Curriculum Implementation Team Progress Report

Curriculum Implementation Team –
DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE REPORT
(Direction and Strategy)
June 3, 2009

Submitted to: Robin Holmes, Vice President for Student Affairs
Deb Chereck, Student Affairs Strategic Planning Process Chair

Submitted by: Laura Blake Jones (chair)
Abigail Leeder
Chantelle Russell
Dave Rubino
David Espinoza
Gretchen Jewett
Mike Eyster
Paul Shang
Rick Guerra
Sandy Schoonover
Sheryl Eyster

RESTATEMENT OF COMMITTEE CHARGE

GOAL: Students’ readiness for civic engagement, global citizenship, healthy living,
employment and life-long learning is enhanced through a comprehensive and
purposeful curriculum.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Establish a divisional curriculum framework
2. Increase students’ ability to develop, apply and confidently articulate their skills, personal qualities and goals
3. Increase student engagement through intentional active learning opportunities

RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT:

• Develop a working definition of what curriculum means in the division
• Develop a plan to address each of the three objectives outlined above
• Assess the current curriculum efforts in the division
• Identify our needs in regard to curriculum development
• Make suggestions regarding developing best practices and encouraging innovation
• Identify resources needed
• Set clear and measureable metrics (benchmarks for achieving goals and objectives)

Summary of Initial Committee Work

March- May 2009

• Committee began work in March and met weekly through June 1 with the exception of three weeks during this time.
• Achieved all short-term objectives listed in following timeline for the first three months of work.
• Review of literature illuminated existing best practices and informed plan development.
• Committee began to collect information about curriculum components existing within departments in the division but this work is incomplete and needs to be completed during the summer 2009.
• Committee completed the task of developing working definition of curriculum.
• Committee developed two graphic representations of our curriculum model.
• Committee spent extensive time focused on defining the curriculum framework/model areas goal statements and measureable bullet point outcomes/behaviors for each curriculum area.
• Committee developed draft timeline.
• Committee completed assigned first draft of report.

Summary of Key Findings
March-May 2009

• The work of the curriculum committee is inextricably linked to the work of both the programs and services and assessment implementation teams.
• Initial collaboration established among these teams is critical to continue in the coming months.
• The proposed timeline is ambitious and may not be achievable without added resources.
• The extent of how the curriculum model will be implemented will be determined over the summer 2009 committee work and will significantly impact resource needs.
• Details of the timeline will continue to evolve as work continues.
• Overlap between and interconnectedness of curriculum areas within this model were intentionally designed and reflect the interdisciplinary core of transformational learning.

Overview of Attachments
March-May 2009

• Working Definition of Curriculum and Framework/Model Overview
• Timeline of Implementation Team Activities
• Curriculum Framework
• Transformational Learning Opportunities within the Division of Student Affairs
• Formal Academic Course Linkages to Student Affairs Curriculum
  

 

Working Definition of Student Affairs Curriculum and UO Curriculum Model Overview:

Students have a variety of experiences at the University of Oregon, which contribute to their intellectual and social growth and development. The Division of Student Affairs’ curriculum articulates the specific personal development, skill acquisition and learning that students gain from these experiences. The curriculum allows students to set specific goals and objectives for their learning and, to reflect upon learning outcomes.

The Student Affairs curriculum focuses on the development of the whole person and is implemented in educational contexts and settings within the eight departments of the division, and throughout the University of Oregon and the greater Eugene-Springfield community. The curriculum is the foundation upon which the departments of the Division of Student Affairs build a coordinated set of collaborative programs and services that comprise the shared student learning experience.

The perpetual learning-focused curriculum has seven core areas:

SENSE OF SELF

Students apply a clear understanding and awareness of personal values, beliefs, and attitudes to manage their behaviors and make decisions with confidence.

HEALTHY LIVING

Students take an active holistic approach to living a balanced and fulfilled life, engaging in behaviors that promote health and reduce risk, and contribute to the health of their communities.

MULTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Students recognize diversity, understand different cultures, and demonstrate cultural competency.

SUSTAINABILITY AND STEWARDSHIP

Students understand how concepts of sustainability are connected to issues of environmental health, social justice and economic strength.

CIVIC AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

Students demonstrate a responsibility to others, participate in creating healthy, diverse communities, and become engaged with campus, local, national, and global issues.

MEANINGFUL LIFELONG WORK

Students use academic and occupational resources to explore career choices and to develop their understanding of the world of work.

LEARNING CENTERED LIVING

Students recognize that learning is a lifelong process that is ever evolving. Students cultivate a sense of curiosity and become committed to reflection, exploration, and engagement in a diversity of experiences that broaden their perspectives.

