10sgroup5



Group 5: Nicholas Bojda, Alyssa Ferro, Jesse Marsh, Holly Rainis

Fresh Ideas, Inc. 100 Main Street Newark, DE 19711

April 20, 2010

MS. Karen Stein Dean of Students 116 Hullihen Hall Newark, DE 19716

Dear Ms. Stein:

In response to your Request 001 for investigating and implementing an effective general education program at the University of Delaware, Fresh Ideas, Inc. is pleased to submit the following proposal. Our consultants are confident that they can properly assess the current problems with the general education requirements to provide an effective solution.

The enclosed document highlights how we intend to assess the existing general education program. It also includes a schedule of procedures, the company’s record of service, and a proposed budget.

Please feel free to contact me at staffh_r@freshideas.com if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to working with you and your highly respected institution.

Sincerely,

Holly Rainis Staff member, Fresh Ideas, Inc.

Enclosure

--


 * Proposal: The University of Delaware General Education Program ||
 * Fresh Ideas, Inc. ||
 * Fresh Ideas, Inc. ||

4/20/2010 ||

-

Introduction

The problem at hand deals with freshmen in college having no idea what career path they want to follow. At some universities, freshmen are required to take a variety of general education courses in their first year, if not their first semester. However, at the University of Delaware, students can take their general education courses at their own convenience. While this system may work for students who have decided on their majors before arriving at college, most students need more time to figure this out. Some undergraduates change their majors many times trying to find the right fit. If the majors are very different, each change increases the likelihood that the student will have to stay an extra semester, at least. A program designed to give students a glance into all of the colleges that the University offers earlier in their college careers would decrease the amount of major changes students make and allow the students to be enrolled in something they enjoy sooner. If this proposal is chosen, the result of our research will be a general education program that allows students to figure out early what they want to do; hopefully, decreasing the number of major changes and length of time spent in college by undergraduates.

Objectives

Our objectives all revolve around the idea of having a program to introduce a general education unit, which is completed earlier in an undergraduate’s education, into the curriculum at the University of Delaware. First, we want to make sure that this is something that is wanted by the students and faculty. We want to survey the students first, getting a good representation of the undergraduate body. We will then conduct interviews with students and staff to get a more detailed look at what is necessary for a program like this to be placed into action. We will then work with University officials to construct a plan that will allow for the successful implementation of a program focused on general education being a more substantial part of the curriculum.

Procedure

1. We will speak with Karen Stein, Faculty Director of General Education at U.D., to: · Assess particular areas of interest regarding student surveys about general education requirements

· Discuss reasons for the general education policy being the way it is

· Discuss realistic changes to the current program

· Determine possible scope of these changes

2. Survey University of Delaware students, utilizing social networking websites, regarding their feelings about General Education requirements and possible changes to the current program. We will ideally survey about 10% of the undergraduate population (roughly 1700 people); however, this information will be used mainly to obtain opinions and some examples for background information, so a few student responses are all that is necessary.

3. Research into General Education requirements and graduation rates at comparable universities (University of Maryland and Pennsylvania State University).

4. Help university officials design a new policy regarding general education requirements pending the results of our research.

Record of Service

Fresh Ideas, Inc. has been providing superior consulting expertise to universities and academic institutions since 1987. A list of our past projects and clients can be seen at [|www.freshideas.com/clients]. We take pride in establishing amiable and interactive relationships with our clients. Our associates are well-rounded professionals who have worked in strategic management, information technology, and education sectors. Get to know our consultants and visit [|www.freshideas.com/consultants] to view professional profiles of our experts.

Budget

The costs will be a breakdown of hours and materials used, along with any additional charges that may come up in the process. We initially predict 400 man-hours, which will equate to $4,000. An additional $500 for supplies makes for a tentative proposed cost of $4,500 to your organization. This will provide five people full time for just over two weeks, which should allow for the completion of the project. The amount stated above is negotiable pending alterations to this proposal.

Schedule

Week of April 26, 2010 · meet with Dean of Students · collect objective student information · survey University of Delaware Students · Interview student advisors

Week of May 3, 2010 · Analysis of Results

Week of May 10, 2010 -Verification and revision of results and conclusions.

