overview to one of four fundamental ways of approaching the world. From there the student’s “Tiger Track” will demonstrate how the characteristic tools and perspectives of an array of disciplines can be brought to bear on the same problem or question. The Tiger Track also reinforces Buffalo State’s Institutional Learning Outcomes, and emphasizes our commitment to diversity and a global community. Furthermore, the flexibility built into the curriculum allows students to take—and count toward general education requirements—a second or possibly a third course in a single department, thus enhancing depth in a discipline outside the major. The “Stripe” provides yet another layer of expertise. Whether pursued as a second major, a minor, a bundle of complementary courses, or the further exploration of interests developed by (or 1
Transcript of Compliance and Constraints - collegesenate.buffalostate.edu€¦ · Web viewProposal for General...
Proposal for General EducationGeneral Education Task Force
September 2018
In the following document the General Education Task Force presents a proposal for a new Buffalo State College General Education Curriculum, developed in response to a charge from Provost Melanie Perreault in October, 2016. It is organized by the following sections: Backround, Research, A New General Education Curriculum, Compliance, Governance, Budget, and Conclusions.
The opportunities and requirements in this proposal allow for the deliberate and meaningful integration of a student’s entire course of study. The curriculum empowers students to develop their own interests, it provides depth across a range of subjects, and it provides tools and skills for the 21st century. The end result is a first semester, a general education, and a major that work together to deliver a coherent education, rather than a mere transcript.
A First Semester Seminar provides an introduction and broad overview to one of four fundamental ways of approaching the world.
From there the student’s “Tiger Track” will demonstrate how the characteristic tools and perspectives of an array of disciplines can be brought to bear on the same problem or question. The Tiger Track also reinforces Buffalo State’s Institutional Learning Outcomes, and emphasizes our commitment to diversity and a global community. Furthermore, the flexibility built into the curriculum allows students to take—and count toward general education requirements—a second or possibly a third course in a single department, thus enhancing depth in a discipline outside the major.
The “Stripe” provides yet another layer of expertise. Whether pursued as a second major, a minor, a bundle of complementary courses, or the further exploration of interests developed by (or discovered in) the Tiger Track, it too encourages meaningful depth in an area outside the major.
Of course, the academic major continues to provide the most depth: The thorough comprehension, creative insight, and disciplinary expertise the majors have always delivered.
In addition, the student’s entire body of work is supported by courses providing proficiency in written and oral communication, mathematical reasoning, and other career tools as appropriate to the student’s major, interests, or career plans.
Finally: a state university receives taxpayer support in part because of the promise that all taxpayers will benefit from a well-educated and deliberative citizenry. It is general education—the education common across all majors-- that most directly addresses that promise. Accordingly, general education is and must remain distinct from remedial education, regardless of how important or necessary such remediation may be.
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I. BackgroundIn the fall of 2016, a number of factors aligned to make it necessary to revise Buffalo State College’s general education curriculum, known as “Intellectual Foundations 14”. These factors include the implementation of our 2016 – 2021 Strategic Plan, Institutional Learning Outcomes, the MSCHE Standards of Accreditation, and a Charge from Provost Melanie Perreault in October, 2016. The factors are described in the paragraphs that follow.
Strategic Plan
The Buffalo State College Strategic Plan 2016-2021, Goal 1, Focus Area 1 calls upon the campus to “Create Engaging and Distinctive Academic Programming.” This focus area includes the following language:
…As it is currently constructed, however, our curriculum does not guarantee that every Buffalo State College student will have the opportunity to participate in one of our distinctive programs or engage in a high-impact practices such as applied learning, living learning communities, or supplemental instruction. We must commit to developing an undergraduate curriculum that seamlessly incorporates these activities to make them a fundamental component of a Buffalo State education. To do so, we must meaningfully and substantially reform our general education program to offer a coherent, rigorous, and intellectually powerful curriculum that prepares all of our students for the demands of contemporary society, regardless of their major.
The Strategic Plan also includes the following as action steps:
1.1 Evaluate curriculum to determine whether it is reflective of contemporary social, cultural, and economic environments.
1.1.1 Fully develop the distinctiveness of a Buffalo State education through a revised general education curriculum, building upon Buffalo State’s programs of distinction, the diversity of our community, and our urban setting.
1.1.3 Adopt all-college learning outcomes that respond to 21st-century trends, leverage existing strengths, and result in a distinctive framework for undergraduate education at Buffalo State.
Institutional Learning Outcomes (“All College Learning Outcomes”)
As the General Education Task Force convened, the Buffalo State College Senate was making progress on implementing a Senate Resolution from 2013 calling for the adoption of Institutional Learning Outcomes. A set of draft outcomes was made public in the fall of 2016, with a slightly revised set that was ultimately adopted in Spring 2017. They include:
Cultural fluencyGraduates will be aware of how ideas are shaped by cultures and social norms and be able to engage with ideas different from or in conflict with their own; students will be aware of cultural, societal and institutional factors influencing assumptions, prejudices, and privileges.
Urban engagement
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Graduates, leveraging their experiences in Buffalo State’s distinctive urban setting, will understand how to interact meaningfully in their communities and possess the skills to be wise, productive, and responsible citizens.
Scholarship and creative activityGraduates will possess the quantitative, conceptual, and creative skills to pose, frame, and analyze a range of questions, problems and issues. They will produce complex and intellectually challenging work and demonstrate essential technological skills.
Ethical reasoningGraduates will deliberate ethical values and principles and apply them in ambiguous, complex, and controversial contexts. They will be conscientious persons, students, and professionals.
MSCHE
Finally, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, 13th edition, includes the following language in its Standard III:
At institutions that offer undergraduate education, a general education program, freestanding or integrated into academic disciplines that:
offers a sufficient scope to draw students into new areas of intellectual experience, expanding their global awareness and cultural sensitivity, and preparing them to make well-reasoned judgments outside as well as within their academic field;
offers a curriculum designed so that students acquire and demonstrate essential skills including at least oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, technological competency, and information literacy. Consistent with mission, the general education program also includes the study of values, ethics, and diverse perspectives.”
The changes outlined above created both need and opportunity, and prompted Provost Perreault to constitute the General Education Task Force (GETF) in the fall of 2016.
The Task Force consisted of the following members: Marc Bayer, Butler Library; Ann Emo, Theater; Scott Goodman, Chemistry; Jason Grinnell, Philosophy (co-chair); Jenn Hunt, Psychology; Kimberly Kline, Higher Education Admin; Jason Knight, Geography and Planning (left spring 2018); Meg Knowles, Communication; Michele Ninacs, English (left September 2018); Alice Pennisi, Art & Design; Gerard Puccio, Creative Studies (left GETF Spring 2017);Ted Schmidt, Economics and Finance (joined Fall 2018); Mark Severson, Dean, SNSS (co-chair); Aimable Twagilimana, English; Julie Wieczkowski, Anthropology(left Fall 2017); Kevin Williams, Earth Sciences and Science Ed; Kathy Wood, Associate Dean, SOE.
In addition, John Draeger, Brad Fuster, Heather Maldonado, Nigel Mariner, Amy McMillan, Gerard Puccio, Howard Reid and the Senate Committee Chairs, and Amitra Wall each offered their expertise on aspects of the proposal during consultations with the Task Force
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ChargeThe GETF received the following charge from the Provost (September, 2016)
The task force will be charged with assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the current IF program, researching best practices in general education, and making recommendations for the campus community to consider as we look to fulfill the goals of the new strategic plan. Any recommended changes will be presented in a transparent and open collaboration with faculty, staff, and students.
In considering the charge, the GETF identified the following as its core challenges:• Make general education integrated and meaningful• Address Institutional Learning Outcomes• Provide a distinctive Buffalo State education • Meet the needs of current Buffalo State students
II. Research
The Task Force created subcommittees to report on the following:
Compliance and Constraints
Any new general education program developed at Buffalo State must comply with the SUNY General Education Requirement (SUNY-GER), which was last amended in 2010 by SUNY. The relevant resolutions of the Board of Trustees that govern the current SUNY-GER are:
2009-138, Reaffirmation and Strengthening of the State University Board of Trustees Policy on Student Mobility (Transfer and Articulation), of November 17, 2009;
2010-006, Amendments to General Education Requirement, of January 19, 2010; and 2010-039, Streamlining the State University Board of Trustees Policy on Assessment, of
March 23, 2010.In response to the 2009-2010 resolutions listed, the SUNY Provost issued a Memorandum to the Presidents on May 28, 2010 that lays out the new policy and provides guidance on the new SUNY-GER. The most important resolution, 2010-006, was used to establish the following requirements for SUNY-GED:
1. 30 credits of general education (or the equivalent) in SUNY-GER areas are required for a SUNY baccalaureate degree
2. Faculty shall establish the specific course requirements and content of one or more general education curricula reflective of the best practices in American higher education.