Model Graphic, Option 1

Model Graphic Option 2

TIMELINE OF ACTIVITIES
(Prescribed 24 month period – March 2009- March 2011):

 

Short Term – Three Months (March- May, 2009)

• Implementation Committee Formed, Receives Charge and Begins Work
  
• Committee Reviews Relevant Student Affairs Literature
  
• Committee Reviews Best Practice Curriculum Models from Other Institutions
  
• Committee Begins to Identify Existing Curriculum Pieces within Departments Contributing to Divisional Curriculum Framework and Learns about Curriculum Efforts Across the Division
  
• Committee Collaborates with Programs and Services and Assessment Implementation Teams to Ensure Cohesiveness of Planning
  
• Committee Develops Two Versions of Curriculum Model Graphic
  
• Committee Drafts Curriculum Model Framework
  
• Committee Completes Draft Comprehensive Report Outlining Direction and Strategy for Implementation Team Plan

Medium Term – Six Months (June-August, 2009)

• Committee Receives Input on Draft and Makes Suggested Revisions/Additions
  
• Committee Refines Listing of Existing Divisional Curriculum Efforts to Ensure Comprehensiveness
  
• Committee Completes Draft #2 of Report by June 30
  
• Committee Collaborates with Assessment and Program Implementation Teams
  
• Input from Student Affairs Division Sought through SharePoint Site and Director-solicited Feedback
  
• Committee Reviews Draft #2 with Selected Key Faculty Members and Student Leaders on Campus over the Summer
  
• Committee Continues to Develop Plans for Implementation of Curriculum Efforts
  
• Committee Researches and Begins Developing a Format for Tracking Student Engagement/Learning within the Curriculum.
  
• Committee Identifies Locations/Opportunities within the Division to Achieve Curriculum Model Goals
  
• Committee Identifies Preliminary Resource Needs as Determined by Nature and Extensiveness of Implementation Plans

Long term –12-24 months (September, 2009-August, 2010) and (September, 2010-June, 2011)

Phase One - September, 2009-August, 2010 (months 7-18)
Work during this academic year to focus on model refinement and implementation strategy development.

• Fall Term – model refinement and review with students
  
• Winter Term – implementation strategy refinement
  
• Spring Term – resource acquisition/implementation planning
  
• Summer Term – implementation planning finalized and model rolled out to incoming first year students during 2010 IntroDUCKtion

Phase Two - September, 2010-June, 2011 (months 19-27)
Work during this academic year to include the actual implementation of curriculum model within the division of Student Affairs.

• Fall Term – incoming first year students actively working within model opportunities for skill development and goal setting increase participation in active learning opportunities expand
  
• Winter Term – model evaluated for initial effectiveness using qualitative focus groups
  
• Spring Term – model evaluated for two term impact using survey methodology requiring participants to assess progress related to specific learning outcome measures

 

UO DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Vision Statement:

The Division of Student Affairs at the University of Oregon is committed to supporting and challenging our students in the lifelong process of learning. As a committed partner in facilitating the mission of the institution, Student Affairs actively engages students in learning experiences to encourage self authorship and advance transformational learning.

Upon entering the University, students immediately engage with the dynamic and highly individualized curriculum of the division, identifying personal growth areas and setting individual goals for their ongoing development. Staff members from across the Division of Student Affairs are available to students for advice, support and mentorship opportunities in the fulfillment of curriculum goals and in the advancement and transformation of student learning.

Students at the University of Oregon actively question, research, reflect and apply what they learn as effective critical thinkers, active problem solvers, and involved decision makers. Upon graduation, our students are able to apply classroom and co-curricular learning as they leave the University of Oregon and enter the work force, graduate school or volunteer service as informed and committed global citizens.

The curriculum of the division of Student Affairs focuses upon development of the student as a whole person and is implemented in educational contexts and settings within the eight departments of the division and throughout the University of Oregon campus and the greater Eugene-Springfield community. The perpetual learning-focused curriculum centers around seven core areas which include: sense of self, healthy living, multicultural development, sustainability and stewardship, civic and global engagement, meaningful lifelong work and learning centered living.

Curriculum Framework:

SENSE OF SELF
Students apply a clear understanding and awareness of personal values, beliefs, and attitudes to manage their behaviors and make decisions with confidence.