Week of May 17, 2010 · Presentation to University of Delaware General Education Department

Letter of transmittal:

Fresh Ideas, Inc. 100 Main Street Newark, DE 19711

May 3, 2010

MS. Karen Stein Dean of Students 116 Hullihen Hall Newark, DE 19716

Dear Ms. Stein:

Enclosed is the report by Fresh Ideas, Inc. regarding the revision of General Education requirements at the University of Delaware. This report includes research into other, comparable, universities that demonstrate likenesses and differences between the programs. We are also providing the results of a survey of University of Delaware students and recommendations based on our findings.

We hope that this report provides you with the information you need to successfully change the General Education program at the University of Delaware. These changes can lead to more students graduating in four years, versus five or more. We feel that this will be a significant benefit to your program and school

Please contact Fresh Ideas, Inc. with any questions you may have.

Thank you,

Holly Rainis Staff Member Fresh Ideas, Inc.

Enclosure

_


 * Title Page:**

=General Education Requirements at the University of Delaware: Research and Revisions to Improve the Current Program=

Holly Rainis

 * _**


 * List of Tables and Figures:**

Table 1: 4-Year Graduation Rates (Source: //The College Board//)

Table 2: Out of State Yearly Tuition Costs (Source: //U.S. News)//
 * **UD** || $32,494 ||
 * **MD** || $33,365 ||
 * **Penn State** || $25,208 ||
 * **National Average** || $11,528 ||

Table 3: UD Course Breakdown Example- Finance Major (Source: //The University of Delaware)//


 * Abstract:**

We began to research this issue by researching the current graduation rates and requirements at the University of Delaware. We then researched the current general education requirements implemented at the University of Delaware. After gaining a better understanding of what goes on at our University we researched general education requirements and graduation rates at public universities in neighboring states: University of Maryland: College Park and Penn State University-University Park. By looking at other Universities are implementing, we were able to come up with program ideas that could be introduced at UD. We also surveyed University of Delaware student regarding their experiences with the current general education program at UD.

We suggest that the University of Delaware change the curriculum regarding General Education requirments. We reccomend that UD require each undergraduate student take a 3 credit course from all seven colleges at UD. This will increse the number of general education coruses and will allow students to have a more well rounded experience during their four years at UD. We believe these changes will improve graduation rates from the University of Delaware.

This new problem would be at no cost the the University of Delaware.This adaptations to the current program implemented at the University of Delaware would improve the 4 year graduation rate of incoming first time full time freshman. We believe that this program would improve the current general education program at the University of Delaware.


 * //Report://**
 * Introduction:**

This report is the culmination of research and surveying to supply the finished product of our proposal.

THIS SENTENCE IS VAGUE. BE MORE SPECIFIC. THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE RESULTS OF OUR RESEARCH INTO .... ETC.

Interesting information has been found regarding the amount of time spend in General Education classes at different universities, along with how they may correlate with the end product, which is the amount of time needed to finish the project. While there still is an issue regarding the University of Delaware and its General Education progress,

IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT YOU MEAN BY THIS.

our report provides suggestions on how to make it a better part of the University as a whole. This could help decrease the amount of time spent changing majors, as many people will be shown various aspects, and would be able to pick their major based on their vast array of first year experiences.

In order to improve the General Education program at the University of Delaware, Fresh Ideas, Inc. has compiled this report, which describes the results of our research into this topic. We have compared the University of Delaware to the University of Maryland and the Pennsylvania State University. This research looks into the programs in place at each university and the corresponding graduation rates. In order to gain a more subjective view on the General Education program, we surveyed a small group of U.D. undergraduate students and interviewed the faculty director of the General Education program at U.D. Our report summarizes our findings and provides recommendations for new requirements for the General Education program. These changes can help with decreasing numbers of times majors are changed at the university, thus increasing the graduation rate within four years as a result of less time lost in the student’s final major choice. By giving students more of a range of courses during their first year, they are able to choose based on a vast array of first year experiences.


