Trends in General Education:

1
Trends in General Education

• West Coast Religious Universitys General
  Education Requirements in relation to The
  FIPSE/Mellon Project Trends in the Liberal Arts
  Core A Vision for the 21st Century
• Now, an ACTC Project

2
Average Percentage of Baccalaureate Credits
Devoted to General Education is Increasing
1978-1998

• Average Percentage 1978 36.3
• Average Percentage 1998 41.2
• Year 1998 WCRs General Education Core
  requirements occupy 51 of the credits devoted to
  the BA. This figure compares to 43 in 1978.

3
Comparison of WCRs Gen Ed to Religious
Institutions

• The median percentage of credits devoted to
  general education in religious institutions is
  46
• Institutions at 47 and above
• Birmingham-Southern, Furman University, Samford
  University, Freed-Hardeman, Fordham University,
  Augustana College, Assumption University, Rhodes
  College, University of Dallas, Baylor University.

4
Overall Picture Traditions of West Coast
Religious University

• Central to WCRs General Education Program is the
  Universitys Mission, its Religious orientation,
  and the WCRU Idea.
• WCRs organization into Divisions of Religious
  and Theological Studies, Natural Sciences and
  Mathematics, Social Sciences, Humanities, and
  Interdisciplinary Studies
• West Coast has strengthened its Liberal Arts and
  its Religious educational traditions.
• The Stories and Focus series have expanded the
  breadth of Interdisciplinary, Religious,
  Artistic, Civilization, and Service concerns of
  the curriculum. These series focus on reading
  important and serious texts.
• The traditional liberal arts concerns with skills
  have been maintained, while the importance of
  languages has been strengthened.
• Introductory courses to the disciplines, to the
  sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities
  have been crafted for general education.

5
General Education Trends and Innovations which
Might Be of Interest to West Coast Religious
University

• Seamless Administration of gen ed
• Student Enculturation through integration of gen
  ed and student support services
• Curricular Developments and Use of Portfolios
• Examinations and Capstones
• Co-curricular Activities based in gen ed
• Core as Faculty Enculturation.
• Most Important Trend Fusion of curricular reform
  with co-curricular supports and curricular
  assessments.
• Combining periodic general/liberal education
  review with real liberal learning outcomes
  assessment

6
For Further Discussion, Information or Referral
to Other Institutions

• J. Scott Lee, Ph.D. Executive Director,
  Association for Core Texts and Courses, Temple
  University, Philadelphia and the ACTC Liberal
  Arts Institute at the University of Dallas
• Project Director ACTC project, Trends in
  the Liberal Arts Core A Vision for the 21st
  Century.
• jscottlee_at_prodigy.net(908) 359 7560 (972) 721
  4062