3. Each general education curriculum shall be academically rigorous and comprehensive and shall complement and build on students’ academic preparation. Its design shall reflect consideration of the University’s commitment to a seamless education pipeline and timely degree attainment.
4. Each general education curriculum shall reflect the SUNY-GER, which requires baccalaureate degree recipients to have demonstrated:
a. knowledge and skills in two required areas, Basic Communication and Mathematics;
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b. knowledge and skills in five of the following eight areas: Natural Science, Social Science, American History, Western Civilization, Other World Civilizations, Humanities, the Arts, and Foreign Languages; and
c. competency in two required areas, Critical Thinking and Information Management.
5. The SUNY-GER’s ten knowledge and skills areas and two competency areas are defined in terms of student learning outcomes rather than a strict three-credit per area requirement.
6. Campuses shall design their general education requirements to facilitate student mobility within SUNY and timely graduation.
This is widely known around the SUNY system as “7 of 10” or “5 of 8” (the previous SUNY-GER required a course in all 10 areas, or “10 of 10”). Buffalo State’s IF14 program requires course in 9 of 10 areas (not Foreign Language) and doubles up on Basic Communication (CWP 101 and 102) to get to the required 30 credits in SUNY-GER. Some students exceed the requirement by taking courses that fulfill our Global Engagement and/or Diversity requirement. The two mandated competencies, Information management (IM) and Critical Thinking (CT), are intended to be met within the major.
One of the other two resolutions from the Board of Trustees deals with seamless transfer and student mobility issues. Students transferring within SUNY must be treated the same as native students at the receiving campus, and if a student finishes SUNY-GER at one campus, they are deemed to have met it at all SUNY campuses. The other resolution requires campuses to regularly review and assess their general education programs as a whole as well as all of the SUNY-GER student learning outcomes.
There are specific implementation issues described that could impact the design of a new program at Buffalo State:
Upper-division courses . To complement and build on students’ academic preparation and prior learning, and to promote seamless student mobility and timely degree completion, a baccalaureate campus is encouraged to permit both native and transfer students to use advanced or upper-division courses to meet SUNY-GER areas. When IF was first implemented, upper-level courses were strictly prohibited in the 4 cognate areas, a practice that continues to this day and has had an impact on the types of courses offered in many departments that support IF14.
Junior status for transfer students . SUNY graduates with an AA or AS degree, when accepted in parallel programs at SUNY baccalaureate campuses, shall be accorded full junior status and be given the opportunity to complete the requirements for a bachelor’s degree within four additional semesters of full-time work.
Local general education requirements . If a campus has local general education requirements that specify the SUNY-GER areas to be met, or add course requirements beyond the 30-credit SUNY-GER, the campus shall promote student mobility within the University and timely degree attainment by providing clear and accessible information and advisement to prospective and enrolled students.
Transfer of the SUNY-GER . Transfer students who meet the 30-credit SUNY-GER at
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sending campuses shall be deemed to have met the 30-credit SUNY-GER at a receiving campus. Similarly, transfer students who meet a SUNY-GER area at sending campuses shall be deemed to have met that SUNY-GER area at a receiving campus. As feasible, to promote student mobility and timely degree attainment, a receiving campus shall waive local and programmatic requirements for transfer students who have completed the 30-credit SUNY-GER or who have met a SUNY-GER area that is comparable to a local or programmatic requirement.
The Diversity and Global Engagement requirements at Buffalo State do not count towards SUNY-GER and are therefore local requirements. Currently, transfer students are not made to meet the Global Engagement requirement, but are required to complete the Diversity requirement before graduation from Buffalo State. Diversity (or similar) is a common requirement across SUNY, so much so that there has been talk of creating a hybrid SUNY-GER category that combines SLOs from Other World Civilizations and some new diversity SLOs. This has not happened as of yet. However, SUNY has embarked on a process that may lead to the revision of SUNY-GER, and it is reasonable to assume that a requirement similar to Diversity would be included in any revision.
The “9 of 10” requirement at Buffalo State is also a local requirement, since it goes beyond the 7 of 10 required by SUNY-GER. This used to be an issue for transfer students who have finished the SUNY-GER at another SUNY campus, but have not completed courses in the 9 categories we specify. Different Buffalo State administrations have treated this situation differently in the past few years. At present, transfer students from other SUNY institutions with SUNY-GER finished are not being required by Buffalo State to take courses in all 9 areas required by IF14. Previously, we required these same students to take courses in any missing IF14 areas (most often in the 3 Civilizations categories) to finish the specific requirements of the IF14 program.
It is important to note that in Fall 2016 the SUNY Provost began to publicly discuss his desire to revise SUNY GER. While the process is still in its infancy and will likely take several years to complete, it would behoove Buffalo State to keep an eye on that process as we undertake our own revisions to general education. The SUNY UFS Undergraduate Committee has begun to analyze the relationship between the new Middle State General Education requirement and SUNY-GER as a first step in the process.
All the above supports an emphasis on flexibility and adaptability in any new general education program. We should work to develop a program that does not require extensive revision to remain in compliance with (foreseeable) changes in SUNY-GER.
Effective Practices from Peer Institutions and Published Research
This work group identified the following effective practices: Coordinated courses or educational pathways that reflect student goals and interests Coherent programs of study that integrate community work and meaningful problem-
based inquiry Sequential levels of increasing proficiency (from any entry point into the credentialing
system)
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Addressing cross-disciplinary problems based on student goals and interests A culminating “experience A culminating “body of work” or “signature work” Institutional support to assist students in developing
o An educational pathway to graduationo An academic narrative that explains and connects the dotso Digital tools and resources that strengthen students’ participation in collaborative
and cross-disciplinary learning Extending General Education across all four years Requiring a first-year experience Integrated and thematic courses Inclusion of “high impact practices” Incorporates technological fluency Incorporates civic engagement.
III. A New General Education Curriculum
The proposed curriculum is intended to deliver a structured experience that connects the student’s general education coursework in a coherent fashion and complements the student’s chosen major.
The proposal emphasizes the following elementsAn early college experience
o A first semester seminaro A set of other general education courses built around a common themeo First year courses integrated with each other and with an oral and written
discourse courseA mid-college experience
o An advanced oral and written discourse course, or a second course in mathematicso Coherent extra-disciplinary worko High impact practice(s)
A late-career experience of capstone or signature work
It is important to note that the MSCHE general education guidelines require:
“a curriculum designed so that students acquire and demonstrate essential skills including at least oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, technological competency, and information literacy. Consistent with mission, the general education program also includes the study of values, ethics, and diverse perspectives.”
This language makes it clear that beyond the SUNY 7/10 requirement, courses in Natural Sciences (scientific reasoning), Diversity (diverse perspectives), and Other World Civilizations (global awareness) must be specifically required in the Buffalo State general education program.
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The SLOs for these 3 categories should be examined to be sure that they align with both the SUNY-GER and MSCHE requirements.
Overview
Table 1 summarizes the proposed new General Education program requirements.
Table 1. An overview of the new general education proposal.General Education Area Requirements
Component description courses creditsBasic
Communication WORD (Written/Oral Discourse) 1-2(a) 4-7(a)
Mathematics 103 or higher, possible second course 1-2(a) 3-8a)
FSS 101 1 course in 1 of 4 cognate areas 1 3
Natural Science 3-credit course for SUNY GER/Middle States 0-1(b) 0-5(b)
TIGER Tracks
4 courses from any 3 SUNY-GER categories (not Basic Com., Math, NS
or V3), plus D or V3 (global awareness) course
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Diversity/ Global
Awareness
Finish either D or V3, depending in which was in chosen TIGER Track 1 3
general education “electives”
Complete SUNY-GER 1-3(c) 3-9(c)
Tools Optional Buff State category 0-1 0-3
total 10-11 SUNY GER, 0-1 Tools, and Diversity 12 34-41
STRIPES mid-college high impact practice(s), minor, or course concentrations variable variable
ePortfolio Capstone integration of major and general education 0-1 0-1
(a) 3 courses total are required in Basic Communication and Math. We propose a 4-credit Basic Communication course for all students. Some math courses are more than 3 credits.
(b) not needed separately if FSS 101 is in Natural Ncience. Some Natural Science courses are more than 3 credits.
(c) every student will have at least 2 “electives”. One of these must be a SUNY GER course in any category, the other may be a SUNY GER or a Tools course. Additionally, students fulfilling Natural Science with FSS will have a third elective, which must be a SUNY GER course in any area.
