2011 AAC&U Institute on General Education and Assessment

June 4-8, 2011
San José, CA

The 2011 Institute on General Education and Assessment was held in San José, California on the campus of San José State University. Available are resources from the 2011 Institute.

2011 Institue Curriculum Tracks

Track 1: The Process of General Education Change
Simply developing good ideas does not guarantee successful change. Workshops focus on the analysis of campus dynamics, stakeholder engagement, and resource allocation to help teams develop and support ideas for strategic change.

Track 2: Models of General Education Organization and Delivery for Improved Learning
After developing clear liberal education learning outcomes, campuses need to build curricula that support the integration of those outcomes within general education (and within departments). Workshops examine ways of structuring and delivering general education accross varied campus contexts.

Track 3: Building Institutional Capacity: Make Excellence Inclusive
A number of issues can complicate the path toward developing clear learning outcomes essential to improving general education curricula. Workshops survey several contemporary issues that affect the campus context for inclusion and successful reform:

• integrating and supporting transfer students
• articulating and implementing diversity, global, and engaged learning priorities
• integrating ethical reasoning and civic engagement into general education
• adopting effective pedagogies for student learning and development
• working with e-portfolios and the use of technology to enhance learning

Track 4: Assessment and Communication
The assessment of student learning should be both meaningful and strategic. Workshops address various assesment techniques and strategies for organizaing assessment agendas–including to respond to specific accreditation issues, communicating results to various audiences, and using data to advance institutional goals. Use of rubics and portfolios, including e-portfolios, are among the assessment strategies discussed.

2011 Institute Faculty

J. Herman Blake - The Medical University of South Carolina
Brian Bridges- Ohio University
Helen Chen - Stanford University
Sue Elrod - AAC&U
Gail Evans- San Francisco State University
Scott Evenbeck - CUNY-New Community College
Bret Eynon - CUNY-La Guardia Community College
Ann Ferren - Formerly of American University in Bulgaria
Ashley Finley- AAC&U
Paul Gaston - Kent State University
Kevin Hovland- AAC&U
Lee Knefelkamp - Teachers College, Columbia University
Peggy Maki - Educational Assessment Consultant
Terrel Rhodes - AAC&U
Carol Geary Schneider - AAC&U
Barbara Wright - Western Association of Schools and Colleges