Index

MC's Current General Education Program

Current General Education Competencies

COMAR, the Code of Maryland Regulations

Academic Area Review of Gen Ed

Assessment of Gen Ed Competencies

Gen Ed Committee Meetings & Minutes

General Education Programs at Other MD Community Colleges

Links to Gen Ed Programs at Maryland Schools

General Education Appeals

Gen Ed Workshops

Press:  Inside MC Online Articles about
General Education at MC

Presentations:





















 The General Education Committee Page    
 

The General Education Committee's
Recommended Updates - The Final Version   5/1/08


The General Education Committee is pleased to announce the final version of their “Recommendations to Update the General Education Program at Montgomery College.”

 

These recommendations have received the approval of both the MC Collegewide Curriculum Committee and the Academic Assembly. 

 

Full-time faculty are asked to vote to approve the Recommendations in two ways, described below.

 

A Summary of Major Recommendations:

 

  • The Structure of the Program (course requirements in distribution areas of English composition, mathematics, speech communication, health, arts, humanities, behavioral and social sciences, and natural sciences) remains the same. 
  • Two "Areas of Proficiency" have been added to the five state-mandated General Education Competencies
  • The "Multicultural” course requirement has been renamed a Global and Cultural Perspectives requirement, with updated criteria.
  • A new “Documentation of Transferability” has been created. The faculty vote in March March 2008 resulted in a decision to make transferability of courses into general education categories at other institutions one, but not the deciding, factor in the decision to accept a course into the program.  The previous “Documentation of Transferability,” adopted in 2005 without faculty review, used a formula asking for a particular number of transfer equivalencies.  The method lacked an examination of general education practices in the broader perspective.  See details in the full copy. 

See the full copy of the Final Version of the Recommended Updates.
Voting Procedures for Full-Time Faculty:
  1. Vote in person through a voice vote conducted during the Closing Meeting on Wednesday, May 14th, 9 am, Falcon Hall, Takoma Park / Silver Spring Campus.

    --OR--
  1. Full-time faculty members may send an absentee vote by e-mail to the General Education Mailbox, GenEd@montgomerycollege.edu prior to Tuesday evening, May 13th, 9 pm.  ("I approve" or "I do not approve" is sufficient to indicate that you approve, or you do not approve, of the General Education Recommendations.) 

If the vote is close, we will conduct a hand count and count absentee ballots.

Please come prepared to vote by reviewing materials on this page.  Find a Comparison Chart of the Voting Options here.

________________________________________

What's Next?  The General Education Course Review Process  

All courses in the General Education Program will undergo a re-application process for General Education Status in the next 18 months, beginning in September, 2008, regardless of the Vote in May to approve or disapprove of the General Education Committee's Recommended Updates. This review, the first since 1996, will use either the new Recommended Guidelines or our current standards.  It is an important part of maintaining the quality of a dynamic General Education Program.  The Middle States team sought evidence that our General Education Program has a review cycle in place, and commended us for demonstrating an active process of considering updates to the program.  Whether we use standards from the Current Program (five State-mandated Competencies) or the Recommended Updates (Competencies and Areas of Proficiency), we must examine courses to determine whether General Education Competency outcomes are being met in general education courses. 

 

Previous Information:

 Results of the March 2008 Faculty Vote:

 

 _____________________________________________________

276 votes

1.A  Speech Yes:  Keep a Speech course as a General Education Requirement.

This maintains the current general education requirement that states that all students will complete one speech course (3 credits) in order to earn an associate’s degree.  

101 votes

1.B  Speech No:  A Speech
       course will become an option
       under the General Education
       Humanities Distribution List.

Effect on Overall Program – adds 3 credits back into the Program, students may take 3 credits of any General Education Distribution Category, including Humanities

218 votes total

2.A  Health Yes:  Keep a Health course. 1 – 3 credits, as a General Education Requirement. 

This maintains the current general education requirement that states that all students will complete one health course (1-3 credits) in order to earn an associate’s degree. 

158 votes

2.B Health No: A Health course is not a General Education Requirement.

This creates an Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues (IE) Distribution category under which health courses become an option.  Other courses may apply to be part of the IE Distribution,
1 to 3 credits.

302 votes

3.A Transferability of courses  into General Education categories at other institutions should be a factor, but not the driving factor for a course to be accepted as a General Education course .