(d) Students will finish 10 SUNY GER courses if a Tools course is taken, 11 if not. All students will complete 7 SUNY GER areas (Basic Communication, Math, NS, V3, and 3 from Tiger
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Tracks). Some could complete a course in up to 10 SUNY GER areas, depending on the FSS course, TIGER Track, and the choice of electives.
The Early College Experience
First Semester Seminar Each incoming student takes one of the following as a First Semester Seminar (“FSS”).
– ART 101: “Explorations in the Arts” – HUM 101: “Explorations in the Humanities” – NSC 101: “Explorations in Natural Science” – SSC 101: “Explorations in Social Science”
This course satisfies the associated SUNY cognate area. Other cognate areas are to be satisfied with traditional courses in specific disciplines.
For students with a declared major, the FSS should be chosen from those outside the major cognate area (e.g. a chemistry major ought to take something other than NSC 101) This approach recognizes both that the extensive coursework required of the major provides sufficient exposure to the characteristic challenges and concerns of that cognate area, and that the fundamentals and breadth of an outside FSS can complement the student’s major.
Conversely, for a student without a declared major, enrolling in an FSS that aligns with student interest can provide an overview of the related disciplines and facilitate a more informed choice of major.
The First Semester Seminar is a course designed to guide first year college students in identifying and building academic and social skills that transfer across the liberal arts curriculum. Students will be introduced to concepts such as rigor, scholarship/creative work, appropriate and expansive research and the SUNY Buffalo State Institutional Learning Outcomes. This course will assist in connecting personal growth with responsibility for and engagement in the college and surrounding community. Students will build personal relationships with a peer cohort and faculty mentors while acclimating to a college environment and working on time management, study skills, networking and leadership. Each course delivers the set of SUNY/BSC general education outcomes appropriate to its title. Ideally, it would also introduce one or more BSC Institutional Learning Outcomes. Finally, it would include a small set of outcomes specific to the First Semester Seminar.
These courses would be offered every semester, enabling students who enter in the spring and transfer students to satisfy the requirement. With respect to transfers, after sufficient college experience the acclimation and exploration elements of FSS will likely be superfluous. As a matter of policy, a clear threshold will have to be established. We propose 18 credits (at least one course more than a full-time semester worth of credits) as necessary to be excused from the FSS requirement
Possible First Semester Seminar SLOs:
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1. Identify resources to assist in academic and personal success such as advisement, tutoring, health services, etc.
2. Locate campus and academic policies, procedures, calendars and other resources.3. Outline elements of higher education such as but not limited to rigor, research,
scholarship/research, creative works and general education.
The goal is to give new college students context for the academic and social skills they will be building throughout this First Semester Seminar. Cognate content will show the relevance of a particular area within the larger picture of General Education, while learning about the principles and importance of that cognate. Faculty will be able to use their narrower area of study to illustrate the broad concepts of that cognate and to explore, with their students, a broad spectrum of timely and relevant topics while aiding the transition from High School to college. For example, how does studying biology help students understand what it means to think like a scientist? Taught as a seminar, such a course would facilitate cohort building among students and provide significant contact time/interaction with a professor. Both should assist in retention. Furthermore, a seminar-style course with a committed professor provides an environment suited to helping students navigate and acclimate to BSC (e.g. explain CEP week)
The “Explorations in the…” courses could stand alone or fit within a theme in the TIGER Tracks.
Offering the seminar as a “cognate 101,” rather than a course with a disciplinary prefix, means that faculty can be drawn from any of the associated disciplines. This allows for departments with staffing capacity to complement those less able to contribute, and eases the staffing burden imposed by a large number of small sections.
Please see Appendix I for an example of model course SLOs.
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TIGER Tracks – Thematic Integration of General Education RequirementsBeyond the First Semester Seminar, students would satisfy some of their general education requirements by choosing courses from a TIGER track of their choice. Each TIGER track consists of courses from five general education categories, with each of those courses being connected to one another via a content- or problem-based “theme.” The shared theme will help students structure and integrate their general education coursework, making its coherence and relevance more clear. Ideally, the TIGER track is completed within the first two years of a student’s college career.
TIGER tracks would be designed and proposed by interested departments in cooperation with one another.Examples of possible tracks:
Embracing the Arts Exploring our Diverse World Serving the Community Innovating for Tomorrow
Each approved TIGER Track will consist of three courses from three of the following six SUNY GER categories:
Foreign LanguageHumanitiesAmerican HistoryWestern CivilizationSocial ScienceArt
Basic Communication, Math, and Natural Sciences are excluded from TIGER tracks–students will touch these areas through other means. Along with the three SUNY GER courses, each track must also include a course that fulfills the Buffalo State Diversity (D) SLOs or the SUNY Other World Civilizations/MSCHE Global Awareness SLOs (NW). Constructing a track in this way will assure that a student takes courses from 3-4 different SUNY GER categories. With the addition of a Global Awareness/Diversity, Natural Science, Basic Communication, and Math course, students will have met the SUNY requirement for courses from 7 categories and completed a Diversity course.
Illustrative examples of TIGER tracks are shown in Table 2. These are listed for discussion purposes only—TIGER Tracks will be developed through inter-departmental cooperation and approved after a review by faculty governance. It is important to note that Tracks will have broad themes that can be related to courses from different disciplines and SUNY GER areas. Each Track will have its own set of SLOs, one of which should be included in each course curriculum. Importantly, a Track must also address outcomes derived from at least two of Buffalo State’s ILOs (not Scholarship and Creative Activity). Finally, no courses included in a TIGER Track can also be identical to a course required in a major program—courses in the Tracks must be specifically designed for that purpose.
Because of these new requirements, each course included in a TIGER Track would have to be revised and approved by the faculty. It also seems likely that several new courses will need to be
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developed—it is unlikely that simply pulling existing elective courses out of the current course catalog and revising them with new SLOs will suffice to make coherent and meaningful tracks.
Table 2. Illustrative Examples of TIGER Tracks
Tiger TrackL
angu
age
Art
s
Hum
aniti
es
Soci
al S
cien
ce
Am
eric
an
Wes
tern
Civ
FSS
Nat
Sci
NW
or
D
Mat
h
Wor
d 10
1
Mat
h/W
ord
Wild
Car
d (I
F/T
ools
)
Wild
Car
d (I
F/T
ools
)
1Diversity Around World
2 Embracing the Arts 3 Wealth and Power 4 Science, Society, Self
Credits 9, from 3 categories 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 337
First Year 9 3 4 423
There will be a limited number of TIGER Tracks allowed into the new General Education program. We estimate that approximately 8 will be needed, each able to accommodate about 150-350 new students each year. Each approved Track must be able to demonstrate that enough seats will be offered each year in each of the 4 required courses. Also, each Track will need to be reviewed and assessed on a regular basis, both to make sure that learning outcomes are being achieved and that enrollment goals/needs are being met. Therefore, a mechanism must exist for a Track with difficulties (low enrollment, lack of student interest, etc.) to be revised or completely replaced by a new Track.
Transfer students would require flexibility in the TIGER Track requirement. To comply with SUNY policy, students transferring in with any more than a year’s worth of General Education credits would probably need to be exempted from the TIGER requirement and would simply need to finish a simplified version of our new general education program (36-37 credits, NW, NatSci, D, three Math/Word course, SUNY 5 of 8). This is similar to how we currently treat transfer students. Students transferring in with 0-30 credits should be able to complete a Track, but may still need exemption from other specific requirements, depending on their academic background.
Diversity/Global Awareness (3 credits)
Students will take one Global Awareness or Diversity course through the TIGER Track. However, in order to comply with SUNY and MSCHE guidelines, students must complete both. Thus, students will need to separately take an additional course that covers the area not included in their Track. It is important to note that the SUNY-GER Other World Civilizations (NW for
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“non-Western” at Buffalo State) and the MSCHE Global Awareness requirements may not align perfectly. MSCHE does not publish specific Global Awareness SLOs, but it will be important to include an SLO that can be related to global awareness in the NW category.
Natural Science (0-3 credits)
Students will all be required to fulfill a Natural Science course that fulfills the SUNY-GER SLOs for this category along with the MSCHE requirement for a course in “scientific reasoning”. Students will fulfill the requirement in one of two ways. Some students will take a FSS course in Natural Science. Alternatively, students with an FSS course in a different cognate area will be required to take a single 3-credit course in natural science, much as they do in the Intellectual Foundations program currently. Again, MSCHE does not publish specific scientific reasoning SLOs, but it will be important to include an SLO that can be related to scientific reasoning in the NS category.
