ACC

1
ACCU Summer Workshop Saying the N (Nuggets)
Word

• --Ernie Yanarella

2
AACU General Education Workshop

• Where Catholic University of America,
  Washington, DC
• When June 9-14, 2006
• Why to Reality Test GERA and the USP ERC
  Direction in General Education Reform
• Who Phil Kraemer, Ernie Yanarella, Jane Jensen,
  Deb Moore, Bill Rayens, Derek Lane, Tony Hardin

3
General Observations

• Workshop Facilitators were a Generally Good, but
  Uneven, Bunch
• Some (like Carol Schneider, Anne Ferren, and Lee
  Knefelkamp) were Outstanding Others, So-so
  still Others, High on the Adorno F Scale
• UK Team was GoodIndeed, Damn Good!
• The Institute Substance was Helpful,
  Illuminating, but Better Geared to University
  Teams a Year Behind Where UK was in June 2006
  

4

• Some University Teams Came to Learn a Little and
  Have Lots of Fun UK Team Went to Do Business
• Primitive Dormitory Facilities Lent Humor to our
  Conversations
• Much the Most Enjoyable of the Institute
  Proceedings were Opportunities to Discuss Ideas
  and Issues Among Ourselves and with Institute
  Faculty

5
Nuggets

• 1 Carol Schneiders Portrait of Changing
  Designs for Liberal and General Education (See
  Schematic in Notebook)
• 2 Schneiders Encouragement of the Shift to
  General Education in the Major
• 3 Anne Ferrens Argument for Enhancing General
  Education through Curricular and Extra-curricular
  Means

6

• 4 Ferrens Tripartite Distinction of Images and
  Orientations of Campus Change Agents
• Carpenterfixer
• Quilterreweaver
• Glassblowertransformer
• 5 Paul Gastons Caveats about Potholes
  (Jerry Gaffs term) Impeding Successful
  Implementation of Curricular Proposals

7
UK Teams Institute Report

• Background on GERA Initiative
• Highlighted the General Features of the USP ERC
  Final Report
• Offered Recommendations
• ?Summer Workshopin line with ERC Report
• ?Report to Vice-President Institutional
  Research,
• Planning, and Effectiveness
• ?Report and Recommendations to the
  University
• Senate

8
Closing Remarks

• The UK Team was about as Confused as Any Other
  Team in Attendance on Some Issues (Particularly
  Implementation), but in Better Shape and More
  Advanced than Other Research I Universities in
  the Task of Reform in Many Other Respects
• In Any Event, GERA and the USP ERC are Following
  a Parallel Path with National Trends in the
  Thinking and Reform of General Education

9

• Evolution not Revolution in Permanence may be
  the Watchword Down the Road to Implementation
• Assessment should be a Major Driver of General
  Education Reform at UK
• More is Likely to be Called upon Faculty to
  Shoulder New or Revised General Education
  Curriculum Objectives and Learning Outcomes in
  the Future
• ? These Changes can be of Our Own Making or
• ? They can be Imposed upon Us from on High
• ? Lets Do it Ourselvesand Do it Well!