72 votes

3.B Courses that do not have demonstrated evidence of transferability into Gen Ed categories at five of the top ten transfer destination institutions for MC students (Maryland and DC schools) would not be accepted as a General Education course.


MANY thanks to all FT faculty who voted, and to the many volunteers who made the vote possible by attending the voting tables.  A special thanks to Faculty Council Chairs Joan Gough, Muswamba Kadima-Nzuji and Jack Sallie for organizing this voting opportunity.

The General Education Committee will now incorporate these decisions into a proposal to update the General Education Program. 

 

The Montgomery College General Education Committee
Anne Schleicher, Chair
Vicky Dorworth, Maureen Edwards, Sharon Fechter, Steve Lietz - Rockville Campus

Margaret Latimer, Phil Ringeisen - Germantown Campus

Linda Mona, Lincoln Mudd, Nora Ryan - Takoma Park / Silver Spring Campus

Leading Up to the Vote:

What issues must be decided before making any changes to the General Education Program?  Your opinions are invited as the College considers these questions:

  1. Should a speech course be a requirement for degree-seeking students?     
    Click for Yes or No Vote Details   New comments posted 3/14/07
  2. Should a health course be a requirement for degree-seeking students?  
    Click for     Yes or No Vote Details  New comments posted 3/18/08
  3. Should a course's transferability into a general education category at four-year institutions be one, but not the sole, deciding factor, for inclusion in  general education status? Click for Yes or No Vote Details  New comments, including a description of how transferability is used in course development, posted 3/7/08

These questions are simplified to present yes/no, up/down voting options; however, the underlying considerations are complex and need your careful review.  Details on a possible Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues (IE) category are included within Y / N in Question 2.   What are the consequences of each yes or no? 

  • Voting Date set for March 19 & 20, 2008 - 9:00 am - 6:30 pm
  • Click here for Issues Resolved - Multicultural Requirement, Assessment Levels, Introductory Content
 
Why issues rather than amendments?
The process for possible changes
The Draft Proposal for Revision (March 2007) Read it to understand "The Rest of the Story"

General Education Issues Discussion
at the January 16th Opening Meeting
 Globe Hall, Germantown Campus
 
In response to faculty suggestions, the General Education Committee identified Major Issues that must be decided before proceeding with any revisions to the General Education Program.  A two-hour discussion was held on January 16th, 2008.
  1. Overview of the Philosophy of General Education  
  2. Process :  January 16:  a discussion of the issues;  late March: faculty vote on the Issues; April: Presentation of the proposal based on the outcome of the March vote; May:  Closing Meeting:  Vote on the General Education Proposal
  3. A Brief Presentation of the Major Issues - Yes and No Details  

Materials Distributed at the January 16th Meeting:

Issues Resolved:
Multicultural Requirement, Assessment Levels, Introductory Content.

Amendments are Out; Issues are In:  The General Education Committee originally invited submission of amendments to sections of the Draft Proposal.  The amendment process was both informative and confusing.  After many consultations with proposers, the General Education Committee decided unanimously to adopt some amendments.  Those amendments could still be revisited by the request of faculty; however, in the interest of making this process clearer to all, the following amendments have been added to the Draft Proposal:

a.      Reword the Competencies and Areas of Proficiency as follows:

General Education Competencies described below are the outcomes that are pervasive components of all courses and experiences.  These competencies equip a student with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for a full and productive life.  They are not limited to instruction in one course or discipline; these competencies can be taught in all college courses and are suggested by Maryland Higher Education Commission for general education programs.

§          Written and oral communication:  includes the ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written language, the ability to use a variety of modern information resources and supporting technologies, the ability to differentiate content from style of presentation, and the ability to suit content and style to the purpose of communication.  

§          Scientific and quantitative reasoning includes the ability to locate, identify, collect, organize, analyze and interpret data, and the ability to use mathematics and the scientific method of inquiry to make decisions, where appropriate.

§          Critical analysis and reasoning includes the ability to arrive at reasoned and supportable conclusions using sound research techniques, including inference, analysis and interpretation.

§          Technological competency includes the ability to use computer technology and appropriate software applications to produce documentation, quantitative data presentations and functional graphical presentations appropriate to various academic & professional settings.

§          Information literacy includes the ability to identify, locate and effectively use information from various print and electronic sources.