Symbolic Communication—Basic Communication and Mathematical Reasoning Requirements (10-12 credits)
The new GETF proposal calls for rethinking the SUNY “Basic Communication”, “Math and Quantitative Reasoning” and “Information Management” requirements. The Basic Communication SLOs will be delivered via an introductory, 4-credit course in “Written and Oral Discourse”, or WORD 101, required of all students. This course would be taken in the student’s first year as we currently require for CWP 101. Since it would encapsulate both oral and written communication, it is also comparable to CWP 102 in some ways. It seems likely that the WORD 101 course will need to be 4 credits to accommodate the extra SLOs. The WORD 101 course would focus on short writing products and oral presentations. Additionally, it would introduce SUNY Information Management SLOs. It would also introduce students to the e-portfolio component of their general education curriculum. It seems feasible that students would upload a final writing product and/or an oral communication product to the e-portfolio system
Math and Quantitative Reasoning SLOs will be delivered in much the same way that we do now. Many students will take MAT 103, with those that need higher math for their majors opting for MAT 114, MAT 124, MAT 126, or MAT 161 instead, depending on a student’s preparation. This basic math course will satisfy the SUNY requirement in Math and Quantitative Reasoning. Currently, most courses that meet the SUNY requirements are 3 credits, but there are exceptions (calculus).
However, a major difference between the GETF proposal and IF 14 comes with the requirement of a third course from either Basic Communication or Math. Students will have the option of either taking a second, advanced writing course (satisfies SUNY Basic Communication) or a second Math and Quantitative Reasoning course. The second writing course, WORD 301 or a discipline-specific writing course, would ideally be taken once a student has completed more general education requirements and is more firmly established in coursework for their major. In an ideal case, the course would be linked to the student’s chosen major and focus on longer, discipline-specific products. Any course satisfying this requirement would reinforce the “Basic Communication” and “Information Management” SLOs. This would also be an opportunity to
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purposefully develop the student’s e-portfolio. Special sections of the course could also serve as an “introduction to Buffalo State” for advanced transfer students, providing acclimation functions analogous to the First Semester Seminar, but at a level appropriate for experienced college students.
Students choosing the second Math and Quantitative Reasoning option would take a course that reinforced mathematical concepts (most likely required for their major, but not necessarily). Thus, a student taking MAT 114 might take a statistics course (e.g. MAT 311, ECO 305, PSY 306) to satisfy this requirement. A natural science major might take MAT 124 and MAT 161, or MAT 161 and MAT 162 to complete the requirement. A summary of the new requirement is shown in Table 3.
Table 3. The options for completing the nine credit Basic Communication and Math/Quantitative Reasoning requirements.
Writing Course 1 Math Course 1 Writing Course 2 Math Course 2
Option 1. Two Writing Courses WORD 101
MAT 103, PHI 107, MAT 114, MAT 124, MAT 126, MAT 311,
or MAT 161
WORD 301 or approved course that builds on concepts from WORD 101
n/a
Option 2. Two Math Courses WORD 101
MAT 103, PHI 107, MAT 114, MAT 124, MAT 126, MAT 311,
or MAT 161
n/a
second (sequential)math
course or a statistics course
Finally, further development of these communication skills, especially writing, must continue throughout the remainder of a student’s college career. Thus, each major program must purposefully develop discipline-specific written and oral communication SLOs and measure these learning outcomes through assessment. To achieve this, every major must develop a curriculum map that describes how a student will achieve the discipline-specific communication SLOs as they work through the major program. Quantitative reasoning skills will also be further developed in the major program, but these skills are included more broadly under the ILO “Scholarship and creative activity” and are discussed in a later section.
Integrated Courses and Learning Communities
The proposed program allows for different types of integrated course models. As described, first-year courses can be connected on several levels. At the most basic, all new first-year students could be registered for a section of WORD and a First Semester Seminar/Cognate 101 together. This would allow for both student and faculty cohort-building. Faculty can easily coordinate content and supports within the courses and integrate appropriate cross-over activities, assessment and assignments as they feel it is necessary. For consistency and ease of scheduling and class preparation, instructor teaching multiple WORD sections can be paired up with multiple FFS courses in the same cognate area. (Instructor A teaching 3 sections of WORD paired with 3 sections of FSS Explorations in Social Science) It may be possible to have
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instructors pair for up to three cohorts depending on the teaching loads and departmental requirements.
A more complex integration model may include the above-mentioned WORD/FSS with the addition of another course. For example a course in Mathematical Reasoning would naturally pair with a FSS- Natural Science and WORD. Student would be connecting the scientific reasoning with the math they need to support that type of course while also learning effective methods of communicating this content. Another option might be to include a major requirement in the integration. Departments can be consulted to find the best fit for their students. This type of integration allows both students and faculty the opportunity to develop relationships across campus and to experience the relevance and importance of disciplines outside of their own.
Traditional Learning Communities of 3 or more courses could be created using some combination of First Year Seminar, WORD I, and TIGER track courses. These Learning Communities would likely use the TIGER track theme as an organizing principle. This may be particularly beneficial to undeclared majors as it builds a sense of community while exposing them to several areas of study.
These High Impact Practices, Learning communities and First Year Seminars, have proven effective when approached intentionally and supported by engaged faculty and staff. Offering a variety of options may appeal to the diverse needs of our student body. All integrated courses models have room for supplemental instruction, peer to peer mentoring and augmented advisement for academics as well as career paths.
General Education Electives and Tools
After completing the FSS, Tiger Track, NS, Symbolic Communication, and NW/Diversity requirement, the new general education program would require students to complete 2 more courses to complete the Early College Experience. (Students with a FSS in the area of Natural Science would need to complete a 3rd elective). To meet SUNY requirements, all students would need to complete at least one more SUNY-GER course in ANY category (Natural Science FSS students would need two more SUNY-GER courses). This would allow students to select 2, or possibly 3, more courses in any of the 10 SUNY-GER categories. This has several advantages:
o Student choice—matching general education with interestso Allowing a student to complete a lower-level course sequence (e.g. foreign language)
begun in a TIGER Track, Math, or NS.o Completion of an upper-level general education course related to a course already
completed in FSS, NS, NW, Math, or a TIGER Tracko Getting a start on the middle-college experience through a service-learning course, a
course for a minor, or a course from an approved course sequence.
Since all students would have to take at least one more course that was not necessarily from SUNY-GER, this also allows us to introduce an option course category called “Tools”, which would be an optional Buffalo State general education category. We envision courses approved in this category to meet student needs allowing them to take an “applied” course outside of the
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traditional SUNY-GER liberal arts categories. Examples of courses that are relevant to today’s graduates, but do not fit into a SUNY-GER and could be included in the Tools category are:
o Personal Financeo Business Accountingo Conversational/Business Foreign Languageo Personal Computingo Data Management and Analysiso Personal Health/Nutritiono Food Safety/Preparationo Occupational Safetyo Civic Engagement/Citizenship
Specific guidelines for courses to be included in the Tools category would need to be developed by faculty. It is important to note that students would not be required to take a course in this category, but could choose to take one of these courses to fulfill one of the general education elective requirements. This would allow students a wider variety of options to complement their major or to get started on a mid-college experience. For example, a Chemistry student might opt for a course in Safety, while a Psychology major might opt for additional training in Conversational Spanish.
SummaryThe proposed early college experience has several improvements over the current IF 14 program:
1. A First Year Seminar course that satisfies a cognate area while also serving to introduce students to Buffalo State and to college life.
2. A reconsidered Math and Quantitative Reasoning (math) and Basic Communication (writing) requirement. Students will all take a 4-credit Basic Communication course that delivers the SUNY SLOs for both written and oral communication. Students will all take a Math course as well. Students may then opt to take either a second, upper-level writing course or a second sequential math course.
3. Themed tracks (TIGER Tracks) to partially satisfy the SUNY GER requirements.4. Student choice. Students can choose a TIGER Track and general education electives from
a variety of areas and are no longer constrained to take one course out of each SUNY GER area.
5. An applied course option (Tools). Students will be allowed to take one course outside of traditional liberal arts areas that will support their major, their minor, or their career goals.
6. Integration of All College Learning Outcomes.7. Easy integration of courses into Learning Communities.
Many students will be able to finish the 37-credit (minimum) requirement in the first 2 years of their career. An example of how this might work is shown in Figure 1. In the first semester, all students would take a minimum of FSS, Word 1, and the first course of their TIGER track. These could be integrated with a major course into a traditional learning community, but other integration models are possible. Clearly, a new student would need to choose a TIGER Track upon being accepted to Buffalo State, just as students do with majors, although it is conceivable
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that this decision could be postponed until the second semester if a student took a Math, NW/D, NatSci, or general education elective in their first semester instead.
