Making Sense

General Education in the 21

st
Century
LACCD Faculty Academy
May 9, 2014
Ken ODonnell
California State University
our students need college:
* to enjoy a full life
healthier
less likely to smoke
likelier to stay married
likelier to start a business
likelier to attend museums,
festivals, live performances
agency
agency
agency
agency

L
o
c
k
-
i
n

our students need college:
* to enjoy a full life
* to get a good job
healthier
less likely to smoke
likelier to stay married
likelier to start a business
likelier to attend museums,
festivals, live performances
Computerization has boosted demand for
workers who perform non-routine tasks that
complement the automated activities.
At one end are so-called abstract tasks that
require problem-solving, intuition, persuasion
and creativity.
On the other end are so-called manual tasks.
Preparing a meal, driving a truck through city
traffic or cleaning a hotel room present mind-
bogglingly complex challenges for computers.
Computerization has boosted demand for
workers who perform non-routine tasks that
complement the automated activities.
At one end are so-called abstract tasks that
require problem-solving, intuition, persuasion
and creativity.
On the other end are so-called manual tasks.
Preparing a meal, driving a truck through city
traffic or cleaning a hotel room present mind-
bogglingly complex challenges for computers.
Globalization is shipping white-collar work
overseas, and powerful technologies are
eliminating certain kinds of work altogether.
The new kind of work will
reward those who master:
design
story
symphony
empathy
play
meaning
We held a series of meetings
with agriculture, engineering,
entertainment, biotech, teacher
education, criminal justice, and
tourism and hospitality.
No matter the industry, we found
similarities in the skills they
wanted from our graduates:
* Come ready to work the first day
* Communicate and think critically
* Work in teams
* Use technology
* Speak multiple languages and
* Think and communicate globally
Charles B. Reed
February 25, 2008
* Come ready to work the first day
* Communicate and think critically
* Work in teams
* Use technology
* Speak multiple languages and
* Think and communicate globally
* Come ready to work the first day
* Communicate and think critically
* Work in teams
* Use technology
* Speak multiple languages and
* Think and communicate globally
our students need college:
* to participate responsibly
* to enjoy a full life
* to get a good job
C
om
m
unity engagem
ent is
em
pow
ering precisely
because its not exactly
student-centered.
It decenters the student,
placing the student as an
apprentice in a w
orld not of
his or her ow
n m
aking

and charging him
or her to
intervene, pow
erfully and
hum
bly, to solve problem
s.
David Scobey
Executive Dean
New School
Student-Centered
Curriculum
toward:
full-spectrum learning
interdisciplinarity
agency
versatility
from:
under-preparation
mobility
frail commitment
fall 2006 cohort
2,803,472
67% never
transferred
24%
transferred
once
5%
3%
Source: National Student
Clearinghouse Research Center
General Education
Certification
English Communication A
Math & Quantitative Reasoning B4
Arts & Humanities C
Social Science D
Science (including lab) B1-3
Self-Development E
Sources of General Education (48 units total)
California State University (receiving institution)
nine upper-division units
certifying
California Community College
(sending institution)
39 lower-division units
prior learning at the
baccalaureate level
(pass-along)
* other CCCs or four-years
* military and other training
* external exams (AP or IB)
up to 39 units
hook
Unique Benefits of General Education
hook
Unique Benefits of General Education
reach
hook
Unique Benefits of General Education
reach
employability
what we have what we want
reach
hook
employability
alienation
apathy
attrition
46%
40%
23%
14%
Six-year
graduation rates
for full-time first-
time freshmen
Six-year transfer
rates among
degree seekers
all
students
all
students
students of
color
students of
color
Student-Centered
Curriculum
toward:
full-spectrum learning
interdisciplinarity
agency
versatility
from:
under-preparation
mobility
frail commitment
0 0 1 1 2 2
Latino/a not Latino/a
38%
55%
49%
63%
65%
68%
Source: CSU Northridge
Institutional Research
August, 2010
Graduation Rates by Ethnicity and
participation in High-Impact Practices
November 1, 2013
Town Hall Meeting
First-Year Persistence
first-time full-time freshmen
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Source: Institutional Research, CSU Chico
80% 74% 85% 80%
91% 93% 86% 84%
white students
students of color
with Town Hall Meeting
Thia Wolf
First-Year
Experience
Chico
William Loker
Dean, Undergraduate Education
details and on-line toolkit:
calstate.edu/engage
oral
communication
written
communication
quantitative
reasoning
critical thinking
lifelong
learning
physical
science
life
science
science
laboratory
arts or
humanities
arts or
humanities
arts or
humanities
social
science
social
science
social
science
cohort-based
learning
community
peer
mentoring
off-campus
learning
The Campus as a
Living Lab
project premises:
- collaboration: CSU with CCC and
local business
- Academic Affairs/ASCSU with
Business and Finance
- 2013-14 implementation
- longer term NSF backing
William G. Thomas, Chair, History
2009 winner NSF & NEH
Digging into Data Challenge
digital humanities
early childhood development
sustainable irrigation
Grand Challenges
Ellen Weissinger
Provost
Area A Area B Area C Area D Area E
globalization
social justice
sustainability
civic engagement civic engagement
July 9, 2013
. . . state and federal grants and loans will
shift more toward a performance-based and
outcomes-based system than is the case
today and one that does more to reward
innovation.
Making Sense
diffusionoflight.wordpress.com