• Seek experiences that support and develop an internal capacity to choose their beliefs, values, identity, and relationships.
• Identify and communicate value judgments effectively.
• Develop resilience and are able to assess strengths and growth areas in relation to others.
• Convey a positive self-image.
• Work toward self-acceptance, enhanced self-esteem, and the appreciation of others and their differences.
• Recognize the role of power in social systems and are able to identify the roles individuals play within these systems.

HEALTHY LIVING
Students take an active holistic approach to living a balanced and fulfilled life, engaging in behaviors that promote health and reduce risk, and contribute to the health of their communities.

• Develop independence and autonomy in relation to nutrition, personal hygiene and safety, financial management, stress management, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
• Establish and sustain healthy relationships and support networks.
• Manage well-being through prevention and harm reduction actions.
• Accept responsibility, understanding the impact of personal choices on the health of self and others.

MULTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Students recognize diversity, understand different cultures, and demonstrate cultural competency.

• Explore and understand who they are within a cultural context and social system.
  
• Engage in activities and learning that promote cross-cultural knowledge, skills, and awareness.
  
• Develop the confidence, capacity, and skill to enhance self-awareness and engage with people different from themselves.
  
• Understand the role of individual experience in defining world view and validate the experiences of others.
  
• Understand that multicultural learning is experiential and developmental.
  
• Understand the implications of social identities including race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual orientation and how these constructs may affect individual’s life experiences.

SUSTAINABILITY AND STEWARDSHIP
Students understand how concepts of sustainability are connected to issues of environmental health, social justice and economic strength.

• Apply knowledge of sustainability to personal and professional lives.
  
• Recognize how personal choices impact sustainability.
  
• Acquire the knowledge and ability to change attitudes and behaviors (of self and others).
  
• Consider decisions as consumers and work toward lasting solutions, looking at the connections between ecological, economic and equity issues, such as global warming, pollution, health, and poverty.
  
• Reduce the negative personal and societal impacts on our life sustaining eco-systems.

CIVIC AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
Students demonstrate a responsibility to others, participate in creating healthy, diverse communities, and become engaged with campus, local, national, and global issues.

• Understand and respect community standards and the effects of their behavior on self, others and greater community.
  
• Gain perspective on different cultures through the study of art, language, music, religion, political and economic systems.
  
• Cultivate informed awareness of global issues, trends and impacts, and understand their historical context.
  
• Develop leadership skills and become familiar with solutions to social issues and global challenges.
  
• Apply knowledge, experiences, and skills to address community needs and become effective agents of change through acts of civic engagement.

MEANINGFUL LIFELONG WORK
Students use academic and occupational resources to explore career choices and to develop their understanding of the world of work.

• Develop self-knowledge related to career choice and work by identifying, assessing, and understanding their competencies, interests, values, and personal characteristics.
  
• Assess and relate interests, education, experience, and desired lifestyle to the employment market.
  
• Seek academic programs and experiential opportunities that optimize future educational and employment options.
  
• Prepare to find employment by developing job-search skills and an understanding of the fit between their competencies and occupational requirements.
  
• Seek to engage in life work that is aligned with personal goals and values.

LEARNING CENTERED LIVING
Students recognize that learning is a lifelong process that is ever evolving. Students cultivate a sense of curiosity and become committed to reflection, exploration, and engagement in a diversity of experiences that broaden their perspectives.

• Participate in a wide array of learning opportunities within and outside of the academic major.
  
• Access available resources for learning.
  
• Actively question, research, and gather information, and apply what they learn as effective critical thinkers and problem solvers.
  
• Apply classroom and co-curricular learning to real world situations.
  
• Engage with campus arts and cultural activities by attending performances, creating or performing in various artistic mediums.
  
• Create time for personal reflection.
  
• Graduate committed to pursuing lifelong learning opportunities.

 

DRAFT – very rough initial list at this point
Transformational Learning Opportunities within the Student Affairs Division

 

Career Center

• Students learn how to apply for campus employment opportunities
• Students receive information and learn about internship opportunities
• Students learn career related skills such as creating cover letters and resumes
• Students practice job interviewing skills
• Students learn how to connect and interact with potential employers via Career Fairs
• Students learn business etiquette and appropriate socialization, interviewing and work skills

EMU

• Students learn from various leadership and employment opportunities throughout theEMU
  
• Students learn community development skills
  
• Students learn social change agent skills
  
• Students learn community engagement model skills
  
• Students learn and express themselves through performance and the arts
  
• Students explore identity development constructs
  
• Students explore issues of sustainability and stewardship
  
• Students learn from active participation in the student governance process

Holden Leadership Center

• Students learn from participation in leadership programs including: LeaderShape; Leadership for the 21st Century; President’s Leadership Symposium; World Series of Leadership
  