Montgomery College expects that students will also demonstrate proficiency in the following areas as a result of participation in the General Education Program:

§          Global and Cultural Awareness:  Students will be able to analyze political, social, environmental, religious and economic systems of the world; explain the growing interdependence of nations and peoples; interact in multi/cross-cultural settings; develop skills and attitudes that enable one to respect and appreciate diversity.

§          Artistic and Aesthetic Awareness Skills: 
Students will develop skills and acquire experiences that enable them to value, reflect upon, and appreciate the creative process and its role in the human experience.

§          Personal, Social and Civic Responsibilities:
Students will develop skills and attitudes necessary to function effectively as responsible, ethical and contributing citizens of the community, state and nation.

General Education Competencies described below are the outcomes that are pervasive components of all courses and experiences.  These competencies equip a student with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for a full and productive life.  They are not limited to instruction in one course or discipline; these competencies can be taught in all college courses and are suggested by Maryland Higher Education Commission for general education programs.

·          Written and oral communication includes the ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written language, the ability to use a variety of modern information resources and supporting technologies, the ability to differentiate content from style of presentation, and the ability to suit content and style to the purpose of communication.

·          Scientific and quantitative reasoning includes the ability to locate, identify, collect, organize, analyze and interpret data, and the ability to use mathematics and the scientific method of inquiry to make decisions, where appropriate.

·          Critical Analysis and Reasoning includes the application of higher order analytic and creative cognitive processes to arrive at reasoned and supportable conclusions, to synthesize and apply knowledge within and across courses and disciplines, and to develop creative solutions.

·          Technological competency includes the ability to use computer technology and appropriate software applications to produce documentation, quantitative data presentations and functional graphical presentations appropriate to various academic & professional settings.

·          Information literacy includes the ability to identify, locate and effectively use information from various print and electronic sources.  

Montgomery College expects that students will also demonstrate proficiency in the following areas as a result of participation in the General Education Program:

·          Global and Cultural Awareness:  Students will be able to analyze political, social, environmental, religious and economic systems of the world; explain the growing interdependence of nations and peoples; interact in multi/cross-cultural settings; develop skills and attitudes that enable one to respect and appreciate diversity.

·          Arts and Aesthetic Awareness:  Students will develop skills and acquire experiences that enable them to value, reflect upon and appreciate the arts and role of the arts in the human experience.

·          Personal, Social and Civic Responsibilities:  Students will develop skills and attitudes necessary to function effectively as responsible, ethical and contributing citizens of the community, state and nation.

2.   Additional faculty-proposed changes upon which the General Education Committee
      agreed unanimously:

b.      Restore a Multicultural Requirement:  General Education courses will contribute to a student's appreciation of multicultural and diversity issues. Students must include one course marked with an asterisk within their general education course choices to satisfy a 3-credit Global and Cultural Awareness requirement.

c.       Assessment Levels:  A general education course will have assessment levels of EN 101/EN 101A and\or RD 120 when learning outcomes indicate that these levels are necessary for students to succeed in the course.  Assessment levels for each course will be determined by discipline faculty and the General Education Committee.  [This allows courses without assessment levels such as those in arts and humanities to remain on an individual review basis]

d.  Course Criteria - Definition of Introductory Level:  Courses should provide a broad introduction to the content or method of an academic field. Courses are typically broadly foundational, not narrow or limited to the interest of specialists. General education courses should familiarize students with a discipline's particular way of obtaining knowledge and teach some of the most important insights of the discipline.  Representatives from subject disciplines and the General Education Committee jointly may decide to include second-level or courses beyond an introductory level on an individual course review basis.   [Allows some second-level courses to remain based on individual review of additional criteria such as content, transferability, etc.]

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Assessment of General Education Outcomes 

The Montgomery College Office of Outcomes Assessment has undertaken a full-scale project to assess competencies taught in general education courses.  See the MC Outcomes Assessment page, left column, under SLO's for General Education.

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Academic Area Review Recommendations Regarding General Education

The AAR Review of Montgomery College's General Education Program, conducted in February 2004, yielded a variety of suggestions for change.