 * Procedure:**

In order to gain comparable information about the University of Delaware and other, similar, schools, we did research into the programs at the University of Maryland and Pennsylvania State University. All three universities are comparable because of state school status, large town setting, large amount of undergraduates (UD: 17,000, UMd: 26,000, PSU: 39,000), and requirement of General Education courses. (Source: //The College Board//). For each school, we found data posted on their respective web sites. We found information regarding their equivalents of the General Education program at the University of Delaware, as well as information on their graduation rates. In addition to research, we created and implemented a survey, using Qualtrics survey software, to University of Delaware students regarding their experiences with the General Education program and gauging their feelings about a possible change to the program. This survey was distributed using the social networking tool, Facebook, and was voluntary for any University of Delaware student. Although we would have ideally surveyed 1700 students (10% of the population), we were only able to reach a fraction of that as a result of the time limit. However, the survey was used for subjective information, mostly, so there is still value to what we have compiled. A blank copy of the survey is attached under Appendix A. We also interviwed Karen Stein to learn more about the current general education program at UD. This interview was conducted via electronic mail and was used to feel out a key administrator's ideas about the current program at U.D. and what has been done in the past to aid in making a better program.


 * Results:

Graduation Requirements at the University of Delaware** According to the University of Delaware's registrar, all students who graduate from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor Degree must meet certain requirements. The student must complete the academic requirements of their specific program of study. All students must also complete general requirements. · Have a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 in all courses taken at the University of Delaware. o The student must complete either the first 90 credits or the last 30 of 36 credits at the University. · Complete ENGL 110 with a grade of at least C- · A passing letter grade in an First Year Experience (FYE) course · A passing letter grade in a 3 credit Discovery Learning Experience (DLE) · 3 credits in an approved course stressing multi-cultural, ethnic or gender related content.

[]

General Education Implemented at the University of Delaware: According to the University of Delaware general education website the goal of general education is, “to consider general education as a total coherent experience and to organize the University of Delaware's academic resources to optimize the learning environment” This can be translated into 10 specific goals: These goals are implemented by LIFE-academic living-learning experience for first-year college student, small learning community organized around several of their academic courses Pathways-thematic, integrative courses for first-year students designed to introduce students to the academic resources of the university and to teach basic intellectual skills required for a successful undergraduate experience. Discovery Learning-internship, a service learning course, an independent study, participation in the Undergraduate Research Program or a Study Abroad program Capstone Course- integrate, synthesize, and reflect on what has been learned across a course of study
 * 1) Attain effective skills in (a) oral and (b) written communication, (c) quantitative reasoning, and (d) the use of information technology
 * 2) Learn to think critically to solve problems
 * 3) Be able to work and learn both independently and collaboratively.
 * 4) Engage questions of ethics and recognize responsibilities to self, community, and society at large.
 * 5) Understand the diverse ways of thinking that underlie the search for knowledge in the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences.
 * 6) Develop the intellectual curiosity, confidence, and engagement that will lead to lifelong learning.
 * 7) Develop the ability to integrate academic knowledge with experiences that extend the boundaries of the classroom.
 * 8) Expand understanding and appreciation of human creativity and diverse forms of aesthetic and intellectual expression.
 * 9) Understand the foundations of United States society including the significance of its cultural diversity.
 * 10) Develop an international perspective in order to live and work effectively in an increasingly global society.

[]

According the University of Delaware's Office of Instititional Resrach, Graduation Rates for entering first time, full time freshman 2004-3,422 students Graduating within 4 years- 61.8 % Graduating within 5 years- 74.9 %

[]


 * Information about the University of Maryland:**

The goal of the University of Maryland’s CORE program is to provide students with a strong and broadly based education. Students must complete two sections of the program by the time they reach 30 credits: · Fundamental Studies: students master basic writing and mathematics skills in their first year. Students must take six credits of English and three credits of a 100 level or 200 level Mathematics course.

· Distributive Studies: students generally pursue this category within their first two years of enrollment. Courses include Literature, Physical Science, Humanities, Social or Political History, and Behavioral and Social Sciences. Students must take nine credits of Humanities and the Arts, ten credits of Sciences and Mathematics, and nine credits of Social Science and History.

At College Park, 63% of students graduate within 4 years, while 80% graduate within 5 years (//The University of Maryland.)//


 * Information about the Pennsylvania State University:**

When it comes to general education at the Penn State University, there is a considerable amount of emphasis placed on it. The Penn State website states that each student must complete 45 credits of general education, which equates to roughly 1/3 of their total credit requirement. They break their general education into multiple sections which include Writing/Speaking, Quantification, Health and Physical Activity, Natural Sciences, Arts, Humanities, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Penn State also requires a First Year Seminar, United States and International Culture understanding, and a Writing Across the Curriculum course. Their reasons for requiring these classes are admirable. It seems that they want their students to be the most well rounded, no matter their current major. The reasoning is that, in the working world, students will not necessarily remain in the career that their major prepared them for; they will need to utilize more skills to be successful.

