CASL - Special Meeting, April 13, 2009
Present: Arden Weaver, Wayne Jesswein, Julie Ernst, Bilin Tsai, Julie WEstlund, Jerry Pepper, Bruce Munson, Stan Burns, Geoff Bell.
The purpose of this meeting was to review the proposed institutional outcomes and the work put forward by the Student Development Assessment Team (SDAT).
Some relevant points about how we got here:
- Julie Westlund had suggested early in the year that some development outcomes would be helpful to student life and development programs as they build assessment plans. The VCASSL formed a team that was charged to develop umbrella outcomes and guide development of program outcomes across ASSL. Their work, presented to CASL on April 6, included a review of literature that resulted in a conceptual model of 6 knowledge domains. The team had demonstrated how the proposed institutional outcomes mapped to these domains, and further, had recommended 4 additional institutional learning outcomes.
- The Liberal Education Task Force had been appointed by VCAA to recommend a new liberal education program. Their results, including mission and rationale, had been endorsed by EPC, but had been returned to EPC for further discussion as a result of a request that EPC recommend a requirement similar to the current Lib Ed Category 2 be added to the proposal.
- While the Lib Ed Task Force had provided extensive criteria for certification as a liberal education course, no student learning outcomes had been developed/approved for liberal education.
- EPC adopted a proposal by VCAA to delay further action on liberal education until outcomes had been developed and the Task Force had an opportunity to review their proposal against outcomes.
- CASL felt it necessary to have a more thorough discussion of institutional outcomes as a guiding tool for the group that would propose outcomes for liberal education.
Conversation started with review of the SDAT document that synthesized five learning outcome frameworks and the resulting proposed 6 knowledge domains as the framework for UMD Student Learning Outcomes. CASL Members acknowledged the thorough research and analysis done by the Team and there was consensus to accept the proposed framework.
From there, using the SDAT handout on UMD Student Learning Outcomes, CASL discussed each current and proposed outcome. Question posited but not answered: Do we call these “Learning and Development Outcomes?” Reiterated throughout the conversation – institutional outcomes will be met by a combination of academic program, liberal education program, and student life/development programs. Not likely that a program by itself will map to all institutional outcomes.
Domain #1. Knowledge. The conversation centered around works that would articulate both depth in a specialty field, and breadth of the liberal education program.
- Demonstrate competence in a major field.
- Construct, integrate, and apply knowledge from a range of disciplines and experiences.
Domain #2. Thinking. No change in the outcome in this domain.
- Think critically and creatively in seeking solutions to practical and theoretical problems.
Domain #3. Self-Realization. The conversation centered around the word “spiritual” in the proposed new outcome statement. No consensus was reached and the conversation will pick up at this point at the next meeting. The current outcome statement was affirmed.
- Use ethical reasoning to make informed and principles choices
- Demonstrate self-knowledge across cognitive, affective, physical, social, and spiritual areas of development.
Jackie Millslagle, Recorder