• Students participate in internship opportunities within the center serving as peer leadership consultants
  
• Students receive leadership coaching and skill development
  
• Students learn about a wide variety of leadership styles and skills

Office of Student Life

• Students learn from navigating through a crisis or difficult personal circumstance
  
• Students learn from participating in community engagement model programs
  
• Students learn from participating in and watching peer theater productions
  
• Students learn conflict resolution skills
  
• Students learn how to be responsible members of the campus community
  
• Students learn from violating the code of conduct and the process around repairing harm
  
• Students learn about responsible use of alcohol and harm reduction techniques
  
• Students learn about consensual and healthy relationships
  
• Students learn about social justice
  
• Students learn about identity development (racial, gender, and sexual orientation)
  
• Students learn through student employment and internship opportunities
  
• Students learn from participation in campus traditions and ceremonies
  
• Students (and parents) learn about attaining incremental autonomy and healthy family relationships
  

PE and Recreation

• Students learn healthy life skills from participating in PE classes and utilizing recreation facilities
  
• Students gain advanced fitness skills and competencies
  
• Students gain leadership opportunities and skills from student employment roles
  
• Students learn leadership and team building skills from serving as intramural team captains and coordinators.
  • Students gain cultural competency and appreciation of differences through Rec Center interactions and programs

University Counseling and Testing Center

• Students learn and grow from individual and group counseling and therapy
  
• Students learn to take responsibility for self care and their mental health/well being
  
• Students learn from materials in the self-help library and from the website
  
• Students learn coping strategies and healthy behaviors
  
• Students learn referral techniques and how to support others in need
  
• Students learn multicultural competencies from work with therapists and staff
  
• Students learn from being UCTC interns/post docs
  
• Students learn from participation on the UCTC Advisory Board

University Health Center

• Students learn to take responsibility for their own health and wellness
  
• Students learn skills/strategies from interactions with healthcare providers
  
• Students learn how to take responsibility for healthy, safe sexual relationships
  
• Students learn from being peer health educators
  
• Students learn from serving on the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)

University Housing

• Students learn what it means to live successfully in community with others
  
• Students learn how to create effective roommate relationships
  
• Students become involved in community-based leadership opportunities
  
• Students become Fig Assistants/Resident Assistants and learn from a variety of student staff positions
  
• Students learn about living in a diverse environment
  
• Students learn tolerance and respect for others
  
• Students learn how to get support and assistance for themselves or others as needed
  
• Students learn self-management and incremental autonomy/independence

 

DRAFT
Formal Academic Course Linkages to the Student Affairs Curriculum

(Proposal: list courses like this here by school/college that are germane to our curriculum areas – or list the courses by curriculum area mixing schools/colleges – it was suggested we do this to tangibly show faculty we wish to partner – the listing below is just what we quickly pulled off the catalogue – would be better to eventually involve faculty in determining what to list here – put here now as placeholder)

School of Architecture and Allied Arts
LA 441 – Principles of Applied Ecology
PPPM 325 – Community Leadership and Change
PPPM 326 – Regional Leadership and Change
PPPM 327 – Global Leadership and Change
PPPM 494 – Practice of Leadership and Change

College of Arts and Sciences
SOC 304 – Community, Environment and Society
ANTH 161 – World Cultures
ANTH 173 – Evolution of Human Sexuality
ANTH 280 – Language and Culture
ANTH 314 – Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
ANTH 310 – Exploring Other Cultures

College of Education
EDUC 420 – Living in a Stratified Society
EDUC 616 – Language, Power and Education
FHS 328 – Theory of Family Systems
CPSY – 612 – Professional Ethics
CPSY 617 – Theories of Career Development
CPSY 643 – Community and Prevention Interventions

School of Law
LAW 616 – Mediation Skills
LAW 693 – Human Rights and the Environment
LAW 613 – Perspectives on Conflict Resolution
LAW 615 – Cross Cultural Dynamics in Conflict Resolution

Charles H. Lundquist College of Business
FIN 281 – Personal Finance
BA 316 – Management: Creating Value through People
BA 352 – Leadership and Communication
BA 361 – Cross Cultural Business Communication
MGMT 321 – Managing Organizations

School of Journalism and Communication
J314 – Introduction to Communication Studies
J350 – Principles of Public Relations
J396 – International Communication

School of Music and Dance
DAN 256 – Body Fundamentals
DAN 251 – Looking at Dance
MUS 349 – American Ethnic and Protest Music
MUS 358 – Music in World Cultures
MUS 452 – Musical Instruments of the World