Challenge VIII: General Education
Response:
The General Education Requirements for Miller College are aligned with the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) transfer agreement and with the Articles of Incorporation for Miller College. General Education courses are designed to develop a student’s breadth of view and depth of understanding. As part of the General Education Requirements, five courses are designated as Miller College Core classes.
The General Education requirements specify 45 semester hours of coursework that all students must complete in the areas of English Composition and Junior Seminar, Science and Mathematics, Social Sciences/Humanities/Creativity, Oral communication, Ethics/Philosophy and Global Awareness. These requirements are presented in the College Catalog. While many of these requirements may be satisfied through appropriate transfer credits, four courses (comprising 12 semester hours) should be completed at Miller College, and thus form the Miller College Core. If a student does not have appropriate transfer coursework to satisfy any of the General Education Requirements, suitable courses are offered at Miller College, as described in the college catalog. Specifically, the General Education Requirements include: 9 semester hours in English Composition, of which 6 are from Core classes (LBAR 300: Junior Seminar, and ENGL 310: Advanced Composition and Textual Analysis I); 9 semester hours in Science and Mathematics, of which 3 SH are from Core classes (SCIE 330: Research Methods); the remaining hours must come from coursework in laboratory science and statistics;
6 semester hours in Social Science/Humanities/Creativity, which must include at least one course in literature and one course in the creative arts;
6 semester hours in Oral Communication, of which 3 are in the area of speech or interpersonal communication and 3 are in the area of organizational behavior or group communication;
3 semester hours in Ethics/Philosophy
3 semester hours of Globally-Oriented coursework
9 semester hours of General Education Electives
Perception of Baccalaureate degree courses are at a high-level not just an extension of the Community College, as described in the Self-Study Review Criterion 4. A.2:
Rigor of Courses and Expectations for Student Learning
The curriculum development process establishes prerequisites for each course in a program of study. The Registrar’s Office maintains the course prerequisites within the student system database based on the Academic Catalog for that year. The database is set up to disallow students who have not completed the prerequisites to enroll in the course. The academic advisor with the approval of the school's Dean can over-ride the prerequisite on a case by case basis.
Faculty evaluates the content of the course in relation to the students’ performance on assessment tasks and the progress made toward the course competencies. Requests for revisions to the course content or the prerequisites are discussed during School meetings. Recommendations for change are brought before Academic Affairs. Comprised of faculty across the College, Academic Affairs meets regularly to communicate, discuss and coordinate proposed changes, modifications and additions to programs.
Academic Affairs evaluates and approves programs, syllabi and textbooks to ensure alignment with the learning outcomes derived from the Mission, course objectives, core abilities and course competencies. Included in each syllabus are expectations for student learning: artifacts, oral presentations, a culminating project or final exam, case studies, reviews of research or research projects. These performance assessment tasks define the parameters for successful completion of each course.
Course syllabi Performance Assessment Tasks (using Bloom’s Taxonomy) requiring higher level thinking provides evidence of the rigor of course content. Additionally, Internships and Field Placements provide opportunities for students to have actual experience in a globally Oriented World.
Evidence:
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