Highlighted Recommendations:

  • Consider adding an information technology literacy requirement to the General Education program.
  • Review the place of the current health requirement in the General  Education program.  
  • Review the place of speech courses among the Colleges’ General Education foundation courses; consider adding the courses to the humanities distribution area, or in a new “emerging issues” category.
  • Consider guiding the choice of humanities distribution courses to provide for selection of courses from different disciplines, as is currently the case with behavioral and social science distribution courses.
  • Address the issue of whether courses that have no assessment level requirements should be included among the College’s General Education distribution courses.
  • Revise the Montgomery College Multicultural Course Status Guidelines, in keeping with contemporary thinking regarding higher education intended to develop understanding and appreciation of cultural and group diversity, and differences in race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation and social class.
  • A process should be established for identifying degree-seeking students who have earned a minimum of 35 credit hours toward their chosen degree.  These students should be required at this point in their study to do a graduation checkout with a counselor or academic advisor, in order to ascertain exactly which degree program and General Education program requirements remain.
  • To assess and benefit the quality of all instruction at Montgomery College , including the courses in the General Education program, the College should actively arrive at and put in place pilot measures and processes for assessing educational outcomes.
  • Work to strengthen the writing and critical literacy components of all General Education courses, particularly in arts distribution courses.

The General Education Committee should regularly encourage curriculum coordinators, departments and discipline representatives to review the inclusion of their courses on the General Education distribution lists, to determine if the courses should remain, if they should be revised in order to make them more suitable, or if the courses should be removed from the lists.
  • Investigate whether or not a foreign language requirement should be included as a required, recommended or optional part of the general education program in light of efforts to prepare students for a global society.

Click here for a full copy of the
AAR Recommendations Report for the General Education Program.

The State of Maryland's Regulations for General Education Programs - COMAR

While Maryland's higher education institutions have the ability to design their own general education programs, the State outlines minimum requirements for all community college programs through COMAR, the Code of Maryland Regulations.

General Education Appeals 

Occasionally, students may make an individual appeal to the General Education Committee to allow the substitution of course credit to satisfy General Education requirements in associate’s degrees awarded by the College. In its decisions, the Committee is bound by Code of Maryland Academic Regulations (COMAR) and by General Education course substitution criteria and procedures approved by the College faculty.

Academic Appeals are separate and distinct from General Education and provide for decisions regarding certain College academic regulations. 

The following page has forms outlining Steps for General Education Appeals, Procedures & Criteria, and a General Education Appeal Application Form.

General Education Workshop Materials

"The Learning All Students Need for the 21st Century"

Initial WORKSHOP ON GENERAL EDUCATION, August 25, 2004 - held at the Rockville Campus  Printable summary - Word doc 

Montgomery College General Education Program: 
Education for the 21st Century

 Do General Education Programs Work? 

The question is not a new one, nor is it being asked solely by MHEC.  Colleges and universities around the nation are examining their general education programs to determine whether they are effective, realistic, and worthwhile. 

Montgomery College's General Education Program, adopted in 1986 and last revised in 1996, was developed to provide to all students, in both career and transfer curricula, a common, broad-based, well-rounded educational experience. The General Education program directs students to courses in English composition, mathematics, speech, health, arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and natural sciences. Such courses continue the process, begun earlier in students' lives, of exposing them to the human, cultural, and natural world that surrounds us all.  In light of what we know about general education and the needs of our students in the 21st. Century, we ask ourselves:   "Does our program work?" and "How can we improve it?”


Task One:  Define the goal –an “educated” Montgomery College Student

Montgomery College students are lifelong learners who:
 

  • Definition 1 – Demonstrate (personal, emotional, physical, social, spiritual) growth and who are ethical citizens.  They appreciate and demonstrate an understanding of ethics and civic responsibility in community settings and private lives.
  • Definition 2 – Develop world awareness and can relate world events to their lives; show a respect for diversity, demonstrate tolerance, and understand the interrelationship of disciplines.
  • Definition 3 – Are adaptable self-aware students who are able to respond to a changing environment, and at the same time are equipped with defined transferable skills. These students show consistent intellectual engagement, are problem solvers, are courageous, confident and open.
  • Definition 4 – Are open-minded, productive and energetic.  They enjoy learning, and are functioning, useful citizens whose leadership potential has been developed. They are people who “play well with others” and are individuals who are creative, independent thinkers.

 


Task Two:  Identify (with rationale) top three additional competencies/areas of general education that are fundamental to general education at Montgomery College .

