This fall, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) will send a team to Metro State for a site visit focused on the revision of the General Studies Program.

The team will be on campus on Oct. 18 and 19 to review the revised program and its implementation and assessment plans. In preparation for the visit, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Sheila Thompson and Taskforce Chair and Letters, Arts and Sciences Dean Joan Laura Foster drafted a 132-page report. The General Studies Taskforce reviewed the draft and provided constructive suggestions before it was sent to the HLC on Sept. 7. Interested faculty can email Foster (fosterjl@mscd.edu) to receive an electronic copy of the taskforce report to the HLC.

Thompson and Foster believe that the work of the General Studies Taskforce, in collaboration with the Faculty Senate General Studies Committee, has met all of the HLC’s concerns regarding the College’s General Studies program. Also impressive, says Foster, is the high degree of engagement by the College’s faculty as the General Studies Program was being revised last year.

“The members of the General Studies Taskforce continued to demonstrate their incredible work ethic by meeting through the summer to develop implementation and assessment plans for the revised General Studies Program,” she says.

Courses for inclusion in the General Studies Program
Committees, each consisting of one taskforce member and several faculty members, also met during the summer to determine the criteria for courses seeking inclusion in the new General Studies Program.

Workshops on how to submit a course for inclusion in the revised General Studies Program are currently being organized. The first round of workshops will occur during October, with a second round later this semester and more workshops planned for the spring semester. The workshops will be organized by course category. The dates, times and locations of these workshops will be provided to the faculty via email and announced through the Events @Metro calendar.

Background
The HLC is requiring Metro State to redesign the General Studies Program with measurable student learning outcomes and greater cohesion.

"HLC also required an assessment plan so that we could ensure that the program was meeting the student learning outcomes," says Foster.

The General Studies Taskforce was charged in September 2009 with working to have a revised General Studies Program accepted with a timeline for implementation in place by the HLC’s fall 2010 site visit.

More information about the general studies initiative can be found at the General Studies Taskforce website.