Memorandum to the General Education Committee of ASCRC

DATE: September 3, 2004 (revised 2/3/05)

TO: Celia Winkler, Chair, ECOS and Faculty Senate

CC: Don Potts, Chair, ASCRC

FROM: Jean Carter, Chair. Ad Hoc Committee to Create a General Education Committee

RE: 2004-05 Charges for the General Education Committee

In accordance with the resolution passed by the Senate at its April 8, 2004 meeting, the Ad Hoc Committee recommends the following short term and ongoing charges for the General Education Committee of ASCRC.

(1) Review the 2004 Provost’s General Education Task Force Report, current University of Montana general education requirements, and other models of general education requirements; then prepare 3-4 models of general education requirements that ASCRC may present to the Faculty Senate for a vote by April 2005.

(2) Develop a written statement of the purpose of general education requirements and clearly explain the role of competencies and perspectives in the educational experience by April 2005. This statement should reflect the mission and goals of the University of Montana and should be included in future catalogs.

(3) Evaluate and as needed revise the plan for continuous ongoing review and assessment of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the current general education requirements.

(4) Identify internal and external factors that influence general education requirements, including but not limited to constraints due to the policies of the Board of Regents, Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Office of Public Instruction; credit transferability among Montana University System campuses in accordance with the spirit of the recommendations of the 2005 Legislative Transfer Audit; legislative requirements for Native American education; degree and certificate credit requirements, and local resources.

(5) Identify competencies or perspectives that should be added, deleted, or changed to meet the needs of University of Montana graduates to ensure their future success in business, industry and society.

(6) If revision of the general education requirements or framework is deemed necessary, prepare recommendations for change and a plan for their implementation.

(7) Develop a plan for regularly scheduled revisions of the general education requirements that are no fewer than five years apart to minimize disruptions to advising and degree completion. Complete this plan by April 2005.

(8) Assure a mechanism is in place to inform academic advisors of changes in the general education requirements.

(9) Review the membership structure of the General Education Committee and report the findings to ASCRC. If revisions are deemed necessary, prepare recommendations for change. Complete initial review and report by April 2005.

(10) Work with ASCRC to establish charges for the following year.

Please Note: ASCRC currently has a subcommittee structure to review and approve general education designations and to evaluate the perspectives and competencies on a three-year rotation. Based on recommendations from the ASCRC Chair, this structure will be retained for at least the next several years.