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Lehman's Institutional Learning Goals
Characteristics of a Lehman Graduate Upon graduation from Lehman College, students will expand the legacy of Herbert H. Lehman as an educated citizen devoted to lifelong scholarship, to honesty and integrity, including the strength to follow one's conscience, to civic investment, based on the belief that everyone has a duty to help others, to collaboration and empathy with others, and to a willingness to address complex problems.
Lehman College graduates are:
- Educated Independent thinkers, who actively and skillfully cultivate the capacity to conceptualize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize and communicate. Specifically, they:
- Utilize critical thinking skills: As self-directed learners with the habit of asking "why," students use evidence-based reasoning and logical argumentation. They synthesize information and knowledge across disciplines to their own perspectives, positions, and interpretations.
- Demonstrate competence within at least one discipline: Students demonstrate understanding of the central theories, core literature, terminology, methods, practices and current issues within their disciplines as well as how their discipline related to other disciplines. They are capable of integrating knowledge from other disciplines as appropriate.
- Demonstrate skills in quantitative reasoning, information literacy, and research: Students capably comprehend, analyze, interpret and present quantitative data. They can, ethically and legally, identify, locate, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate information from a multitude of sources to solve diverse problems. They are capable of conducting primary and secondary research involving the collection, analysis and synthesis of data.
- Empowered
Confident thinkers, who recognize the power of informed inquiry to solving problems. Specifically they:
- Demonstrate outstanding communication skills in diverse media: Students effectively communicate with diverse audiences in diverse settings and through diverse media as well as use appropriate rhetorical strategies with different audiences.
- Engaged
Citizens, who contribute to their local, national and global communities using reason, integrity, empathy, accuracy, humility, and civility. Specifically they:
- Demonstrate multicultural, global and ethical awareness of diverse peoples and communities: Students respect individual differences and demonstrate empathy towards diverse viewpoints, values and experiences.
- Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team: Students contribute as team members to building consensus and share their skills and knowledge.
- Demonstrate the potential for leadership: Students assume leadership roles to build capacity in their communities.
Strategic Plan for General Education
Strategic Goals:- Provide adequate opportunities for students to acquire 21st century skills
- Facilitate integrative learning campus wide
Operational Goals:
| # | What? | Why? | How? | Who? | When? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Institute “Integrative Learning Council - ILC” | ILC will be responsible for ongoing implementation of this project | Appointment by A. Morrobel Sosa | S. Becker, administrators, and faculty members from various disciplines | Spring 2016 |
| 2a | Develop a proposed set of characteristics of a Lehman Graduate focusing on 21st century skills that will be recognized by the Lehman community | Lack of clearly articulated, shared understanding among faculty and staff about what our students can expect from our academic programs and degrees. | Proposed set was developed by the Fullerton Group and shared widely with students and faculty. Seek Senate approval. | ILC | Senate approval in Spring 2016 |
| 2b | Unpack institutional learning goals into assessable learning objectives. Specify expected levels of accomplishment Identify and adapt methods and metrics for assessment. | Making claims regarding student learning at Lehman College without specifying concrete goals and means of assessment is empty talk. | Develop matrix of GenEd learning objectives. Examine and, if applicable, adapt AAC&U LEAP VALUE rubrics or other approaches. | ILC and GenEd Council | Goals and assessment methods specified by May 2016. |
| 2c | Analyze the availability of opportunities for students to acquire 21st century skills at Lehman College and recognize areas in need of development to assure students graduate with identified characteristics | Our understanding of opportunities for students’ acquisition of 21st-century skills throughout the curriculum is sketchy. | Establish a repository of all syllabi. Analyze inventories in the FYI, Pathways, LEH, and major curricula. | ILC and GenEd Council in collaboration with departments | Inventories completed in May 2016. Analysis of inventories completed in August 2016. |
| 2d | Assess general education student learning outcomes for incoming freshmen, participants of LEH courses, and graduating seniors. | While available learning opportunities might appear to be adequate on paper, we need to obtain information whether the intended learning outcomes are achieved. | Install expectations for assessment and student production of artifacts. Provide faculty development for all FYI and LEH instructors and departments (e.g. for instructors of capstone courses). | ILC and Office of Assessment. | Ongoing. Assessment of learning outcomes in FYI and LEH courses will start in Fall 2016. Departments develop and implement assessment plan for graduating seniors for Spring 2017. |
| 2e | Facilitate curricular revision that will provide opportunities for all majors to develop the proposed 21st century skills | Intentionally addressing identified lack of opportunity is indispensable for students to develop the intended skills. | Revise Lehman’s FYI and LEH courses with instructors documenting how learning objectives are met in their courses. Provide feedback to departments regarding learning opportunities in their majors. Request departments to address identified issues. Ongoing curricular revision will be based on assessment of learning outcomes | ILC and GenEd Council | Learning objectives for LEH and FYI courses will be communicated to instructors in Summer 2016. Instructors will provide documentation in Fall 2016. |
| 3a | Investigate the variety of modalities available to facilitate integrative learning campus wide | Carry out a literature review. Compile a document with synopsis of approaches. | ILC in collaboration with TLC and Vice Provost for Academic Personnel | ||
| 3b | Identify current integrative learning activities across campus (e.g. ePortfolios, course combinations, ELOs, etc.) | Lack of coordination and recognition of existing integrative learning opportunities | Perform an inventory survey. | ILC in collaboration with TLC and Vice Provost for Academic Personnel | |
| 3c | Develop a website for college wide communication regarding Integrative Learning Initiatives | Need for education and professional development for faculty in integrative learning theories and techniques | Website development by IT | ILC in collaboration with IT | |
| 3d | Facilitate faculty development and buy-in regarding Integrative Learning | TLC faculty workshops | ILC in collaboration with TLC and Vice Provost for Academic Personnel | ||
| 3e | Assess the success of the Integrative Learning initiative | ILC in collaboration with TLC and Vice Provost for Academic Personnel |
