UW is set to implement new requirements to education standards that will make it difficult for students to graduate early. Courses will no longer be allowed to be cross-listed in multiple departments and there will be new required courses that cannot be taken outside the university.
Employees of Academic Affairs held a town hall meeting yesterday afternoon to review the general education requirements that will be implemented Fall 2015.
According to University of Wyoming USP (University Studies Program) web page, Provost Myron Allen published a white paper in 2010 calling for the review of the 2003 University Studies Program. A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that assists people with understanding an issue, solving a problem and making a decision. The paper launched a series of three task forces to review and implement an outcomes-based program for the University’s general education requirement.
The first two task forces were unable to develop definitions for both the learning outcomes and the criteria for how the outcomes would eventually be demonstrated or achieved. This was crucial because these learning outcomes were set to be the foundation for the revised USP.
In response, the Stage 3 Task Force spent three months developing a comprehensive package of USP learning outcomes, outcome criteria maps, and guide lines for course transition and development.
They finally proposed a launch date for Fall 2015 and developed an online, two-track course approval process.
Some of the new policies included requirements that a course can only satisfy one USP course category, the majority of USP courses should only be offered at the 1000 and 2000 level and that there will be several courses that one is required to take regardless of whether the individual comes in to college with substantial college credit from high school. Some of the courses include First Year Seminars (FYS) and Comm 3 courses.
USP Stage One Task Force recommended student learning outcomes for the UW bachelor’s degree in 2011 based on the Essential Learning Outcomes developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as part of its Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) campaign.
The outcomes were organized into three broad categories: breadth of knowledge, skills and competencies, and personal and social responsibility.
The USP Stage Two Task Force adopted a list of learning outcomes by using results which were developed by the Stage One Task Force with the exception of minor modifications. Three broad categories were preserved and 15 student-learning outcomes were created in the final Stage Two Task Force report. This task force was led by Professor Alyson Hagy and proposed 30 semester credit hours of course work for the general education requirement.
Task Force 3 consisted of volunteers, namely: Jim Ahern (A&S-Anth), Penne Ainsworth (COB), Mark Byra (HS), Jo Chytka (CACS, COB), April Heaney (LeaRN), Joel Defebaugh (ASUW) – President ASUW, Ed Janak (COE) – Chair-elect Faculty Senate, Duncan Harris (Honors), Erika Prager (AA-Assessment), Rebecca Roberts (A&S-COJO), John Spitler (A&S-Math), Steve Barrett – chair (CEAS).
