Minutes of the General Education Assessment Committee (GEAC) meeting of 12/6/06

Meeting started at 10:02 am

1. Members present were Drs. Cacicedo, Falabella, Koosed, Mech, Rice and Kalouche. Dr. Chapdelaine was absent.

2. The committee acknowledged the resignation of Dr. Pat Snyder, Social Science representative, for personal reasons. Dr. Chapdelaine had informed members of the committee of Dr. Snyder's decision via e-mail sent on 11/29.

3. It was discovered that the draft minutes of the Nov 29 meeting were not received by all members of the committee. Dr. Kalouche pointed out that he sent the minutes from a non-Albright e-mail account and resolved to request receipt for future e-mails. He received proposed revisions from Drs. Falabella and Cacicedo that are stylistic in nature, and was asked to revise the minutes and re-send a final version.

4. Dr. Mech reported that he formatted the goals statement, added a reference that the GEAC Committee prepared the document, and submitted it for inclusion in the next Dean's Bulletin. Dr. Koosed mentioned that she may be delayed by an exam she is administering on Wednesday, and may not be able to introduce the document on the floor of the faculty meeting. Dr. Mech volunteered to do so in case she is delayed.

5. The rest of the meeting was devoted to the discussion of GE models researched and analyzed by GEAC committee members. Dr. Mech suggested that some models may be useful for certain components but not for the whole model. Dr. Rice inquired about whether we should consider complete or partial models, and about whether ECT is represented or if particular components are not showing-such as the e-portfolio. Dr. Cacicedo mentioned that the Information Development Committee, on which Dr. Falabella serves, is considering all necessary software components for possible e-mail portfolios. Dr. Kalouche agreed with Dr. Mech that some models may be useful for "committee consumption," for example some "learning objectives" components and descriptions may be useful for our future work.

6. It was decided to categorize models: Category 1) to be selected for closer consideration for possible inclusion in the representative set of models distributed to the faculty; Category 2) to be selected as a reference for future committee work, but not for further consideration for distribution; and Category 3) to be discarded and eliminated from the pool of models. Our next assignment would be to look closer at the Category 1 models to select the most representative and the ones most worth exploring for possible applicability to Albright.

7. Dr. Falabella distributed hard copies of the AACU's "Promising Models" (list and brief description). Dr. Rice recommended that we look again at this list to determine whether any of the listed institutions that we have not considered are worth adding to Category 1.

8. Consideration of Models (in alphabetical order):

   APPALACHIAN Category 3: consensus reached to discard

   ALVERNO Category 2: go back to see their portfolios

   BOISE STATE Category 3: discard

   CENTER C. Category 1: Dr. Mech likes how they separate GE from Basic Skills. Dr.
   Falabella liked the fact that everyone has to show proficiency or
   competency (through entrance exams in Math, Composition,
   Foreign Language, etc.). Dr. Koosed pointed that these tests
   are self-selected, and not everyone takes them. Dr. Rice
   mentioned that we should nonetheless select the model, as we
   should err on the side of more rather than less.
   
   DUKE/TRINITY Category 1: Dr. Kalouche pointed out that the model uses categories
   of courses, instead of disciplines, and is representative of a broad
   range of models. Dr. Mech agreed and added that it also allows
   for double-dipping. Dr. Koosed highlighted that double-dipping
   may be a problem for the humanities, but it is not necessarily a
   bad thing, and Dr. Rice agreed.

   FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON Category 1 Dr. Kalouche pointed out that we need to
   distinguish between models with pre-set courses
   (with a thematic focus and pre-established
   syllabus) and with those with flexible courses
   (with a thematic or process focus but without a
   pre-established syllabus). Pre-set courses are not
   adequate to a liberal arts institution, he added.

   HENDRIX C. Category 1: Everyone agreed that the model is complicated and with various
   aspects from different models. The Odyssey part was of interest.
   
   HIRAM C. Category 1

   JAMES MADISON Category 2: Keep for our own reference and for committee internal
   use. Dr. Kalouche pointed out that the model has very
   similar goals as ours, and has well developed "learning
   objectives" that could be helpful in our future work.

   KING'S COLLEGE Category 3: discarded; maybe good for assessment. Dr. Falabella
   will check what aspects of assessment may be of use.

   PORTLAND S. U. Category 1

   U. SOUTHERN MAINE Category 2: reference

   URSINUS C. Category 3: discarded

   WILLIAM & MARY Category 2: reference

   WAGNER C. Category 1

9. Our next meeting is to be held on December 13, 2006 at 10:00 am, when the committee may meet the leading Academic Affairs Board of Trustees members.

10. Homework for our first meeting in the New Year:

A) All GEAC members should look again at the Category 1 models selected above, as well as at models described in AACU "Promising Models," and select those models that they deem worthy of consideration and eventual distribution to all faculty.

Here is the compilation of the category 1 institutions:

Center College
Duke U./Trinity College
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Hendrix College
Hiram College
Portland State University
Wagner College

Here is the AACU list of institutions with "promising models" that are not already listed in our Category 1 selection:

Eastern New Mexico University
Grand Valley State University
Kalamazoo College
Miami University of Ohio
Michigan State University
Millikin University
Olivet College
Saint Joseph's College (Indiana)
Syracuse University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Charleston
University of Delaware
University of Southern California
Washington State University

11. The meeting was adjourned a little bit after 11:08 am.

Fouad Kalouche, 12/8