Figure 1. An illustration of the Early College Experience.
The Mid College Experience
STRIPE – Structured, Reflective, Impactful Program Enhancements
As students enter their 3rd year, they will focus on another component of the new general education program-STRIPE (Structured, Reflective, Impactful Program Enhancements). The STRIPE requirement is a new, distinctive, mid-college experience, which can be satisfied by a number of possible High Impact Practices (HIPs), or by a deliberate selection of all-college electives. The STRIPE requirement may be satisfied by:
1. completing three experiences from Group A2. completing one experience from each of Group A and Group B, or two experiences from
Group B3. completing one of the experiences in Group C:
Group A experiences will generally be single courses with a HIP component, or a limited HIP not related to a specific course. Group B experiences are more involved and require greater time commitment from the student. Finally, Group C experiences are the equivalent of a full semester or more of special course work or immersion in another culture. A partial list or possibilities is shown in Table 4.
Table 4. Examples of experiences that can be applied to the STRIPE requirement.
STRIPE Category Example Experiences
Group A Designated Service Learning course (transcript, automatic approval) Single course study abroad experience (typically J-term or summer) Participation in student government as an office holder
Group B Internship (3 credits, one semester)
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Student scholarship experience, such as student art gallery exhibit, undergraduate research project, choreography in a dance concert, music recital, etc., for at least 3 credits. (If not taken for credit, faculty supervisor determines the credit equivalence.)
Approved combination of interdisciplinary courses (minimum of three) to enhance major (departments will define eligible courses that meet the requirement for this option, with approval by the SGEC (see section V))
Upper-division courses (minimum of three) related to Tiger Track theme (eligible courses to meet the requirement in this way will be defined by the SGEC (see section V))
Group C
Second major (transcript, automatic approval) Minor (transcript, automatic approval) Certificate (transcript, automatic approval) Study-abroad experience, full semester (Global Engagement office
approves)
The intent is that students will move into a phase of their education that will allow them to add value to their degree through real-world experiences, purposefully choosing courses that will complement their major or TIGER Track, or by earning another credential. Again, student choice is built into the program, allowing a number of different paths for fulfilling the requirement. Many students may want or need to fulfill STRIPE through additional coursework (service learning, course clusters, minor, while others can engage in multiple HIPs, research, or over-arching experiences like study-abroad programs).
Each STRIPE experience should explicitly address at least one of the Buffalo State ILOs at a level that moves beyond mere introduction (i.e. reinforcement or mastery). Ideally, ILOs are developed across all aspects of a given student’s program, and a carefully chosen STRIPE can address ILOs that are less prominent in the student’s major.
Transfer students from 2-year schools should be able to fulfill STRIPE through coursework options, but should have all STRIPE options open to them. Transfer students with more credits (60-90) may need a special transcript evaluation performed and a customized STRIPE program developed so that their time to graduation is not impacted by this requirement.
The Late College Experience
By the time of graduation, a BSC student should also have had a culminating experience or capstone course to provide a forum for drawing the threads of GE and major together.
E-PortfoliosWhile many majors at Buffalo State already provide a capstone experience, an e-Portfolio system will allow students to make connections between general education courses (e.g. TIGER Tracks), find connections between general education courses and their majors, reflect on high impact practices (STRIPES), and document the body of work they have completed as they move through their college experiences. This repository of their work can travel with a student as
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he/she moves into their career or into graduate school and will help students demonstrate skills they have acquired.
For an e-Portfolio to be successful and to maximize its impact, there should be several points in the general education program and in the major where the e-Portfolio is managed, updated, and reviewed. A first-year student will be required to start the e-Portfolios, in both WORD I and FSS 101, then build and refine it at regular points during his/her chosen curriculum. WORD II should play a key role here, but completion of many of the STRIPE requirements should also require a supervised addition to the e-Portfolio. Departments will be encouraged to utilize the e-Portfolio to document a student’s growth in the major, where a student does most of their in-depth work. Finally, in their senior year, a student’s e-Portfolio will be completed and assessed in either a major capstone course, or in a 1-credit course designed specifically for that purpose.
A Note on Transfer Students
Transfer students will enter according to the number of credits and requirements filled. Written and Oral Discourse 301 & STRIPE will help transfers acclimate to Buffalo State. E-portfolio can be created at any point, with credentials transferred and added. E-portfolio and HIPs or culminating experiences will identify transfer students as Buffalo
State graduates.
Summary
Figure 2 shows graphically how a typical student might divide his/her time among all the requirements on the way to a degree. For many students, the bulk of general education will be finished in the 1st two years, with only the STRIPE requirement and ePortfolio to complete in years 3 and 4. STRIPE is a variable requirement, ranging from just 2-3 classes up to completing a minor or 2nd major. For illustration purposes, STRIPE was considered to require 5 courses in Figure 2, which is what might be expected for a student who fulfills the STRIPE requirement by earning a minor (assuming a course or two in the Early College Experience could be applied to the minor as well).
Figure 2. An illustration of all 4 years of a student’s studies under the new general education program.
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IV. COMPLIANCE
The new General Education program must comply with SUNY and MSCHE policies and rules. For SUNY, the first concern are the 7 of 10, 30–credit rule, and for MSCHE requirements, Scientific Reasoning, Global Awareness, and Diverse Perspectives must be included. Buffalo State already has categories in IF 14 that loosely correspond to the MSCHE requirement, namely Natural Science (NS), Other World Civilizations (NW), and Diversity (D). Thus, these are required in the new program, but alterations to the SLOs may be needed to align these categories with MSCHE.
SUNY GER 7 of 10, 30-creditsIn the new program, the SUNY 7 of 10, 30-credit and MSCHE requirements will be satisfied primarily in the early college experience, the exception being WORD II. Table 5 shows how the new program compares to the IF14 program.
Table 5. A Comparison of current BSC Requirements (IF14) and the proposed requirements
category BSC IF 14 Proposal Comments
Basic Communication CWP 101 WORD 101 (Written and Oral Discourse 101).
redesigned 4-credit course. Covers both written and
oral communication.Mathematics MAT 103 or higher MAT 103 or higher No significant change2nd course in Basic Communication or Math CWP 102 WORD 301 or 2nd course in
MathThe upper-level writing or
math option is a change
Natural Science 1 1 (can be in Tiger Track or FSS 101)
MSCHE scientific reasoning
Social Science 1 FSS 101 or TIGER Track option
Humanities 1 FSS 101 or TIGER Track option
Arts 1 FSS 101 or TIGER Track option
Diversity 1 1 (component of many TIGER Tracks)
MSCHE Diverse Perspectives
American History 1 TIGER Track option Western Civilization 1 TIGER Track option
Non-Western Civilization 1 1 (component of many TIGER Tracks)
MSCHE Global Awareness
Foreign Language Global Engagement 0-2 TIGER Track option not required, but not
waivable by HS work
Tools n/a option can be used instead of 11th
SUNY GER n course
TOTALS11-13 courses 12 courses 37 credits is the minimum.
Some Math and Science courses could increase the
total33-39 credits 37 credits
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Table 6 shows how the new program would achieve the SUNY 7 of 10, 30-credit requirement. Due to the limits on how a TIGER Track is constructed, the General Education “electives” category is used solely to fulfill the 30-credit minimum required by SUNY.
Table 6. The new program mapped onto the SUN-GER course requirements.General Education Area SUNY-GER
component description courses categoriesBasic
CommunicationWORD 101 (Written/Oral Discourse),
possible second course 1-2(a) 1
Mathematics 103 or higher, possible second course 1-2(a) 1FSS 101 1 course in 1 of 4 cognate areas 0-1 0-1
Natural Science 3-credit course for SUNY- GER/MSCHE 1(b) 1(b)
TIGER Tracks4 courses from any 3 SUNY-GER
categories (not Basic Com., Math, NS or NW), plus NW or D course
3-4(c) 3-4(c)
Diversity (or Global
Awareness)finish D (or NW) 0-1(c) 0-1(c)
general education “electives”
Complete SUNY-GER 1-3 0-2
Tools optional Buffalo State category 0 0SUNY GER
total10-11 SUNY GER, 0-1 Tools, and
Diversity 10-11(d) 7-10(d)
(a) 3 courses total are required in Basic Communication and Math combined.(b) Could be fulfilled by FSS 101, but was counted separately for this analysis.(c) All students will complete a total 4 SUNY-GER categories and courses here.(d) Students will finish 10 SUNY GER courses if a Tools course is taken, 11 if not. All students
will complete a minimum 7 SUNY GER areas (Basic Communication, Math, NS, V3, and 3 more from Tiger Tracks).
