Promote a coherent experience for all Syracuse students to enable achievement of the University’s integrative institutional learning outcomes.
Syracuse University prides itself on being student-centered. The self-study process affirmed our success in realizing this commitment, but also noted areas that could be further strengthened, such as our analysis and reporting of factors resulting in student grievances, campus climate of diversity and inclusion, and other opportunities to create a unified student experience. Most pressing may be the findings from the self-study process related to general education, which noted that challenges have arisen related to ensuring all students develop the desired essential competencies through the current diverse approaches in meeting the liberal education requirements of New York state and through the variations on the distributed model developed from the College of Arts and Sciences Liberal Arts Core. These findings from the self-study process also connect to the academic strategic plan.
Pillar One of the academic strategic plan, focusing on undergraduate excellence and the student experience, made the following commitment: “We will identify and develop a set of core competencies that transcend the renowned but often compartmentalized reputations of specific schools, colleges, and programs to give all students the critical skills that inform academic, personal, and professional success.” Working Group 1 of the academic strategic plan Implementation Committee took this mandate and used it to develop a proposal for the “Syracuse 4+4,” a set of four skills (abilities) and four approaches to reasoning undergirded by integrity and ethics. These proposed competencies would focus on undergraduate education but could be also be used for discussions regarding graduate education. Having shared competencies would provide a common language for students, faculty, and staff to articulate students’ capabilities with respect to personal, civic, academic, and professional achievement.
Recommendation 2 commits to further improvement of the student experience at Syracuse by affirming initiatives outlined in the academic strategic plan:
A. Formally adopt, implement, and assess shared competencies as the University’s integrative institutional learning outcomes for undergraduate programs to enhance intellectual engagement of all students. Developed by a cross-section of faculty, students, and staff as part of the academic strategic plan Implementation Committee work, the shared competencies will align with the outcomes required of Middle States affiliated institutions that are often achieved through a general education program and will integrate other Syracuse University-centric outcomes.
B. Work with the appropriate committees of the University Senate (e.g., the Committee on Instruction, Committee on Student Life, and the Committee on Curriculum) or a new University-wide selected committee (representing academic affairs and enrollment and the student experience) to guide and support the implementation and maintenance of a shared competency strategy by the end of 2018.
C. Engage the Senate Committee on Curricula to incorporate consideration of integrative institutional learning outcomes into the review process for new curriculum and curriculum revisions.
D. Support assessment efforts of shared competencies by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment providing tools and templates and professional development opportunities to support University-level assessment that won’t be burdensome to faculty or staff.
E. Task co-curricular and functional units with supporting shared competencies as appropriate to their respective missions.
F. Allocate resources to the academic, student experience, and functional units, such as the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment, IT Services, and Hendricks Chapel, to support high impact practices and initiatives to implement and assess shared competencies.