Three GE Projects at SJSU
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Compass Project
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GE Program Assessment
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Stephen Branz & Maureen Scharberg
(Debra David)
Stephen Branz & Scot Guenter
Integrated Team-Taught MultiSemester GE Course Sequences
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Scot Guenter & Stephen Branz
Compass Project
SJSU & Evergreen Valley College
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Part of the Association of American Colleges
& Universities’ “Give Students a Compass”
Initiative. Its main goals are:
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1) To redesign GE to help students, especially
underrepresented ones, be more successful in
achieving liberal education outcomes;
2) To help state systems become generative
“catalysts” for change.
Compass Project
Transfer Students – Why?
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Transfer students are “underrepresented” on
several levels:
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They complete lower division GE at a community
college, which may not be a good match with GE
expectations at the CSU campus and may make
their GE experience especially disjointed.
They are more likely to come from educationally
disadvantaged populations.
They experience unique transition issues.
Compass Project
Transfer Students – Partnerships
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Promoting transfer student success
involves partnerships across state
systems:
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Community colleges
In California, both CSU and UC systems are
4-year “stakeholder” institutions.
There is considerable autonomy at the
campus level within each system.
Compass Project
Project Goal
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To promote a meaningful and
successful transfer experience through:
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Focus on liberal education “essential
learning outcomes” (especially written
communication)
Increased participation in high-impact
practices (e.g., service-learning, learning
communities, internships, study abroad)
Compass Project
Project Components
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“Transfer-year experience” partnership
between SJSU and Evergreen Valley
Second semester English composition
prior to transfer, with service-learning
Peer mentoring before & after transfer
Expanded advising
Co-curricular activities
Compass Project
What Has Worked Well
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Strong support from faculty and
administrators at both SJSU and EVC
EVC English 1B taught at SJSU with
supplementary orientation to campus
resources, policies, and procedures
Service Learning – Writing Partners with
local 6th grade students
Peer Mentors (e.g., Robert Corpus)
Compass Project
Challenges
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Cohort was not primarily Fall 2010
transfers (as had been anticipated)
Not all SJSU resources were fully
accessible to EVC students (eg, library)
2nd semester composition content and
articulation not a good match
EVC class size 35+ (SJSU would have
been 20-25)
Compass Project
Q&A
GE Program Assessment
Why?
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Course level assessment of GE Area
Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) well
established, but no direct assessment of
Program Learning Objectives (PLOs)
Integrative learning is more than the sum
of the parts; culminating assessment
Supports WASC accreditation, EO 1033
expectations, and SJSU Mission
GE Program Assessment
Pilot Project Design
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Nine PLOs in the SJSU GE Guidelines were
mapped to the 4 AAC&U LEAP Essential
Learning Outcomes
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#1 – Knowledge of Human Cultures and the
Physical and Natural World
AAC&U VALUE Rubrics may be used for
assessment of LEAP Outcomes 2, 3, & 4
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#2 – Intellectual & Practical Skills
#3 – Personal & Social Responsibility
#4 – Integrative Learning
GE Program Assessment
Pilot Project Working Groups
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Working groups of 5-6 faculty each for the
3 upper division GE Areas (approximately
Science, Social Science, & Humanities)
Multiple colleges represented on each
working group
Decide upon assignments & rubrics to
assess PLOs, then all read anonymous
student work
Facilitator = Steve Branz
GE Program Assessment
Progress Report
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Fall 2009 – Working Groups recruited
Spring 2010 – Working Groups meeting
regularly have selected one GE area SLO
and 3-4 PLOs
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Matched assignments to SLO/PLOs
Devised and/or modified rubrics as needed
Preliminary look at student work
Fall 2010 – full implementation with same
Working Groups
GE Program Assessment
Q&A
Integrated Team-Taught GE
Three Models at SJSU
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What the models share
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Multi-semester sequence (two or four)
Cohort model (with priority registration
after first semester)
True interdisciplinary (as opposed to
multidisciplinary) structure
True team-teaching (not a “hand-off”
model)
Emphasis on Integrative Learning
Integrated Team-Taught GE
Humanities Honors – structure
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24 units of lower division GE over a 4semester cycle (6 units per semester)
Double count of 6 units of CA State
American Institutions requirement
Large group lecture followed by
breakout seminars
3-4 faculty & 90-120 students per team
Integrated Team-Taught GE
Humanities Honors – content
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Globally inclusive, humanities centered,
interdisciplinary survey
Humanities 1A/B: Foundations of
Western Culture & Society
Humanities 2A/B: Modern Cultural &
Social Institutions
Integrated Team-Taught GE
American Civilization – structure
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12 units of lower division GE over a 2semester cycle (6 units per semester)
Double count of 6 units of CA State
American Institutions requirement
Large group lecture followed by
breakout seminars
3 faculty & 90 students per team
Integrated Team-Taught GE
American Civilization – content
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American culture examined through
political, literary, artistic, economic, and
social development
American values, ideas, and institutions
from popular culture as well as
traditional sources
Integrated Team-Taught GE
Global Climate Change – structure
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9 units of upper division GE over a 2semester cycle (6 units Fall, 3 units
Spring)
Double count of 3 units of CA State (Jr.
level writing) requirement
Faculty from different disciplines jointly
create lectures and assignments
3 faculty & 75 students
Integrated Team-Taught GE
Global Climate Change – content
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Current faculty from Communication
Studies, Environmental Studies, &
Science (Meteorology or Geology)
Essential service learning component
Culminating “Community Action Project”
& class presentations in 2nd semester
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Best are presented at Public Forum
Integrated Team-Taught GE
What all three models create
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Cohort teaching and learning creates a
strong sense of community at a large,
primarily commuter university
Student success – improved retention
and graduation
Integrated Team-Taught GE
Q&A