At University Park, 63.1% of students graduate within four years. In six years, however, 84.6% of students graduate.

(Source: //Penn State Bulletin//)
 * Information from the survey:

From the survey of mostly female, senior-year University of Delaware students, we gained some information. Most of these students were familiar with the General Education courses at U.D. and would be finished with these requirements by the end of the current semester. While they felt that the courses they took for General Education were beneficial to them, they did not think the courses fulfilled the goals set by the university. The majority of survey participants have not changed their majors, but a minority has changed their major 4 times. Many of the participants did feel that more, or more varied, General Education courses would have helped them decide on their major sooner in their undergraduate career. A copy of the survey is available under Appendix A.

(Survey created using //qualtrics.com//)

Interview with Karen Stein:**

From the interview with Karen Stein, we learned that there has not been much emphasis placed on General Education requirements in the past, but there is more research going on now. The requirements for General Education are listed above and do not completely fulfill the Ten Goals, also listed above. More research and thought will be put into the requirements in the future. A copy of this interview can be seen in Appendix B.


 * Conclusions:

Even though the University of Delaware has implemented a general education curriculum, approximately 62% of the undergraduate students graduate in four years. This is why we believe that by additional general education courses to the current program would help increase graduation rates. We ask that U.D. require of each undergraduate student to take a 3 credit course from each college. (College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Arts and Sciences, Alfred Lerner College of Economics and Business, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, College of Education and Public Policy, College of Engineering, and College of Health Sciences). Overall, we feel that by introducing the above recommendations into the current driving program would allow students to have a more varied experience during their college career.

Recommendations: Compared to the University of Maryland and Pennsylvania State University, the University of Delaware has relatively the same graduation rates, so recommendations based on these universities regarding graduation rates are not too helpful. However, having all students complete General Education requirements as similar to those at the Pennsylvania State University would be most helpful for lifelong learning. A broad background in all areas of study will allow students to have versatility in their future careers. This, along with the student responses to the survey, leads to the recommendation that U.D. require each undergraduate student to complete at least one 3-credit course from each college on campus (College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Arts and Sciences, Alfred Lerner College of Economics and Business, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, College of Education and Public Policy, College of Engineering, and College of Health Sciences). These courses would be done, preferably, during the first year at the university. In each semester this would account for about 10 credits, leaving about 7 credits for major requirements each of the first 2 semesters. Although the student would be required to take more courses, the variety of these courses could help them in deciding on their future careers. This leads to less indecision, therefore fewer changes of major. This will increase the number of General Education courses and, also, allow students to have a more diverse education during their college experience. Therefore, the University of Delaware can improve it's graduation rates through a slight change in the curriculum regarding General Education requirements.

Future Research:

After this program has been put into place, the actual courses taken by students for their General Education requirements should be looked into. It may be more worthwhile, in the long run, to have set courses that best illustrate the nature of each college on campus. Currently, however, students should be allowed to choose on their own; this will still lead to a more varied experience at the University of Delaware.

Works Cited:

PLEASE SEE THE HANDOUT ON PROPER FORMATTING OF THE WORKS CITED. THE WAY YOU LIST THINGS HERE MUST CORRESPOND TO THE PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS YOU SHOULD BE USING THROUGHOUT THE BODY OF YOUR REPORT. **

[|"Summary Graduation Rates." //Penn State University Budget Office//. Web. 4 May 2010. .]

"Are Four Years of College Financing Enough?" //Free College Search | Scholarships | College Admissions Requirements//. 2010. Web. 3 May 2010. .

"University of Maryland Undergraduate Catalog 2009-2010." //The University of Maryland//. 1 June 2009. Web. 3 May 2010. .

"National Universities Rankings." //Best Colleges - Education - US News and World Report//. 2010. Web. 3 May 2010. .


 * http://www.qualtrics.com**

//The University of Delaware//. 1 Apr. 2010. Web. 3 May 2010. .

