Students and faculty at Ohio University can expect to see big changes in the general education program. A new program will start with students entering the university in the 2005-2006 academic year; it will replace the three-tier program that has been in place for over 20 years.
I think there is a sense that we are not achieving what we want to achieve through the current math and writing courses
said William Owens, professor of classics and world religions and chair of the General Education Council.
Owens said it is hard to comment on whether the three-tier system is effective or not. We have lost sight of what the goals were of the old one he said.
Madeleine Scott, director of the School of Dance, said the new general education program is more current than the existing one. I think it will be a definite benefit to the faculty and the students because it is integrated into the major course work she said. The students will learn the skills in the areas they will be working in.
Owens said he thinks students will connect the goals of general education and what they are studying in their major. We hope students will recognize the importance of the goals of general education and that students will do a better job of learning because they will be learning in the context of courses that have more meaning to them. Students will learn the goals more effectively than they currently are
he said.
Provost Stephen Kopp said, I think the new (general education) program
as been approved
will be a tremendous improvement.
Owens said the General Education Council does not have an estimate for the cost of the new program. This is a program that will draw in large measure to the existing undergraduate education curriculum
he said.
Owens said two things will affect the cost of the program: the development of new courses and new faculty resources to help them make changes to their classes.
According to the general education Web site (http://www.ohio.edu/gened/), the new program will be comprised of four components: foundational skills, breadth of knowledge, perspectives and research and creative activity.
The foundational skills component, a reform of the tier-one courses, will focus on the student's ability to communicate well through written and oral expression and logical and mathematical thinking.
The breadth of knowledge component requires courses in humanities and fine arts, science, mathematics, technology and social sciences. Students must take a minimum of six courses to fulfill the breadth of knowledge requirements. Each course must be from a different department and not be part of the student's major.
The perspectives component of the new program is an extension of the tier-two category into new areas that do not necessarily have departments, such as ethics and culture. Perspectives will include courses in aesthetics, culture, ethics and science and technology.
The research and creative activity component allows students to select disciplines in which they will study the processes that are used to create works of art and gain knowledge.
Ann Paulins, director of the School of Human and Consumer Sciences, said she supports incorporating general education into major courses. I think that students' educational quality overall will be improved from the addition of the culture
aesthetics
science and technology
logical thinking
and research and creative activities
