University General Education Committee, February 7, 2008 meeting

At this gen. ed. meeting we discussed in most detail the LEAP initiative. This program is all about working on defining and utilizing learning outcomes for a liberal education. Wisconsin is a pilot state, because it using this program at the system-wide level. There will be a learning session about essential learning outcomes for a select number of faculty (focused on those who teach large numbers of freshmen and transfer students). We also discussed long-range assessment planning, which again works in the idea of learning outcomes. Look for more information to come on the gen. ed. website about assessment done last summer on the library competency of incoming freshmen. Judging will begin soon for the Liberal Arts Essay competition; three essays will be submitted at the campus level (authors will receive $500 scholarships) and one for the system level (author will receive a $1000 scholarship).