  • Competency 1 – Serve and communicate with the global and local community.
  • Competency 2 – Develop an aesthetic awareness; appreciate the relevance of the arts and focus on the experiential aspect of the arts.
  • Competency 3 – Develop compassion for humanity; support academic outcomes; understand different points of view.
  • Competency 4 – Develop the ability to define relationships among other defined competencies.
  • Competency 5 – Develop behavioral skills – the ability to work with others, the ability to organize tasks and projects.
  • Competency 8 – Identify components of wellness & develop strategies to handle change.
  • Competency 9 – Develop the ability to evaluate and respect human diversity.
  • Competency 10 – Develop the ability to tell “good” from “bad” information, to manage time effectively, to listen, to prioritize, and to exercise financial responsibility.

 


Task Three:  Identify possible thematic/structural/cognitive/disciplinary/competency- referenced framings for the Gen Ed program at MC.

  • Develop clusters of related courses within existing distribution lists, to support majors or transfer or career paths.
  • Integrate some / several competencies in every college course, e.g. history and technology.
  • Recognize that not all courses can support all competencies.
  • Develop clusters of courses with major competencies. Develop a system which ensures that students select courses with major competencies, e g. create a first year audit or checklist.
  • Develop system which ensures students select courses with major competencies (i.e. 1st year graduation list). Create mechanisms to measure progress through attainment of competencies).
  • Create new “Gen Ed” courses. Flexibility – create course clusters to develop and underscore   interdependence within the student’s general education experience.

 


Task Four: Identify possible ways of complying with Gen Ed requirements/meeting competencies.

  • Performance; publication; presentation; discussion of readings; debates; problem-solving simulations; portfolio – by subject / discipline, or a “transfer” portfolio; develop an academic resumé; proficiency interviews; rubric of agreed-upon competencies for a course sequence; undergraduate research; conferences;  “student presentation day;” internships; outside expert review; teaching others / lesson development; a “theses” or “senior project;” capstone course / standardized test(s).
  • Embed assessments in courses.
  • Exit interviews (review of courses taken and portfolio of the results); random survey of students regarding the attainment of general education competencies; mechanisms to measure / demonstrate competencies; preliminary survey to discover capabilities as students arrive; competency checklist; comprehensive examinations / demonstrations / oral presentations –with a timeline of when these assessments occur using academic history.

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Contact Us:  General Education Committee 

GenEd@montgomerycollege.edu 

Last Page Update:  05/06/08
Comparison Chart of the Voting Options
 

Vote to Keep the Current Program 
("Do Not Approve')

 Vote to Approve 
Recommended Updates
Structure of the Program Remains the same, Health, Speech courses continue as requirements Remains the same, Health, Speech courses continue as requirements
Overview Same language as 1996 Updated language
Competencies Courses will need to provide information showing outcomes related to the five competencies; as many as applicable Courses will need to provide information showing outcomes related to two of the five competencies or one competency and one new area of proficiency
Assessment Levels  Not stated on course application forms Stated on course approval forms
Statement that courses should typically be introductory level Not stated in guidance forms   Stated in guidance forms
Diversity/Global course Remains Multicultural Course with previous guidelines, shown here Updated name, "Global and Cultural Perspectives" and updated criteria, p. 6.
Documentation of Transferability Narrow definition adopted in 2005 without full faculty approval; please see p. 8 of Recommended Updates. Recommendation to view general education trends at schools, used as one, but not a deciding, factor in course approval, please see p. 8 of Recommended Updates.
Course Review for 2008-2009 Will proceed using updated Competencies information and criteria above; see Review Process and sample Current Application Form Will proceed using all Recommended Updates, see Review Process showing updated Application Form

 

Current Multicultural Course Criteria

Identify and briefly explain how this course will address each of the appropriate multicultural criteria that comprise the primary focus of this course.  To be assigned Multicultural status, a General Education Distribution course must have a course description and objectives that primarily focus on one or more of the following:  

Criteria

Explanation

The study of non-Western history, literature, art, culture, or religion.

     

The use of examples, data, and information from a variety of cultures and groups to illustrate key concepts, principles, generalizations, and theories.

     

The experiences of women and/or minorities in American culture.

     

A comparison of Western and non-Western history, literature, art, culture, or religion.

     

The integration of non-Western history, literature, art, culture, or religion with their Western counterparts

     

The characteristics of racial, gender, and class attitudes, and strategies that can be used to help develop more positive attitudes toward others

     

The study of how knowledge is created and how it may be influenced by factors of race, ethnicity, gender, and social class

     

 

 

 
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