General Education Philosophy Statement

General Education at Sauk Valley Community College prepares its graduates for the increasing demands of the workplace and the expanding responsibilities of the diverse local and global communities in which they will live and work. Required courses in communications, mathematics, the physical and life sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities and fine arts, and personal health and development provide students with knowledge, competencies, and habits of mind conducive to living responsible, productive, and joyful lives. Within this curricular framework, the General Education Program will help students develop the following competencies:


Ethics

Students will be able to:

  1. Identify ethical issues in a variety of contexts and academic disciplines and explain their significance.
  2. Reason about ethical principles and consequences.

Current Assessment Data: The faculty group, based on a statistically insignificant sample, recommends continuing to develop common criteria based on the existing objectives. A subcommittee might consider a pre-post test option if what we value is change in ethical reasoning, as the existing tools would seem to indicate. We might also look at whether "diversity" is one context for ethical reasoning worth isolating as a project or criteria. The group revisited the emphasis on ethical reasoning as opposed to an ethical code. So much of ethics is dependent on subculture that the group was comfortable the existing objectives are the best possible statements of what the institution's faculty value. (Ethics will be the subject of institution-wide assessment in 2006-7, at the completion of which, more significant data should be available.)


Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning:

Students will be able to:

  1. Interpret and apply appropriate mathematical formulas and relationships in the appropriate context.
  2. Perform mathematical computations.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret the mathematical results of computations.

Current Assessment Data: The faculty discussion group, based on data pulled from classrooms across the institution, concluded that SVCC students are able to perform basic math operations, but are not demonstrating the ability to apply the operations to life situations across disciplines. The group recommended other disciplines coordinate their needs with the Math Department, specifically in investigating adding a lab component to MAT 106. This would involve learning math operations in class followed by applications of math concepts in discipline-specific situations in lab. (Mathematics is the subject of institution-wide assessment in 2006-7, at the completion of which, more significant data should be available.)


Problem Solving

Students will be able to:

  1. Identify problems and the desired outcomes.
  2. Recognize and evaluate available resources.
  3. Adapt, organize, and implement solutions or plans of action.

Current Assessment Data: In the initial year of testing (2004-5), only two classes provided data, so the testing lacked statistical significance. The faculty group found that analyzed and discussed the results expressed concern that problem-solving ability was below average. It recommended more hands-on activities addressing this competency. (Problem-solving is the subject of institution-wide assessment in 2005-6, at the completion of which, more significant data should be available.)


Communications

Students will be able to:

  1. Create and revise formal and informal writing assignments that are clear, coherent, and exhibit a command of Standard English.
  2. Develop, organize, rehearse, and deliver formal and informal oral presentations that are audience appropriate and either informative or persuasive.
  3. Demonstrate collaboration in completion of projects and assignments.
  4. Demonstrate the ability to read college-level texts by providing appropriate and critical responses in discussions, tests, presentations, critiques, and reviews.
  5. Demonstrate their ability to listen by providing appropriate and critical response after a listening experience.

Current Assessment Data: In the initial year of testing (2004-5), data was submitted primarily addressing the oral and written communication goals. The faculty groups noted that in classroom data submitted for written work, the faculty only two classes provided data, so the testing lacked statistical significance. Across all disciplines, students were weakest in the areas of purpose, organization, and conclusion. It was determined through discussion that most instructors meant integral organization rather than broad paper organization. Instructors' concerns were centered on transitions and topic sentences. The group indicated a desire for a set of guidelines presented in several handouts. In ORAL communications, analysis of the data indicated that students are unable to transfer skills from one context to another. The group recommended encouraging students to take SPE 131 as soon as possible and encouraging all gen ed instructors to include an oral presentation. (Communication is the subject of institution-wide assessment in 2005-6, at the completion of which, more significant data should be available.)


Technology

Students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate general computer literacy.
  2. Demonstrate the selection and use of appropriate technologies for the specific discipline.

Current Assessment Data: In the initial year of testing (2004-5) the sample lacked statistical significance. The faculty discussion group concluded student success rate was high for the reports received. The greater priority is improving the process of assessing this competency, specifically clarifying what we mean by technology: Do we mean computer technology or various instrumentation technologies used by specific departments. The Gen Ed Subcommittee will address this in developing criteria for the institution-wide project currently scheduled for 2007-8.


Research

Students will be able to:

  1. Identify, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize information to generate ideas and concepts.
  2. Assess the value of a source.
  3. Identify, describe, and utilize appropriate research tools, methods, and processes.

Current Assessment Data: There were no data submitted for this Gen Ed competency project. The Gen Ed Subcommittee determined that no faculty discussion was necessary. The project is scheduled for institution-wide assessment in 2006-7.