Ithaca College

Last week, HSHP faculty approved a literacy-based general education program that has been underdevelopment initially by chairs (2008-09) and revised by a faculty task force (Summer-Fall 2009).                                https://www.ithaca.edu/HSHP/gened

As part of a Middle States directive, HSHP examined different general education models and assessment programs.  For example, Harvard University had recently gone from the core-course model to a competency-based approach for its general education program. Many of the HSHP programs found this approach attractive since their curriculums have directives from outside accreditation agencies and Ithaca College limits the number of credits (120) for a bachelor’s degree.  The HSHP Chairs and Deans started with the Ithaca’s core experiences and the 2006 NSSE[i] results and sought to find common objectives among the majors.  This codification included the development of curricular maps that described where the common objectives were introduced, re-enforced and then could evaluate a demonstration of competence.  Later in the process, the development team translated the common objectives into four areas of literacy.  HSHP evaluated the communication literacy (oral and written) for the 2008-09 academic year using common rubrics. 

Starting in the summer of 2009, a faculty task force reviewed and revised the general education program developed by the Chairs and Deans.  They clarified the definitions of the four original literacy areas and the concentrations within those areas.  In addition, they added a fifth area of literacy.  The following is a brief summary of the HSHP General Education Mission statement and its five areas of literacy.  For more information on timelines, process, rubrics, etc; please visit the website linked above.

HSHP General Education Mission Statement

The HSHP General Education Program fosters literacy in the liberal arts and sciences; enabling future professionals to be active participants in the diverse society they serve.

The program will help students develop literacy in communication, decision making, individual and community, local and global issues, and axiological appreciation.

Communication Literacy

• Oral Communication
  Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively through speaking, with or without the aid of technology, for general or professional audiences.

• Written Communication
  Students will demonstrate the ability to write effectively for general or professional audiences.

 Decision Making Literacy

• Critical Reasoning
  Students will demonstrate the ability to reason critically through oral or written artifacts.

• Analytical Reasoning
  Students will demonstrate the ability to reason analytically, including the use of mathematical tools, through oral or written artifacts.

 Literacy in Individual and Community Wellness

• Individual Wellness
  Students will demonstrate an appreciation of health and well being from a personal, occupational or community perspective.

• Community Engagement
  Students will demonstrate an appreciation for engagement with others from a personal, occupational, or community perspective.

 Literacy in Local (Personal) and Global (Societal) Issues

• Social Sciences
  Students will demonstrate the ability to describe and discuss local and global issues in the modern world from social, psychological, or anthropological viewpoints.

• Cultural and Historical
  Students will demonstrate the ability to describe and discuss situations and events from multiple cultural and historical perspectives.

 Axiological Appreciation Literacy

• Ethical
  Students will examine their own core values and beliefs by providing examples of ethical choices.

• Aesthetic
  Students will examine their emotional response after experiencing events such as museums, art exhibits, concerts, theater, cultural speaker or athletic events relative to their core values through documented reflections.

• Political
  Students will examine political viewpoints (self and others) relative to their core values through documented reflections.

[i] National Survey for Student Engagement:  HSHP analyzed the 2006 results relative to Ithaca College’s core experiences.  The 2006 and 2009 results were analyzed relative to the literacy areas in the HSHP General Education Program.