A fundamental goal of the General Education Committee was to identify mechanisms that would increase coherence within the completion of each student’s General Education. Themes are a response to that goal. Specifically, themes were designed to help students achieve the following general goals from the General Education Program Mission, Philosophy, Goals, and Objectives statement approved by the Educational Policies Committee May, 2001 (with particular emphasis on “1” and “4” immediately below):
1) examine topics/issues/problems from more than
one disciplinary perspective;
2) use diverse skills and disciplinary content
gained in the General Education Program to solve problems;
3) appreciate how values and attitudes help
shape knowledge and opinions; and
4) recognize inherent relationships among content areas.
Although the specific model of implementation of themes was not approved during the 2002/2003 academic year, the concept received approval from faculty (approved by faculty vote 3/16/01;amended by EPC action 02/05/02; Theme structure rejected by EPC on 11/20/02). What follows is an alternative proposal for the implementation of themes as a component of the General Education Program at St. Ambrose University.
What is a Theme?
As
stated above, themes are a direct response to two overarching General Education
goals, namely, that General Education should enable students to, “1) examine
topics/issues/problems from more than one disciplinary perspective; and…4)
recognize inherent relationships among content areas.” Requirement of a Theme speaks to our concern
for coherence in General Education in a number of ways. By requiring a Theme, we state that SAU faculty
value the interrelatedness of all disciplines and have a formal mechanism in
place to encourage students to discover this interrelatedness. By requiring a Theme, we tell students that
their college experience will be integrated not only in terms of their major
course of study but in their experience in General Education as well. By committing to Themes, the faculty assert
that an effort should be made to emphasize the need for cohesion within every
student’s General Education experience.
A Theme consists of a student-determined group of courses unified either topically or conceptually. A Theme might focus upon a common topic studied across disciplines, upon the similarity or dissimilarity of disciplinary methodologies, or upon other specialized student interests. For each student, completion of the Theme requirement requires completion of a minimum of three courses ( typically 6-12 credits) representing at least two different disciplinary groups. Courses taken in completion of the Theme requirement may be used to meet other requirements specified within Levels 1 and/or 2. Theme courses need not be taken simultaneously or at a particular level (either in the student’s academic career or in the hierarchy of General Education courses).
All students are required to complete a theme as defined below.
Each student will choose a
faculty member to serve as a theme advisor – this advisor may be an NSS
facilitator, an instructor teaching a theme development course, or the
student’s academic advisor.
Each student will propose a theme to his or her theme advisor by the end of the first year (prior to 30 credits). The theme proposal will include, at a minimum, 1) the concept or topic that the student is addressing, 2) a minimum of three outcomes/objectives that the student wishes to achieve in completing the theme, 3) a list of courses the student will use to complete the theme (may contain no more than one course in the major), and 4) how these courses will help the student achieve the outcomes/objectives of the theme.
The theme advisor will determine
whether the theme is appropriate and whether it will adequately address the
student’s outcomes and objectives.
Appropriate paper work/reporting relationships and responsibilities will
be worked out with the Office of Records and Registration.
Themes will be evaluated in the
following way. A brief portfolio will
be kept for each student/theme that includes: 1) the theme proposal, 2) the
syllabus for each course in the theme, 3) a representative sample of work from
each course that addresses the outcomes/objectives for the theme, and 4) a
final brief integration paper written by the student. This final paper will be 3-5 typed pages long and will indicate
how the student believes that that he or she had achieved the
outcomes/objectives that were initially identified for the theme. A random sample of 20 theme portfolios will
be collected by the Director of Assessment or other designated person annually
and the portfolios and themes will be analyzed to determine that they are
achieving the goals identified above (“1) examine topics/issues/problems from
more than one disciplinary perspective; and…4) recognize inherent relationships
among content areas.”).
Implementation:
This proposal would be fully enacted with the entering class of first-year students entering fall 2005, coincident with a new catalog. This two-year period preceding full implementation allows for a period of faculty development and to work out the logistics of this theme proposal. Students transferring with more than 24 credit hours would not be required to complete a theme.
Theme development would be introduced during new student orientation and welcome week. Stars and facilitators would encourage students to brainstorm ideas for their individual themes.
During New Student Seminar, several class periods would be devoted to understanding liberal arts education, ideas of personal intellectual growth, and theme development. Groundwork would be established for students to seek a personal learning theme which will grow out of coursework not necessarily connected to majors and minors. Students would be required to establish a portfolio, electronically, which will address their personal theme. Each student would create their road map for theme exploration.
Students will be encouraged
to take a 1 credit theme development (7 weeks) course during their junior
year. This course, like NSS, will be a
Pass/No Pass course. This course would
be facilitated by NSS instructors and academic advisors. In the theme development course, students
will write a 3-5 page personal exploration paper in which their themes are
defined and discussed. Students will
also be required to create a visual or auditory “essay” or multi-media
presentation on their selected themes to share with their peers in the theme
development course. As in the case of
NSS, students are strongly encouraged to take this course but it is not a
requirement for the completion of the theme.
The final portfolio of student work would be reviewed by the theme development facilitator, an NSS instructor, or an academic advisor. A rubric would be developed to aid instructors in the review of the materials.