Finally, Table 7 shows how a series of students might fulfill the new requirements, given specific courses from several hypothetical TIGER Track example in Table 2.
Table 7. Examples of how some different students might fulfill SUNY GER under the new general education proposal’s early-college experience. This analysis assumes that IF 14 courses will fulfill similar requirements in the new general education program.
STUDENTA B C D
Basic Com. WORD 101/301 WORD 101/301 WORD 101 WORD 101Math MAT 103 MAT 103 MAT 161/162 MAT 114, ECO 305Freshman Seminar Art (A) Nat. Sci. (NS) Soc. Sci. (SS) Humanities (HU)Natural Science BIO 104 (NS) – PHY 111 (NS) BIO 101 (NS)
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TIGER Track ArtWestern Civ.DiversityASL 101 (FL)
Western Civ.HumanitySocial Science NW
SPA 101 (FL)ArtHumanityDiversity
ArtSocial ScienceAmerican HistoryNW
D/V3 REL 321 (V3) EXE 100 (D) ANT 101 (NW) WGS 101 (D)Gen Ed. electives ASL 102 (FL)
CRJ 101 (SS)THA 106 (A)ENG 241 (H)CIS 101 (Tools)
SPA 102 (FL)SAF 305 (Tools)
HIS 106 (A)WORD 301 (BC)
SUNY categories 8 8 8 8SUNY GER credits 34 31 35 31TOTAL credits 37 37 41 37
SUNY-GER Information Management and Critical Thinking
Information Management (IM) is a competency required in SUNY-GER. It is closely related to the MSCHE requirements for Technological Competency and Information Literacy. There are three SUNY-GER SLOs:
1. Students will perform the basic operations of personal computer use2. Students will understand and use basic research techniques3. Students will locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources
The GETF proposal is to infuse IM throughout the curriculum in a purposeful way. Information Management/Literacy and Technological Competency will first be introduced in the FSS and WORD 101 courses. In FSS, students will learn about the informational sources available through our library, the technology systems available on campus, and be introduced specifically to the ePortfolio technology. In WORD 101, students will be expected to use basic research techniques to produce written documents using word processing software and to produce an oral presentation using presentation software. Additionally, the ePortfolio system will be incorporated into the course and used as a platform to discuss digital communication.
Reinforcement and mastery of IM will be done within the major. In particular, the third SUNY SLO suggests that it should be addressed in and advanced course. Therefore, each major will need to develop a curriculum map that explains how a student will achieve the IM SLOs as they work through the major program.
Critical Thinking (CT) is another SUNY-GER competency with a closely related MSCHE, Critical Analysis and Reasoning. The SUNY-GER CT requirement has the following SLOs:
1. Students will identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others' work.
2. Students will develop well-reasoned arguments.
As with IM, the GETF proposes infusing CT throughout the curriculum in a purposeful way. The SUNY SLOs for CT will be introduced in FSS and WORD 101 courses. In FSS, there will be opportunity for students to analyze and consider opposing viewpoints on a variety of topics discussed in the seminar. In WORD 101, students will be expected to develop well-reasoned arguments in some of their written and oral works.
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Reinforcement and mastery of CT will again be done within the major. Therefore, each major will need to develop a curriculum map that explains how a student will achieve the CT SLOs as they work through the major program.Buffalo State Institutional Learning Outcomes
Buffalo State has adopted four Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) that should be fully considered in the new general education program:
Cultural fluencyGraduates will be aware of how ideas are shaped by cultures and social norms and be able to engage with ideas different from or in conflict with their own; students will be aware of cultural, societal and institutional factors influencing assumptions, prejudices, and privileges.
Urban engagementGraduates, leveraging their experiences in Buffalo State’s distinctive urban setting, will understand how to interact meaningfully in their communities and possess the skills to be wise, productive, and responsible citizens. Scholarship and creative activityGraduates will possess the quantitative, conceptual, and creative skills to pose, frame, and analyze a range of questions, problems and issues. They will produce complex and intellectually challenging work and demonstrate essential technological skills.
Ethical reasoningGraduates will deliberate ethical values and principles and apply them in ambiguous, complex, and controversial contexts. They will be conscientious persons, students, and professionals.
The GETF proposal is that ILOs be introduced and discussed in FSS courses. In addition, Ethical Reasoning should be specifically addressed in all FSS courses. Every TIGER Track will also be designed to address two ILOs (not Scholarship and Creative activity) in one or more of its constituent courses. The STRIPES requirement will also afford some students with an opportunity to achieve these ILOs. Since some students will satisfy STRIPE through an internship or a service learning course, it is easy to understand how these students will progress in their understanding of Urban Engagement, Cultural Fluency, or Ethical Reasoning. Still other students will fulfill the STRIPE requirement through a second major, minor, an art exhibit or a performance. These students will clearly be working towards mastery of the Scholarship and Creative Activity ILO.
As ILOs are meant to be a characteristic of all Buffalo State graduates, it is critical they also be addressed in the major programs. Certainly it is not hard to imagine that Scholarship and Creative Activity should be an outcome in every major program, so every major program should produce a curriculum map to demonstrate how this ILO will
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be introduced, reinforced, and mastered. Beyond that, all departments should be encouraged to carefully consider how their major programs might contribute to achieving the other ILOs in whatever way is appropriate.
V. Governance
The revision of the General Education program, as proposed in this document, serves several important points in the current Strategic Plan. For the implementation and sustainability of this critical component of Buffalo State curriculum, we propose formation of the Senate General Education Committee (SGEC). As a stand-alone College Senate body, the committee would be made up of faculty representatives from across campus. It is important to note that while all of the schools within the institution do not provide General Education designated courses equally, all are “consumers” of General Education and have a vested interest in a successful curriculum. Ex-officio members might include the Chair of the College Senate Curriculum Committee and a representative from Institutional Effectiveness.
While the current Senate Intellectual Foundations Oversight Committee (SIFOC) is charged with both approving courses as IF 14 designations (General Education) and the assessment of the IF program, the General Education Task Force believes that the new committee, SGEC, should be responsible for the following for the implementation stage:
1. Write and bring to Senate the series of motions originating from this proposal a. Design and propose a submission and approval process for curriculumb. Work with Institutional Effectiveness to design and propose a sustainability
process.2. Take charge of design changes that result from Senate debate and actions3. Prepare an implementation plan for the final approved program4. Serve as the governing committee for implementation and operation of the general
education program And for continuing over-sight:
1. Work with Institutional Effectiveness to design but not to implement, an assessment plan.2. Oversee revisions to components of the General Education program.3. Oversee the addition and elimination of General Education courses and Tracks4. Oversee the inclusion of elements into the STRIPE requirement5. Work with other initiatives as they arise for effective and intentional integration into the
General Education program. (i.e. Applied Learning, Technology/Software advances, etc.)
Like the current SIFOC, SGEC would consider curriculum that has been approved through the CSCC. Unlike SIFOC, the General Education Task Force recommends that SGEC be comprised only of faculty with the understanding that there are specialized concerns that will need consultation. For example, transfer students come with a variety of experiences, credits and credentials.
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VI. Budget
(note: adjuncts costs were calculated at $3000/3–credit course, as required in the new UUP contract by the time any new general education program could possibly be implemented)
1. First-Year Seminar ($45,000–$75,000)
Many on the Buffalo State campus remember our previous attempt at a freshman seminar course, BSC 101. One of the drawbacks with that course was the resources it ultimately required to operate. The proposed FSS model has a budgetary advantage over BSC 101 in that FSS courses are intended to replace a general education cognate course and therefore don’t represent an entirely new requirement. Thus, some of the faculty load currently dedicated to general education courses in the cognate areas (e.g. THA 106, PSY 101, CHE 100, COM 100) can be redeployed to teach some of the required FSS sections, and the costs will only come if enrollment in FSS sections are capped at a lower level (e.g. 25 or 30 students) than the quotas of the courses that are replaced. So the analysis must start with enrollments in IF 14 courses. Tables 8 and 9 show how average quotas and enrollments vary by cognate area in AY 2016-18 and in Fall 2017, respectively.
Table 8. Cognate courses offered in 2016-2018, yearly average by size and enrollment.
course quota actual enrollmentcognate area 25 or less 30 or less 25 or less 30 or less
Arts 75 86 84 95Hum 27 33 34 47
Nat Sci 22 44 27 47Soc Sci 6 10 7 11
Totals: 130 173 152 200
Table 9. Number of cognate courses offered in Fall 2017 (only) by size and enrollment.
course quota actual enrollmentcognate area 25 or less 30 or less 25 or less 30 or less
Arts 41 46 44 49Hum 12 14 12 18
Nat Sci 7 22 11 23Soc Sci 4 5 5 6
Totals: 64 87 72 96
Table 10. Students in cognate courses with 30 or fewer students in 2017-2018.
