General Education: Recent History at Kansas State University

       During the 1987-88 academic year, Provost Coffman officially placed the topic of general education on Kansas State's agenda. He requested that the Faculty Senate study the topic of general education at Kansas State and recommend a course of action. Three ad hoc committees of the Academic Affairs Committee of Faculty Senate (1988--Ottenheimer, chair; 1989--Sullivan, chair; 1990--Frieman, chair) studied the topic of common university degree requirements and offered proposals for consideration.

       The 1988 report suggested that we adopt the thinking of Ernest Boyer regarding the teaching of undergraduates and recommended pedagogical reform rather than curricular change. The 1989 report exclusively focused on learning outcomes for undergraduates and did not explicitly address curriculum.

The first two reports did not inspire widespread campus discussion.

       The 1990 report proposed a uniform core of approximately forty credits of study for all undergraduates and reaffirmed the support for pedagogical improvements along the lines suggested by Ernest Boyer. The Academic Affairs Committee circulated the 1990 proposal across the campus and requested the return of evaluative responses. A review of the responses concluded that the faculty extended "overwhelming" support for improved general education but were unwilling to accept the specifics of the proposal.

       In 1991, with the urging of the Deans' Council and the support of the Academic Affairs Committee of Faculty Senate, the provost initiated a general education project to design a workable general education plan. Among the reasons noted for Kansas State to continue pursuing a University-wide general education plan was the fact that Kansas State did not meet the criteria established by the North Central Association for general education and this threatened our continued accreditation. Also, respondents to the 1989 and 1991 surveys of Kansas State graduates identified increased attention to communication skills, problem solving, and knowledge applications to life as priorities for action at Kansas State.

       The charge to the project team insisted that the design for general education ensure that:
            a) curricular emphasis on the major is not violated,
            b) students have flexibility in general education choices,
            c) the possibility to complete a degree in four years continues,
            d) national and professional accreditation of programs will not be damaged, and
            e) the faculty enjoy some latitude in meeting common curriculum requirements.

       In the spring of 1994, the General Education Project Team presented a unique concept of general education crafted specifically for KSU. The proposal did not prescribe a uniform set of courses and experiences from particular disciplines or fields of study nor did it require the addition of any new credit hours to existing undergraduate graduation requirements for any established degree program on campus.

       University General Education, as the program became known, has now been in place at Kansas State since the fall semester of 1997. The full proposal and other UGE information can be found on the UGE website ( http://www.k-state.edu/uge/aboutuge/proposal.htm ).

       During the spring of 2003, an ad hoc group held several brainstorming sessions about the future of general education at Kansas State University. As a result of their discussions, two working committees were established in the fall of 2003.

       The UGE Procedures Committee was charged in October 2003 to quickly identify immediate, workable solutions to specific problems that currently plague UGE. In December, that committee submitted their report and recommendations to Provost Coffman, the UGE Council and ICCP (the Inter-College Coordination Panel). The UGE Council and ICCP reviewed the recommendations and shared their respective positions and action plans with Provost Coffman.

       The General Education Steering Committee was charged in November 2003 to develop and implement procedures for a campus-wide solicitation of ideas and proposals, and to promote and support a creative discussion, involving many facets of the university community. The ultimate outcome should be a campus-wide decision about a future general education program for undergraduates at K-State. The Steering Committee is not specifically responsible for the ultimate outcome. It is charged to put the process in motion.