Irreconcilable Differences or 21st Century Opportunity?

Presenter: Diane Dick

Dissertation Research Committee: Dr. Jean Gordon, mentor;

Dr. Martha Hollis, committee member;Dr. Joshua Fischer, committee member

Four StoriesPreserving the traditional language requirement in an

adjunct-poor environment: I’m going to learn Russian?

 Getting the Gen Eds out of the way: Bringing a grease-

covered Chilton’s to a dramatic literature course. Wandering in a hurry through General Education with

no major : General Education has no answers for me!

The classics for a business major: Nothing but problems I don’t need!

Two questionsFor now . . .

What are some inferences we can draw about these experiences of adult degree-seekers completing traditional general education requirements?

 

For later . . .

What questions might traditional academic decision-makers address as they consider revising their traditional General Education program?

A bit about the study:

Qualitative/exploratory: Looking for the considerations associated with adapting a traditional private college curriculum for an adult audience: a focus on the General Education component.

Academic leaders and decision-makers at 3 traditional private colleges responded to open-ended questions about . . .

Their Realities, Perceptions, IdealsRealities: Their traditional General Education

curriculum, and whether/how they changed it for adult focused programs

 Perceptions: Their perceptions about how their

institution views the purposes of General Education, the characteristics of adult learners, and the purposes of the baccalaureate degree

 Ideals: Their personal views on what General

Education should be; what adult learners should study; and what a baccalaureate program should be

Realities:

How was your traditional General Education curriculum adapted for the adult focused program?

Alexandrine CollegeAdult-focused program is mature—nearly

4 decades serving adult learnersBuilt 2 scheduling models (weekday short

sessions, and weekend longer sessions), with the same GE requirements for each

Access to roster of all courses limited solely by student’s schedules

Built curricula and methods that explicitly applied adult learning principles to all students, asserting that adult learning principles work equally well with 18-22 year olds

Benedictine CollegeAdult-focused program is middle-aged:

nearly 20 years in operationCreated a weekend college exclusively for

adultsAccess to roster of GE courses limited by

availability in weekend format Maintained strict adherence to traditional

General Ed curriculum, excluding the “thinking like a college student” first year integration experience offered to incoming post-high school freshmen

Clementine CollegeAdult focused program is relatively new,

nearing 10 years, characterized by early and aggressive expansionCreated an accelerated program meeting on

weekday evenings, maintaining a “firewall” between the adult program, and the traditional residential school.

Access to roster of GE courses limited to availability of adjuncts with subject expertise

Maintained strict adherence to traditional General Education curriculum, excluding the first year freshman experience

Perceptions

How did your institution approach the problem of adapting GE to your adult program?

Common perceived institutional goals for the GE Component

GE offers breadth of contentGE offers skill building: critical thinking, writing and

communication, computational Pragmatic value: Content relevance in a professional

program expires, but intellectual skills can help professionals keep up

Intrinsic value: GE deals with the “big human questions”Learning different ways of thinking: How does a historian

approach this problem? How does an artist approach this problem? How do people in differing cultures and situations respond to this concept/tale/event/music/artwork?

Inculcation (or, at least a reflection) of institutional mission and values

GE includes the things they might not normally choose to take, but that are seen as valuable by the institution

Outlying perceptions regarding GE component

Professional program faculty think of GE as “finishing school for professionals (a nice hobby—but not the real stuff)”

Most faculty don’t think about GE, but about their own courses, which ignores questions like “Should a GE literature class be different from a literature class for the major?” or “Does learning calculus make me more numerate?”

Common perceived considerations for adapting traditional GE to adult-focused

program

Content must be identical or equivalentScheduling adjustments, including longer class

sessions, accelerated terms, convenient hoursAccessibilityQuality control challengesInstructor availability

Outlying perceptions regarding considerations for adapting GE to adult-focused program

Honest attempt to adapt to particular needs of adults without compromising outcomes—assessment movement has helped us in this

Little faculty involvement in decisions—no shared governance (justified by explanation that the only change was delivery system, not content or rigor)

“Get somebody to teach something in this GE requirement” rather than a more intentional approach

An effort was made to eliminate distinctions between adult program and the rest of the college, but with mixed results

Early Conclusions

The considerations informing decisions about adult-focused General Education suggest insights into how professionals in academic cultures think about:

the role of liberal arts in professional preparation,

non-traditional (and traditional) students, and ultimately,

what it means to be college educated.

Your Ideals . . . and Your Ideas

What should the General Education component of the baccalaureate program accomplish?

Your Ideals . . . and Your Ideas

In what ways should adult differences (experiential, situational, cognitive) influence

the decision to adapt General Education requirements or offerings?

Your Ideals . . . and Your Ideas

What specific features distinguish a bachelor’s degree from solely technical or professional

preparation?

Back to those Four StoriesPreserving the traditional language requirement in an adjunct-

poor environment: Business and technology students find community at a local pub’s monthly Russian Round Table

 Getting the Gen Eds out of the way: Trading a grease-

covered Chilton’s for a beer-soaked Sam Shepard--and a new literature major?

 Wandering in a hurry through General Education with no

major . . . but I’m getting there!: Finding philosophical foundations in Medieval European History, leading to life-changing vocational decisions

The classics for a business major?: Embracing the classics through memorization, via a deadly Hamlet and Gertrude face-off on a tee-shirt