Students in classes with enrollment of 30 or less
cognate area Fall 2017 Spring 2018Arts 850 798
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Hum 572 474Nat Sci 622 477Soc Sci 144 181
Cognate courses in IF14 vary tremendously in quotas. Arts classes tend to have the lowest quotas, and Social Sciences have the highest. Specifically, the average quota for Arts courses for Fall 2017 was only 29; in Social Sciences it was 79. This discrepancy is partly due to Social Science departments that teach general education classes that are also required for their high enrollment majors (e.g. CRJ 101, PSY 101). But it is perhaps also due to a philosophical difference in the way faculty in different disciplines approach general education courses. If one eliminates very large classes (>80) from consideration, an average Social Science IF14 class in Fall 2017 still had a quota of 41 students, which is larger than, but not quite so wildly different from the other cognate areas.
We estimate that about 2000 seats each year, primarily in Fall, will be needed for FSS courses. Thus each cognate area needs to contribute about 500 seats to the FSS effort. Clearly, as quotas are increased, the number of sections needed to accommodate 500 students decreases. If the FSS course quotas are strictly capped at 30, then about 66 sections of FSS total are needed—or 17 courses in each of the four cognate areas. However, 80 sections total, or about 20 sections in each area would be necessary if the FSS quotas were lowered to 25. This assumes that each course is filled to 100% capacity, which is very difficult to achieve, so planning for 10% unfilled seats might be reasonable. This analysis would then suggest that each year, mainly in the Fall semester, we would need 18 FSS courses in each cognate area if quotas are 30, and about 22 courses in each area if quotas are 25.
Inspection of Tables 8-10 shows that capacity currently exists to replace Arts IF14 offerings with enough corresponding FSS courses with a quota of either 25 or 30 in the Fall. Humanities, and Natural Science are more problematic, but can probably accommodate many of the required FSS sections without hiring new adjuncts, especially if the quota is set to 30. However, some of the sections in Table 9 and the seats in Table 10 are certainly being taken by upper-level students, or by students taking the course for their major. Table 10 also makes it perfectly clear that Social Sciences do not currently accommodate enough students in lower enrollment courses to offer 500 seats each year to FSS students. In fact, the majority of the seats in Social Science offered in sections under 30 are in SPF 203, a course required of all education majors.
We estimate that if enrollment in FSS classes is capped at 30, a minimum of 15 new sections of Social Sciences courses will need an adjunct teacher each year ($45,000). If the courses are capped at 25, then a total of 25 adjuncts in Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Humanities would be needed, for a cost of $75,000. It is conceivable that by selectively replacing low enrollment IF14 cognate courses (enrollments less than 25) in other cognate areas (e.g. Arts) with fully enrolled FSS sections, the average enrollment those areas could be increased above the current level and adjunct salaries could be saved. This would offset, to a small degree, the costs of reducing average class sizes in the Social Sciences. However, any savings would require very careful management of course scheduling and classroom utilization to achieve.
WORD 101/WORD 301/Math (Symbolic Communication) ($0, savings possible)
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The GETF proposal calls for a 4-credit WORD 101 course, an increase of 1 credit over CWP 101. Since adjuncts are paid by the credit hour, this would result in a net increase in the number of adjuncts required and a 33% increase in the cost of delivering WORD 101 over CWP 101. If WORD 101 enrollments were set at 25, slightly greater than the current practice for CWP courses, and filled completely, then we estimate that 100 WORD 101 courses would be needed each year and the extra 1 credit would cost the campus about $100,000 ($1000/credit) in extra adjunct salaries.
The GETF model for the first Math course does not deviate from IF14, so no additional costs or savings can be expected.
The GETF proposal differs from IF14 in requiring that a student complete either a second Basic Communication course or a second Math course. The Basic Communication course, WORD 301, could be offered in the college writing program, but it could also be approved course offered outside of the writing program. If one just considers that every student takes WORD 301 to fulfill the requirement, then it is comparable to CWP 102 and would not add any additional costs over IF 14. However, the option exists for the creation and offering of new upper-level Basic Communication classes, and some departments/areas/Schools might avail themselves of this opportunity. If the capacity to add and teach such courses already exists in the system, this would reduce the cost as compared to CWP 102.
Many students already take a second Math course, but this is not counted towards fulfilling any IF14 requirements. The GETF would allow students who take a second Math course to get General Education credit for it. To the extent this reduces the number of students taking WORD 301 (or equivalen) this would also result in a net savings. These students—Economics, Business, Psychology, Chemistry, Physics, Education, Dietetics, Earth Sciences, and Math majors—represent a substantial fraction of the undergraduate students, which suggests that many students would opt for a second Math course instead of a second Basic Communication course.
CWP 102 is the appropriate comparison for budget analysis of the cost of second Basic Communication or Math course. In 2017-18, 78 sections of CWP 102 were offered with an estimated cost of $234,000 (in 2020 dollars). Thus, using excess capacity in other areas to deliver Basic Communication courses coupled with allowing students the possibility to use a second Math course instead of WORD 301, could result in substantial savings. It might be possible to decrease the number of WORD 301 sections to no more than 45 each year, which would result in a savings of $100,000. Thus, combined the total cost of Symbolic Communication would be close to $0. If more WORD 301 sections were needed, the costs would be a bit higher. However, any increase in WORD or Math quotas over current levels would also result in additional savings–both types of courses currently run with very low quotas.
Integration of FSS/WORD 101/TIGER—Learning Communities ($0-$30,000)
Integrating of WORD 101 with FSS only ($0; savings possible)
If each FSS course is integrated with an WORD 101 course as part of a first semester experience, then the quotas of the two courses must be set as multiples of each other (that multiple likely being 1). Currently, CWP 101 and CWP 102 courses are intended to run with an enrollment of 25, but many actually have slightly smaller quotas and/or lower enrollments. However, integration would then require that quotas on FSS courses also be set to 25, which is the higher
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cost option described in the previous sections. On the other hand, if quotas in FSS and WORD 101 were both set at 30, then only 15 adjuncts would be need for Social Sciences FSS courses AND we would eliminate nearly 20 sections of writing courses each year. This would reduce the cost of FSS to $45,000 and could save the campus as much as $60,000 for writing adjuncts.
Integrating a 3 rd course from TIGER Tracks/major ($0 – $30,000 est. )
Mandatory integration of a 3rd course from a TIGER track (or math/natural science) with FSS and WORD 101 would entail offering another 80 (quota 30) or 100 (quota 25) general education courses with low enrollments (assuming quotas were matched). This combination of 3 courses would start to resemble a traditional Learning Community (LC). Table 11 shows that at the 25-quota level there is some existing capacity in a few of the SUNY GER areas (arts, foreign language, humanities, western civilization, and math) to include these low-enrollment courses in LCs, but little capacity exists other areas (social sciences, diversity, American history, other world civilizations, natural science, and humanities). Another factor is how these “LC”s would be structured. If the 3 courses were all to run in the Fall, then the Humanities and Natural Science may have difficulties participating at all, since extra capacity would already be steered towards covering FSS. Additionally, many students need to get started on their major courses, and where these are general education courses, these may not be courses that can be easily integrated into a learning community model due to high quotas (PSY 101, CRJ 101) or content (MAT 124, PHY 111). Based on this, we conclude that mandatory integration of a 3rd general education course with WORD 101 and FSS will have additional costs associated with the lower quotas, perhaps requiring as many as 10 additional adjuncts ($30,000). There should be no additional costs if participation in a 3–course LC is voluntary (as it is currently), or if the 3rd course could have a higher quota (50 or 60) and be integrated with two WORD 101 courses and two FSS courses simultaneously.
Table 11. AY 2017-2108 IF14 courses at the 100- and 200-level with no prerequisites.
QuotaIF14 area 25 or less 30 or less 35 or lessArts* 55 67 87Humanities* 15 22 75Natural Science* 0 25 37Social Science* 0 0 0American History 7 14 19Western Civilizations 19 23 36Other World Civilizations 8 12 15Diversity** 3 9 27Foreign Language*** 27 27 27Math 86 87 89
* the required number of FSS sections (22 or 18) are subtracted out of the totals** In some cases, diversity courses “double dip” with arts, other word civ, social science, and
humanities*** only 101 courses in Foreign Language are included
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TIGER Tracks ($0)
The TIGER Tracks proposal attempts to organize current general education offerings into coherent themes. There are no restrictions on class sizes, and there are no additional credit requirements. As time goes on, faculty may wish to develop new themes and courses, but these must replace existing themes and courses in the program. Transfer students are likely to be exempted from this requirement, and will instead finish the SUNY GER plus diversity, just as they currently do. The current proposal will change the balance of General Education offerings on campus, with students shifting out of some areas and into others, but the total credit requirement stays very nearly the same as in IF 14, therefore there are no anticipated net costs associated with introducing TIGER Tracks into general education.
