The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) two-day focused site visit on the revision of the General Studies Program ended today with praise for the College’s revised program and assessment plan, according to Joan Foster, chair of the General Studies Taskforce and dean of the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

The College should receive a written report of the HLC’s findings and recommendations in approximately one month.

HLC site team members Randy Hyman and Elizabeth Dunn were tasked with ensuring that Metro State had met the HLC charge to Metro State for:

“a solid, revised program of general studies. It will be important for the institution to review the learning outcomes associated with general education, given the long period of review and the likelihood that the learning outcomes will have changed by now. It will also be important to incorporate the assessment of general education outcomes into the comprehensive assessment program at the College.”

“At their exit interview, Hyman and Dunn noted the dedication and hard work of the General Studies Taskforce and its collaboration with the Faculty Senate and the General Studies Committee,” says Foster. “They were impressed with the solid communication of taskforce efforts with the faculty and especially the visits that the taskforce and committee members made to academic department meetings.”

Metro State is expected to submit a progress report to the HLC in July 2012, which needs to include:

• Evidence of a complete plan for assessment
• Status report on the implementation of the curriculum
• Evidence of academic advisors of students on the revised program
• Evidence of communication of the changes to the feeder schools
• Evidence of incentives, rewards and recognition of faculty who excel in General Studies
• Evidence of how we are enforcing our General Studies rules

Foster says that the General Studies Taskforce will continue to meet periodically to discuss implementation and to determine the best communication strategies with the faculty regarding the new program. “And we’ll continue to offer workshops for both the proposers and evaluators of the course proposals.”

More information can be found on the General Studies website.