High Quality of Undergraduate High Quality of Undergraduate Programs: Programs:

Perspectives from a US State Perspectives from a US State UniversityUniversity

7th China Study Abroad Forum7th China Study Abroad Forum

March 12, 2010March 12, 2010Dr. Yenbo WuDr. Yenbo Wu

OutlineOutline

Principles of Excellence (LEAP)Principles of Excellence (LEAP) Liberal Education: the American TraditionLiberal Education: the American Tradition General Education: Tool for Liberal General Education: Tool for Liberal

EducationEducation SF State Undergraduate RequirementsSF State Undergraduate Requirements SF State Expectations of UndergraduatesSF State Expectations of Undergraduates SF State Curriculum and its Strategic GoalsSF State Curriculum and its Strategic Goals High Impact PracticesHigh Impact Practices Learning Outcome-Based AssessmentLearning Outcome-Based Assessment

Seven Principles of ExcellenceSeven Principles of Excellence

(Liberal Education and America’s Promise - LEAP)(Liberal Education and America’s Promise - LEAP)

Aim High – and Make Excellence InclusiveAim High – and Make Excellence InclusiveGive Students a CompassGive Students a Compass

Teach the Arts of Inquiry and InnovationTeach the Arts of Inquiry and InnovationEngage the Big QuestionsEngage the Big Questions

Connect Knowledge with Choices and ActionConnect Knowledge with Choices and ActionForster Civic, Intercultural, and Ethical LearningForster Civic, Intercultural, and Ethical LearningAssess Students’ Ability to Apply Learning to Assess Students’ Ability to Apply Learning to

Complex ProblemsComplex Problems

Principle OnePrinciple One

Aim High – and Make Excellence Aim High – and Make Excellence InclusiveInclusive

Make the essential learning outcomes a Make the essential learning outcomes a framework for the entire educational framework for the entire educational experience, connecting school, college, experience, connecting school, college, work, and lifework, and life

Principle TwoPrinciple Two

Give Students a CompassGive Students a Compass

Focus each student’s plan of study on Focus each student’s plan of study on achieving the essential learning achieving the essential learning outcomes – and assess progressoutcomes – and assess progress

Principle ThreePrinciple Three

Teach the Arts of Inquiry and Teach the Arts of Inquiry and InnovationInnovation

Immerse all students in analysis, Immerse all students in analysis, discovery, problem solving, and discovery, problem solving, and communication, beginning in school communication, beginning in school and advancing in collegeand advancing in college

Principle Four

Engage the Big Questions

Teach through the curriculum for far-reaching issues – contemporary and enduring – in sciences and society, cultures and values, global interdependence, the changing economy, and human dignity and freedom

Principle FivePrinciple Five

Connect Knowledge with Connect Knowledge with Choices and ActionChoices and Action

Prepare students for Prepare students for citizenship and work through citizenship and work through engaged and guided learning engaged and guided learning on “real-world” problemson “real-world” problems

Principle SixPrinciple Six

Forster Civic, intercultural, and Ethical Forster Civic, intercultural, and Ethical LearningLearning

Emphasize personal and social Emphasize personal and social responsibility, in every field of studyresponsibility, in every field of study

Principle SevenPrinciple Seven

Assess Students’ Ability to Apply Assess Students’ Ability to Apply Learning to Complex ProblemsLearning to Complex Problems

Use assessment to deepen learning and to Use assessment to deepen learning and to establish a culture of shared purpose and establish a culture of shared purpose and continuous improvementcontinuous improvement

Promoting Liberal EducationPromoting Liberal Education

Liberal education is an approach to learning that empowers Liberal education is an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world as well as in-depth study in a knowledge of the wider world as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. A liberal education helps students specific area of interest. A liberal education helps students develop a sense of societal responsibility, as well as strong develop a sense of societal responsibility, as well as strong and transferrable intellectual and practical skills such as and transferrable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem- solving skills, and a communication, analytical and problem- solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.world settings.

General Education as an Important General Education as an Important Tool for Liberal EducationTool for Liberal Education

CSU General Education Breadth CSU General Education Breadth RequirementsRequirements

CSU Executive Order 1033CSU Executive Order 1033

SF State General Education Course SF State General Education Course and Units Distribution and Units Distribution

General Education at SF StateGeneral Education at SF State

Lower DivisionLower DivisionArea A: English Language Communication

and Critical Thinking Area B: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative

Reasoning Area C: Arts and Humanities Area D: Social Sciences Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self-

Development

General Education at SF StateGeneral Education at SF State

Upper Division Topical Perspectives Option Upper Division Topical Perspectives Option 1. Creativity, Innovation, and Invention1. Creativity, Innovation, and Invention2. Enduring Ideas, Values, and Achievements2. Enduring Ideas, Values, and Achievements3. Environmental Interconnections3. Environmental Interconnections4. Ethical Reasoning and Action4. Ethical Reasoning and Action5. Human Diversity5. Human Diversity6. Life in the SF Bay Area and/or California6. Life in the SF Bay Area and/or California7. Personal and Community Well-Being7. Personal and Community Well-Being8. 8. Social Justice & Civic Knowledge/EngagementSocial Justice & Civic Knowledge/Engagement9. World Perspectives9. World Perspectives

