2007-08 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GENERAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Members: Gary H. Toops, Chair (LAS-Humanities)

          Beth Clarkson (LAS-Math/Natural Sciences)

          Delores Craig-Moreland (LAS-Social Sciences)

          Rick Armstrong (Basic Skills, Elliott School)*

          Frank Rokosz (Education)

          Roy Myose (Engineering)

          Stan Longhofer (Business)

          Steve Peters (Fine Arts)

          Kathy Lewis (Health Professions)

          Nan Myers (University Libraries)

*on 12/30/07, Rick Armstrong became University General Education

  Coordinator. The Executive Committee failed to secure a replacement

  for him as representative of Basic Skills/Elliott School.

The Gen Ed Committee met 7 times on an as-needed basis: 8/31/07, 10/03/07, 10/16/07, 10/30/07, 12/04/07, 1/28/08, and 3/26/08.

The Committee considered and approved 7 curriculum change proposals, including one proposal for a new Issues & Perspectives course (Philosophy 354, "Ethics and Computers"). As of the date of this report (4/28/08), the Committee has two curriculum change proposals pending consideration (I&P status for Russian 540, "Russian Literature in English," and a change of course description for Chemistry 514, "Inorganic Chemistry).

At the start of AY 2007-08, there was no successor to the outgoing General Education Coordinator, Donald Blakeslee.  An ad hoc committee was formed; Rick Armstrong of the Elliott School, already a member of the Gen Ed Committee (representing Basic Skills), applied for the position of General Education Coordinator; he was ultimately selected to fill the position for a 3-year term beginning 12/30/07.

Under the chairmanship of Gary Toops, the General Education Committee developed an on-line General Education Exit Survey for graduating seniors (graduating in fall 2007).  Previously such exit interviews had been conducted in person, after inviting 100 randomly selected graduating seniors for personal interviews with members of the Committee.  Using e-mail and Blackboard, the Committee received

197 responses from students who were contacted.  Currently the Committee is surveying spring 2008 graduates using e-mail with a link to mrInterview.

The fall 2007 exit survey revealed that approximately 52% of WSU students had taken most or all of their General Education courses at Wichita State.  Wichita State's Gen Ed program received a mostly favorable rating of between 7 and 8 points on a 10-point scale.

In spring 2008 the Committee, by way of the Gen Ed Coordinator, began collecting data (syllabi and Gen Ed component summaries) on all courses currently designated as Gen Ed Introductory Courses.

The collection process continues as of the date of this report, and no assessment by Committee members of the Gen Ed Introductory Courses has begun.

There being no nominations for chair of the General Education Committee for AY 2008-09, the current chair, Gary Toops, agreed to chair the Committee for one semester (fall 2008), until he leaves the Committee to begin a spring 2009 sabbatical.

Respectfully submitted,

Gary H. Toops, Chair

General Education Committee