Minutes of the General Education Committee

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
5240 North Jackson Avenue, M/S UC 43
Fresno, California 93740-8023

Office of the Academic Senate
Ext. 8-2743 Fax: 278-5745

April 11, 2008
Members Present: A. Lawson (Chair), S. Adisasmito-Smith,
D. Christensen, M. Miller. D. Henriques
J. Charalambides.
Members Absent: K. Miller (excused), D. Nef (excused) S. Lewis.

The meeting was called to order by Chair Lawson at 11:08 a.m. in
University Center, room #203.

  1. Minutes. MSC to approve the Minutes of 3/28/2008.
  2. Agenda. MSC to approve the Agenda.
  3. Communications and Announcements.
    Reminder of program review team site visit April 24 and 25.
  4. Area A Learning Outcomes Discussion.
    a. Area A1 faculty developed a list of outcomes in the fall. This list is
    not written in outcomes language (i.e. they are not written as
    measurable outcomes). This list can be reworded and will serve as
    the new learning outcomes for the area.
    b. Discussion of Area A2 learning outcomes included the following
    input from the group:
    The A2 group has already developed an extensive document which
    outlines the goals, objectives and learning outcomes for the A2
    courses. The learning outcomes from this document could be
    condensed and would serve as an excellent first draft of learning
    outcomes for this area.
    The name of the area could be changed to also reflect reading.
    The current document has one common list of outcomes for Area
    A1 and A2. Two separate outcomes lists for the areas would be
    easier to asses.
    The faculty not teaching within A2 suggested that grammar be
    more explicitly incorporated into the outcomes for area A2.
    c. Discussion of Area A3 learning outcomes included the following
    input from the group:
    There is considerable controversy about what critical thinking
    means to various faculty members teaching within the area. This
    has historically slowed the progress in obtaining a consensus on
    objectives and outcomes.
    There was not agreement among the A3 faculty present regarding
    the current list of learning outcomes from the area. The language
    included in the GE program description document or in Executive
    Order 595 may be a better starting point to develop learning
    outcomes in this area.
    One suggested learning outcome was “students should be able to
    adequately summarize someone else’s opinion without bias”.
    d. A summary of the discussion will be sent to the faculty in each
    area with a request to further develop learning outcomes in their
    area.

MSC to adjourn 12:55 p.m.

The next scheduled meeting of the General Education Committee will be
Friday, April 25, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. in the University Center # 203.

Agenda.

  1. Approval of the Minutes of 4/11/08.
  2. Approval of the Agenda.
  3. Communications and Announcements.
  4. Program Review Site Visit.

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