How it Developed
Conversations began by considering and establishing outcomes for every graduate. Today's students bring vastly different experiences and expectations than students over the past 20 years. More than a dozen learning outcomes emerged as a way to guide the curriculum development process.
"The starting point was, 'what do you want students to know and do?... And we also had to make sure our curriculum is responsive to the College's mission in the areas of ethics, global understanding and citizenship," said Jennifer Jackson, Svend and Elizabeth Bramsen Professor in the Humanities and associate professor of English.
"We hoped to anchor their General Education in a relevant topical area, so they can better deal with real-world questions and issues," said Jon Visick, Professor of Biology.
The faculty also embraced the principles of Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP), a national initiative that champions high impact educational practices that research shows lead to better student learning and post-graduation outcomes. LEAP promotes curriculum components such as learning outcomes, high impact practices, undergraduate research and internships, assessments and capstone projects across disciplines.
