Institutional Profile
MISSION: to provide to students from throughout the state an affordable,
geographically accessible “small college” public higher educational experience of high quality, with a strong emphasis on undergraduate liberal studies and with professional programs supported by a broad base of arts and sciences, designed for their intellectual and personal growth in the pursuit of meaningful employment and responsible informed citizenship.
VISION STATEMENT: For undergraduates, our vision is to offer
academically capable students from all sociodemographic backgrounds an affordable, life-enriching “honors college” experience stressing community service and global awareness, all within an atmosphere of national historic beauty and a tradition of innovative cultural expression.
CARNEGIE CLASSIFICATION: Masters M UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT
Headcount: 2900 FTE: 2700 Residential: 47% Commuter: 53%
DEGREES OFFERED:
The University of Montevallo offers BS and BA degrees in traditional arts and sciences disciplines as well as in business and education. UM also offers BFA degrees in art and theatre. At the Masters level, UM awards Masters and Educational Specialist degrees.
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE:
Academic departments are organized into 4 colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Fine Arts.
PRESENT GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM:
Distribution model: 51-53 semester hours over 6 areas (written communication; humanities and fine arts; natural sciences and math; history, social, and behavioral sciences; health and wellness; and computer applications.)
TEAM MEMBERS:
Sherry Ford* Tom Sanders* Amanda Melcher John Bawden Kelly Wacker Emily Gill Mike Nevett Joe Walsh Paul Mahaffey Benton Tyler Brett Noerager * Co-chairs
Associate Professor of Communication Studies & Director of Honors Program Associate Professor of Business Assistant Professor of Library Science Assistant Professor of History Associate Professor & Chair, Art Assistant Professor of Theatre Associate Professor of Kinesiology Associate Professor of Instructional Technology Associate Professor & Chair, English Associate Professor of Math & Chair of Faculty Senate Associate Professor of Biology
Project Goals 1. To design a distinctive general education program that captures the Montevallo experience. 2. To complete our review over the span of two years (Fall 2012-Spring 2014) and begin to implement revisions that are adopted in the third year. 3. To retain the importance of critical thinking and communication skills and the value of small classes. 4. To establish more interdisciplinary experiences for students. 5. To identify “bookend” or “framing” kinds of learning experiences incorporating high impact practices to create a more coherent structure for our general education curriculum.
Project Obstacles/Issues 1. Ambitious timeline.
2. Currently do not offer a comprehensive, cohesive freshman experience. 3. Many students are at a loss to explain the purpose and value of their general education requirements. 4. Total hours/general education hours. 5. Transfer articulation agreements.
Process-to-Date: Consensus Building August 2012...................................................... Faculty Convocation focusing on General Education Review Plan October 2012............................................Provost appointed General Education Review Committee (GERC) December 2012............................Surveys administered to faculty and students February 2013.......................................... Shared results of surveys conducted in December with faculty in open forums March-April 2013...........................Shared general education info from selected peer institutions with faculty in open forums
Team Expertise
Stories of success with high impact practices such as • undergraduate research, • civic engagement & service learning, • faculty development initiatives, • environmental studies.
Questions/Help Needed • Fostering and maintaining student engagement. • Size and structure of general education; coherence and flexibility. • Connections: first-year experience, reinforcing general education in the major, capstone. • Obtaining faculty support for change. • Outcomes assessment.