Overlay RequirementsAny course with the overlay designation, minimum of 3 units

American Ethnic and Racial Minorities (AERM) (0-3 additional units)

Global Perspectives (GP) (0-3 additional units)

Social Justice (SJ) (0-3 additional units)

Requirements for Majors

1. Educational goals2. Writing and capstone courses3. Technology4. Units required and prerequisites5. Electives and complementary studies6. Lower division classes, and 7. Flexibility and advising

Expectations of UndergraduatesAt SF State

A breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding developed from integrating their course work and academic experiences in both general education and in the major. The abilities, knowledge, and qualities of mind fostered by general education will be reinforced, extended, and deepened in the major.

Six Expectations

1. Competencies for Lifelong Intellectual Endeavor2. Intellectual Attainments3. Appreciation of Diversity4. Ethical Engagement5. Integration and Application of Knowledge6. Qualities of Mind and Spirit

1. Competencies for Lifelong Intellectual Endeavor

Competent in critical questioning and analysisCreative and independent thoughtAttentive reading and interpretationWritten and other forms of communicationQuantitative reasoningResearch drawing upon a variety of resourcesProblem solving, and CollaborationKnowledge of a language other than English

2. Intellectual Attainments

• Conversant with the principal domains of knowledge associated with liberal learning: the sciences and mathematics, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts.

• Able to apply the modes of inquiry associated with these domains and will have engaged questions and issues of enduring importance.

• Gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of at least one major course of study.

3 Appreciation of Diversity

• Know, understand, and appreciate multiple forms and variations of human diversity, both within the United States and globally.

• Respect themselves and others. They will have obtained a historical perspective about the development of our diverse nation and will be able to engage in informed, civil discourse with persons different from themselves in intellectual and cultural outlook.

4.Ethical Engagement

• Appreciation of the necessity and difficulty of making ethical choices, both private and public, and will be able to identify and analyze the values that inform those choices.

• Demonstrate ethical conduct in their own work and their acknowledgement of the work of others.

• Recognize their responsibility to work toward social justice and equity by contributing purposefully to the well-being of their local communities, their nations, and the people of the world, as well as to the sustainability of the natural environment.

5. Integration and Application of Knowledge

• Know how to make connections among apparently disparate forms of knowledge and modes of inquiry across academic disciplines and between the principal domains of knowledge and their majors.

• Be able to place such knowledge and approaches within their cultural, historical, and sociopolitical contexts.

• Be able to apply academic knowledge to what is important in their own lives and to local and global communities.

6. Qualities of Mind and Spirit

The dispositions that facilitate lifelong learning and growth, including:

•Curiosity•A sense of wonder• Intellectual flexibility and adaptability•A refusal to simplify what is inherently complex and ambiguous•A sense of responsibility and accountability•Critical self-reflection•Independence of mind• Respect for wellness and healthy living•A readiness to assume leadership roles•Reverence for all that unites us as human beings

Intellectual and Practical Skills

• Inquiry and analysis• Critical and creative thinking• Written and oral communication• Quantitative literacy• Information literacy• Teamwork and problem solving

Relationship Between Curriculum Design and

SF State’s Strategic Plan and Mission

SF State’s Strategic Plan for 2005-2010 identifies seven goals:

(1) Social justice(2) Writing(3) Post baccalaureate education(4) International development(5) Full Participation(6) Resource to the community, and (7) Institutional purpose

Ten High-Impact Practices

• First Year Seminars and Experiences• Common Intellectual Experiences• Learning Communities• Writing-Intensive Courses• Collaborative Assignments and Projects• Undergraduate Research• Diversity/Global Learning• Service Learning, Community-Based Learning• Internships• Capstone Courses and Projects

Changing Trends

From: Access and completionTo: Vision for learningFrom: Input-based measurementTo: Learning outcome-based assessmentFrom: Getting narrow knowledge and job skills To: Emphasizing critical thinking, ethics,

personal and social responsibility,

and civic engagementFrom: Over reliance on standardized tests outside of students required courses To: Utilizing multiple expert judgments of the quality of student work

Make Educating Students for Personal and Make Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility Social Responsibility

The Core Commitments of Higher The Core Commitments of Higher EducationEducation

Five key dimensions of personal and social Five key dimensions of personal and social responsibility that describe responsibility that describe developmentally appropriate goals for developmentally appropriate goals for students in college:students in college:

Five Dimensions:Five Dimensions:1.1. Striving for excellenceStriving for excellence2.2. Cultivating personal and academic integrityCultivating personal and academic integrity3.3. Contributing to the larger communityContributing to the larger community4.4. Taking seriously the perspectives of othersTaking seriously the perspectives of others5.5. Developing competence in ethical and moral Developing competence in ethical and moral

reasoning and actionreasoning and action

Thank You!Thank You!

ywu@sfsu.eduywu@sfsu.edu