STRIPE ($0 - $100,000 est.)
The proposed STRIPE requirement entails students participating in a series of High Impact Practices, or HIPs (service learning, research, study abroad, internship) or alternatively, earning credentials outside the major (approved concentrations, certificates, badges, minor, 2nd major). This is a completely new requirement, but it is built on many existing opportunities and programs already in place on campus. Since the GETF proposal is that transfer students will not be exempted from this “local” requirement, we estimate that 1800 students will need to be accommodated each year in courses/activities/programs designed to meet the requirements of this category.
While there are already students and faculty participating in HIPs like those listed in categories A and B, these are not currently implemented on the scale needed to satisfy the STRIPE requirement for every graduating student. Numerous students already participate in service learning courses—about 1400 each year. However, these courses are generally majors-only courses with numerous restrictions on enrollments, which limits which students can participate. STRIPE could require up to three service learning courses to satisfy. In addition, some of the few service learning sections with no enrollment restrictions are taught at the 100–level and may not be suitable to fulfill the STRIPE requirement, which is envisioned as a mid-college experience. A single course study-abroad can also be used to fulfill category A, but it is not clear how many students currently participate in such programs. Certainly, numerous students participate in internships and research before graduation, so that we already have some capacity in these areas. Due to the nature of the courses and experiences in categories A and B, these activities, programs, and courses will need to be overseen by FT faculty. An increase or reassignment of FT faculty and staff may be needed if the HIP activities in categories A and B are the primary way in which students fulfill STRIPE. Reassignment of FT faculty to cover the HIPs would lead to a proportional increase in adjuncts to cover other courses.
The other way to fulfill STRIPE is through completing tracks or earning academic credentials outside of the major such as completing a minor, second major, or a certificate (Category C). Currently, only about 12% of students graduate with a minor each year (~220), but it seems likely that the capacity already exists in upper-level classes for more students to complete minors. Second majors and dual degrees are far less common, but these can probably be accommodated as well. However, if the minor/second major option is popular with students, it is possible that demand for a few programs could exceed the capacity to deliver upper-level courses, which would then require hiring new faculty in these areas. Certificate programs and micro-credentialing are in their infancy, but are likely to increase if STRIPE is implemented.
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If Category A of the STRIPE requirement were to be extended to include other co-curricular activities (field trips, museum visits, attendance at performances, etc.), a co-curricular transcript software system would need to be acquired to support STRIPE. This could be a substantial cost ($50,000 +).
We conclude that if STRIPES is implemented conservatively, using mostly existing programs and opportunities, the costs will be minimal. If any single category of activities becomes the centerpiece of this requirement, the costs could be substantial, as more FT faculty and staff will need to oversee and administer these activities and an infrastructure will need to be built that keeps track of these activities. In any case, students must already fulfill 120 credits to graduate, so Buffalo State is already delivering enough credits, but the STRIPE requirement could change the academic areas where these credits are delivered.
ePortfolio/Capstone ($100,000-$250,000)
Approximately 1800 students each year graduate from Buffalo State and will therefore need a faculty oversight of a completed ePortfolio. Fortunately, senior capstones are already required in many majors, and review of ePortfolios might be incorporated into some of these. To the extent this is possible, costs of an ePortfolio requirement can be minimized. Other students are already required to engage in supervised upper-level activities, such as research, internships, or student teaching, so perhaps some of these can be modified to include completion of an ePortfolio. In other cases, majors without a legitimate capstone experience or internship requirement might work to incorporate the ePortfolio into an upper-level course in response to this new requirement. But overall, it is highly probable that a special 1-credit, online course will be needed to implement this requirement on all students (this is essentially the UB model). It is also important to note that the campus will have 3-4 years after the implementation of the new general education program to have a capstone requirement in place, but the ePortfolio software must be available in year 1 of implementation so that the portfolio can be maintained for all 4 years. Overall, it seems quite likely that there would need to be the equivalent of several full-time faculty or teaching staff needed to fully implement this requirement for 1800 students each year. This could run into the $100,000’s if FT faculty or staff are needed, but much less if adjuncts are used.
The use of e-Portfolios would require a licensing arrangement for the required software and extensive faculty development, which is quite expensive for 8500 students and 600+ faculty. For example, Digications (UB uses it) prices their product at $72,250/year for 8500 licenses. This would lead to a minimum yearly cost of $75-125K when training, support, product upgrades, and any hardware costs are considered. At a minimum, training would need to include any part-time faculty teaching First Year Seminar courses, and both Effective Communications courses as well as almost all FT faculty.
Conclusions
There are a range of possibilities for the new General Education program that need to be considered during debate and implementation that will impact the budget. Table 12 summarizes our estimates of costs for different scenarios:
Table 12. Yearly Cost Ranges for Implementation of the New General Education Proposal
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Proposed Component minimum maximum commentsFirst Year Seminar $45,000 $75,000 Depends on quota. Lower costs are possible
but unlikely, since implementation with less cost would require quotas of 30 and VERY careful control of scheduling and enrollments
WORD I/WORD II/Math (Symbolic Communication)
$0, savings possible
$10,000 Elimination of the requirement for a second writing course for all students would be offset by the increase to a 4-credit writing requirement.
Integration of lower-level Effective Communication/TIGER
$0 $30,000 The only cost is associated with a requirement for all students to be in a 3-course LC with 25 quotas. If this is kept optional, then no new costs are anticipated. Higher quotas of could reduce costs.
TIGER Tracks $0 $0 These are credits we are already delivering. There could be some shifting of resources.
STRIPE $0 $100,000 This can be implemented with no cost if we rely heavily on mixture of activies that already exist. If any one category of STRIPE activities is emphasized, then adjuncts will be needed and possibly a co-curricular transcript system.
ePortfolio/Capstone $100,000 $250,000 Depends on cost of software, training, upgrades, and hardware requirements.
TOTAL $145,000 $465,000 The cost could be lowered with higher quotas in writing courses and FSS, very careful management of enrollments in these courses, and potential savings in the symbolic communication requirement.
For full implementation, a minimum of cost of $145,000/year should be expected, which is primarily due to the expense of implementing and ePortfolio system and secondarily to the FSS program. This analysis also assumes a basic implementation of all new requirements with careful oversight of enrollments and scheduling. The most likely major additional costs are associated with the STRIPE requirement (likely), low course quotas/unfilled seats, course integration/LC requirement, and ePortfolio implementation.
Finally, it is important to note that the new GETF program will not substantially increase the total number of required general education credits required, and it certainly doesn’t increase the total number of credits required for graduation. Thus, the proposal should not substantially impact the total academic budget, but it will most definitely shift where academic resources are spent. There may be courses that students are “forced” to take now that they will not when they have other options. A course included in a TIGER Track will have guaranteed enrollment every semester, while other courses within the same departments may see substantial reductions in enrollments. In some cases, Basic Communication will be taught in the disciplines, so that fewer writing instructors are needed. The Tools option will bring some academic disciplines into general education that have not traditionally played any role. Some popular academic minor programs may see a boost in enrollment. Some academic areas are well-suited to be involved in
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service learning and can help support STRIPE, while others are not. The bottom line is that there is no way to completely consider all the different scenarios and then predict how the resource available to individual departments will change as the result of the GETF proposal.
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APPENDIX I: First Semester Seminars
Sample Course SLOs Exploration in the Arts- “Rap as the Voice of Underserved Populations”
1. Understanding of at least one principal form of artistic expression and the creative process inherent therein.
2. Describe the connection between creative process and artistic outcome3. Explain the relationships between art and the individual, culture and society4. Analyze visual and/or performed work by considering purposes and processes.5. Identify resources to assist in academic and personal success such as advisement,
tutoring, health services, etc.6. Locate campus and academic policies, procedures, calendars and other resources.7. Develop strategies for time and stress management, campus and civic engagement.8. Outline elements of higher education such as but not limited to rigor, research,
scholarship/research, creative works and general education.
This course might teach students research skills needed for artistic expression thereby building scholarship skills and illustrating the relevance through the course work. While exploring the movements that lead to Rap, students will gain an understanding of how “History” relates to current art forms and how economics can drive cultural statements.
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