General Education Committee – Review of Outcomes
AY 2007 – 2008

Committee members: Professor Debra McPherson, Dr. Steve Merrill (Acting
Provost), Mr. Garrett Munro (Student Representative), Dr. Thomas Schirer
(Subcommittee Chair)

Outcome area: Aesthetics

Current Description: The LSSU graduate is able to:
o Describe the historical development of human thought and analysis of values,
o Comprehend human creativity and its various expressions in art, music, literature and
other cultural forms, and
o Recognize, analyze and critically evaluate the products of human creativity and the
role that social forces play in determining aesthetic values.

Current Outcomes:
 Outcome
Humanities
Core Course
HU251 Humanities I
Distributional Courses
Take one from the following list:
 Courses:
o Core: HU251 Humanities I
o Distributional: Take one from the following list:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
AT250 Art History and Appreciation I
AT251 Art History and Appreciation II
HU240/NA240 Native Art and Culture
HU252 Humanities II
HU255 World Mythology
MU220 History and Appreciation of Music I
MU221 History and Appreciation of Music II
PL302 Ancient Western Philosophy
Second Year of Foreign Language (8 credits)


Method of Assessment:
The humanities outcomes are assessed through the Academic Profile Test.
o Convert courses from 2 character department to current 4 letter departmental
designation.
o Core: HUMN251 Humanities I
o Distributional: Take one from the following list:
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
ARTS250 Art History and Appreciation I
ARTS251 Art History and Appreciation II
HUMN240/NATV240 Native Art and Culture
HUMN252 Humanities II
HUMN255 World Mythology
MUSC220 History and Appreciation of Music I
MUSC221 History and Appreciation of Music II
PHIL302 Ancient Western Philosophy
Second Year of Foreign Language (8 credits)
For the following questions, all responses must be supported.
2. Are the current outcomes measurable? Yes, they have been effectively measured
by quantitative means: the Academic Profile Test.
Does the current method of assessment measure the stated outcomes? The APT
appeared to in the past. (See the attachments). Since it is no longer being offered,
we need to find a different, appropriate instrument.
3. Who are the stakeholders in the current outcomes?
a. The entire student body and the faculty are stakeholders in the outcomes.
4. How are the results of the assessment method delivered to the stakeholders?
a. In the past many committee members have requested that the general
education assessment results be made more public. They could be
published in the student newspaper, for example. Unfortunately, this has
never been done.
5. How does LSSU use the results of the assessment method?
a. LSSU uses the results as a portion of the general education review
process. They are also useful as part of the university’s reaccreditation
effort.
6. What changes, if any, do you propose to the outcomes? Support your position.
a. We have reviewed the outcomes and consider them to be a valid
representation of what we are trying to achieve and (as validated by the
APT results) are achieving in the area of aesthetics.
7. What changes, if any, do you propose to the method of assessment? Support your
position.
a. Since the APT has, unfortunately, been discontinued, we are researching
alternative methods. So far we have met twice, and we plan to continue to
meet as a subcommittee and to review alternative assessment approaches.
We are very interested in the ETS replacement for the Academic Profile
Test, the MAPP (Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress), which
may be an excellent assessment instrument for LSSU’s General Education
Committee.
This review is to be completed and sent to the Chair (bsnyder@lssu.edu) by Thursday,
February 14 2008.