[][]


 * Appendices:**

Appendix A. Survey

1. What year are you? a. Freshman b. sophomore c. junior d. senior 2. What gender are you? a. male b. female 3. Are you familiar with the General Education requirements at the University of Delaware? a. yes b. no 4. If so, do you feel that these requirements were beneficial to you? a. N/A b. yes c. no 5. There are ten goals for Undergraduate Education, specifically General Education, at UD. These include, but are not limited to, being able to work both independently and collaboratively, developing the intellectual curiosity, confidence, and engagement that will lead to lifelong learning, and developing an international perspective in order to live and work effectively in an increasingly global society. Do you feel that the General Education course fulfill these goals? a. yes b. no 6. How many times have you changed your major? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 e. 5+ f. 0 7. If you have changed your major, do you think that more, or more varied, General Education courses would have helped make your decision easier? a. I have not changed my major b. yes c. no 8. What college are you currently in? a. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources b. College of Arts and Sciences c. Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics d. College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment e. College of Education and Public Policy f. College of Engineering g. College of Health Sciences 9. Is this the same college you started in at the university? a. yes b. no 10. Do you have any suggestions for General Education courses at the University of Delaware? 11. Do you have any comments related to General Education requirements, Undergraduate education, or changing majors?

Appendix B. Interview with Karen Stein, Faculty Director of General Education

We saw that the program changed as recently as 2003. What was the main reason for this change, and has it had the desired results?THE FACULTY SENATE TOOK CONSIDERABLE TIME IN DESIGNING THE GEN ED GOALS AND CONCEPTUALIZING THE PROGRAM. THIS CAME BEFORE THE FACULTY SENATE FOR A VOTE IN 2004 AND WAS APPROVED. THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN ANY MAJOR CHANGES SINCE THEN.

Do you think requiring Gen Ed's to be completed in the first year would be feasible or helpful to improving graduation rates? IN ESSENCE, THERE ARE NO GEN EDS TO BE "COMPLETED". RATHER IT IS A PROCESS OF EDUCATION THAT SHOULD OCCUR OVER THE FOUR YEARS SO STUDENTS HAVE TIME TO GAIN AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR COMPETENCIES IN ACHIEVING THE GEN ED GOALS. AGAIN, ACHIEVING THESE COMPETENCIES IS NOT TIED TO ANY PARTICULAR SET OF COURSES OR REQUIREMENTS, SO THERE IS NO IMPACT ON GRADUATION.

We are proposing that, if students had an earlier exposure to courses within various colleges on campus, they will change major less frequently because they would have more of a chance of finding the correct major.I BELIEVE THIS WAS THE RATIONALE BEHIND INSTITUTING UNIVERSITY BREADTH REQUIREMENTS.

Most importantly, however, do you see a problem at all regarding the Gen Ed program and graduating in more than four years? SEE PREVIOUS COMMENTS.

If so, do you think it could be improved by changing the requirements? Some colleges on campus require more general-type courses than others, do you see a difference in major changes and graduation rates/dates between colleges? I DONT HAVE THIS DATA. THERE MAY, IN FACT, BE CHANGES IN GRADUATION RATES BETWEEN COLLEGES, BUT I DOUBT IF THE PRIMARY REASON BEHIND THIS RELATES TO THE GEN ED GOALS OR EVEN TO THE 3 CREDIT DLE REQUIREMENT.

Is the 2008-2009 Instructional Grant coming up with new ideas for General Education? THIS WAS BEFORE MY TIME. INSTRUCTIONAL GRANTS WERE GIVEN TO FACULTY TO DESIGN COURSES THAT WOULD HELP STUDENTS ACHIEVE ONE OR MORE OF THE GEN ED GOALS, BUT THAT IMPACT WAS CONFINED TO A PARTICULAR COURSE. MORE INTERESTING, OUR CURRENT INSTRUCTIONAL GRANT PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON PILOTING STUDENT E-PORTFOLIOS ACROSS AN ENTIRE CURRICULUM. THESE EPORTFOLIOS WOULD ALLOW STUDENTS TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR ACHIEVEMENT OF BOTH PROGRAMMATIC LEARNING GOALS AS WELL AS GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS. WE THINK THIS IS A VERY PROMISING DIRECTION.