General Education Review Committee
Meeting, 8 November 2000
KH 113, 4:45-5:45
Minutes
Present: Faculty--Dohse, Friedenberg, Hardy, Konz, Krumpe, Lee, McKnight, Moseley, Nelms, Rizzo, Ruiz, White-Carter, Katz; Students--Clere, Spenser; Alumni--Lingerfelt-Tait, Proctor
1. New member
Ali Lingerfelt-Tait, a UNCA alumna and current MLA student, has joined the committee.
2. Up-date on timetable
Dr. Katz is drafting a timetable for the revision of general education. Late this week or early next week, he will forward the draft to committee members for suggestions and comments. The committee agreed that for now the timetable can be addressed through email attachments.
3. Meeting with Dr. Mitchell, Chair of APC, regarding Senate authorization
Dr. Katz has met several times with Dr. Mitchell, Chair of APC, to discuss the preparation of a document supporting the GERC charge to propose changes to the general education program at UNCA. The intention in pursuing this Senate affirmation, possibly through a Sense of the Senate Resolution, is to strengthen our commitment to a faculty-driven general education reform process.
4. Revision of Statement of Goals for General Education
The committee turned its attention to the draft of the statement of general education goals. Our discussion centered on the structure of the document and on the topics of "knowledge domains" and "skills."
We discussed the difference between quantitative concepts as a knowledge domain and their use as a skill. Several committee members wanted to emphasize the understanding of quantitative concepts in their relation to "aspects of everyday life," that is to say, in the way that mathematics arises in daily use and so forth. Dr. Dohse suggested that we simply use the phrase "quantitative concepts" under the heading of "knowledge domains," and then include "problem solving" as a skill that all students should learn in their general education. It was observed that problem solving included quantitative reasoning and other methods as well. We began to discuss information literacy as both a knowledge domain and as a skill, but did not resolve how we might decide between the two in terms of including it among the goals of general education. We also briefly discussed the understanding of technology and its implications for contemporary life as a possible goal under knowledge domains. We did not come to any conclusion on either information literacy or the understanding of technology as goals; Dr. Katz said that he would write both of them into the next draft of the goals statement, so that we could take up this issue at our next meeting.
Before the meeting came to an end, Dr. Konz asked whether the committee felt that there was sufficient contact between our institution's mission statement, our committee's mission statement for general education, and the drafted goals statement. It was agreed that we should take care to strengthen these connections as we proceed.
5. Next full GERC meeting: Wed., 11/29 (after Thanksgiving Break), 4:45-5:45 pm, kh 113. The final meeting of the fall semester will be on 12/6. Remember that our meetings for the Spring 2001 will be Wednesdays, every other week, 4:30-5:30 pm (note the earlier time). A schedule of specific dates and locations will be forthcoming.