Eastern Michigan University's General Education Program
has been selected as a recipient of the 2007 Association
for General and Liberal Studies Awards (AGSL) for improving
general education.
"We are proud to be recognized by an organization with
such a commitment to quality general education," said Chris
Foreman, director of the General Education Program at EMU.
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Foreman |
Foreman said that EMU submitted its nomination in the
category of "commitment to common student learning objectives."
"It was about why we decided to design a new program and
how we did it," said Foreman. "We were challenged to rethink
what general education should be for our students. The
General Education Reform Committee was formed and charged
with examining the current program and developing new curriculum
more in line with current thinking."
According to Foreman, that meant getting away from the
traditional model of a set list of courses and requirements,
and focusing on an integrated approach that focused on
outcomes.
"The new program provides the opportunity to choose courses
in different areas and examine the outcomes for students," Foreman
said. "A students who takes a literature and philosophy
course will have a different experience, but the learning
outcomes will be similar."
Foreman said the AGLS is interested in schools that are
AQIP members because of the continuous improvement element.
"As knowledge changes, we can change," Foreman said of
the new General Education Program.
"The awards committee unanimously agreed that the EMU
program review process will serve as an excellent model
for other institutions," said Michael E. Gress, president
of AGLS.
Established in 1961, AGLS is a national forum for inquiry
concerning the improvement of undergraduate education.
