Ramapo College of New Jersey
General Education Curriculum Committee (GECCo)
Meeting Minutes of
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
10:35 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
Venue: A-108 / 109
Members present: Don Fucci (AIS), Clyde Johnson (TAS), Leigh Keller (Library), Donovan
McFeron (TAS), Rob Mentore (SSHS), Sam Mustafa (AIS), Rick Nunez (ASB), Nick Salter (SSHS),
Gladys Torres (ASB), Ashwani Vasishth (SSHS), Jim Woodley (ASB), Emma Rainforth (Provost’s
Office, ex-officio)
Absent: Beba Shamash (CA), Meredith Davis (CA), Monika Giacoppe (AIS)
Action Items
I. Measurable Outcomes for General Education – Leigh Keller, Clyde Johnson, and Gladys Torres
volunteered to help work together to reconcile language in the four Pillar Task Force Reports, allcollege Learning Goals and Outcomes, and the Academic Review Committee’s (ARC) Report about
Learning Goals and Outcomes for General Education. The goal of this effort will be to state
measurable outcomes for General Education.
II. Spring 2010 Pilot Assessment of Student Writing in General Education - GECCo will direct a pilot
assessment of student writing in General Education in the spring 2010 semester. The assessment is
planned to take place in multiple Gen Ed courses and across different levels of the Gen Ed
curriculum. To facilitate this effort, GECCo members will vote to select a written communication
rubric to use for the spring assessment, selecting from among those distributed electronically to
GECCo members before the next GECCo meeting. Don Fucci indicated that there are several other
activities that can--and should--be undertaken along with a rubric-based assessment of student
writing. Other implementation issues discussed include ensuring the protection of individual faculty
throughout the process. Concurrent writing-related pilot assessment efforts outside of GECCo will
utilize the rubric selected in capstone courses.
III. Establishing a Liaison with the Academic Review Committee - To develop and maintain a good
relationship with the Academic Review Committee (ARC), Jim Woodley suggested that GECCo
should have a liaison who would communicate regularly with ARC, to keep ARC members informed
about what GECCo is doing and planning, and to bring ARC’s input back to GECCo. Ashwani
Vasishth volunteered to serve as the GECCo liaison to the Academic Review Committee.
Discussion Items
I. Selection of the Committee Chair - Jim Woodley suggested that the chair of GECCo would best be
a faculty member who is already tenured. Those present agreed with that suggestion. Jim Woodley
will follow up after the meeting with an email to the tenured members of the committee, to ask who
would be willing to serve as chair of GECCo. In support of whoever becomes chair of GECCo, Jim
Woodley offered to assist by organizing meetings, booking rooms, taking minutes, working with the
chair to formulate meeting agendas, and to otherwise help with recordkeeping and organization.
II. Timing and Some Agenda Items for the Next GECCo Meeting - The next meeting needs to take
place in the second week following the 3/31/10 meeting, or the third week at the latest, in light of the
work to be carried out. Suggested agenda items for the next meeting include reviewing the revised
Gen Ed outcomes, reviewing the potential writing rubrics (or the selected rubric, if a clear consensus
emerges in initial voting), as well as working through implementation questions and dividing up
responsibilities for the spring semester pilot writing assessment in General Education.
III. Other Items Pending for the Future - Some issues listed in the agenda for the first meeting will be
carried forward for discussion and resolution in future meetings. Those issues include
implementation issues associated with setting up an online home for GECCo, settling on terms of
office for current GECCo members, and the securing of resources for GECCo, as needed, to assist
the committee in carrying out its work. Scheduling for future meetings will be worked out
electronically, following today’s meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Woodley
Voting Faculty Representatives on GECCo
Don Fucci - College English
Clyde Johnson - Science with Experiential Component
Leigh Keller - Information Literacy
Donovan McFeron – Mathematical Reasoning
Rob Mentore – First Year Seminar
Sam Mustafa – History
Rick Nunez – Perspectives of Business and Society
Nick Salter - Social Issues
Gladys Torres – International Issues
Ashwani Vasishth – Topics: Social Sciences
Beba Shamash – Topics: Arts & Humanities
Meredith Davis - Intercultural North America
Monika Giacoppe - Readings in the Humanities
Jim Woodley - Ex-Officio