General Education Faculty Resources

Resources and Tools

Reporting Current Semester Data

The General Education Council, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, is charged with assessing Bloomsburg University’s General Education program, MyCore.

Departments and Units are charged with collecting and reviewing data. PRP 3612, the General Education Policy, clarifies these responsibilities:

  • All assessment data and student artifacts (representative samples of student work) must be collected and reviewed by the appropriate department or division according to the General Education Assessment Plan. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and confidentiality standards must be followed when submitting student artifacts to Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Data for GE courses must be submitted to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness as requested by the General Education Council.
  • The General Education Council, in collaboration with the Associate Vice President of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, determines the effectiveness of the General Education program and makes recommendations. (PRP 3612 — General Education Requirements)
  • Nuventive Improve (formerly TracDat) Assessment Data

The mechanisms by which the General Education program is assessed are established as the General Education Council, departments, and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness refine the General Education program and test assessment measures — both for data collection and for analysis and reporting. More information is available under GEC General Education Assessment Plan. The current collection process and schedule is described as follows:

Current Semester/Session for General Education Assessment Data Collection:

Summer Semester 2018: Goals 1, 2, and 3 (Communication, Information Literacy, and Analytical and Quantitative Skills)

DIRECTIONS: The General Education Council (GEC) asks faculty members teaching courses during the Summer Semester 2018 sessions carrying General Education Points (GEPs) under Goals 1, 2, and 3 (Communication, Information Literacy, and Analytical & Quantitative Skills), or newly approved courses with GEPs being taught or assessed for the first time to collect and submit General Education course data from every section. In order to assist you, a General Education Rubric tutorial is available.

  • Individual faculty members will receive an email near the beginning of Summer Semester with copies of the course rubric and master syllabus for each course he/she teaches which carries GEPs.
  • For each course which carries GEPs you teach, you will receive an email with the link to the actual rubric approximately two weeks before grades are due.
  • Departments have three options for data entry in the General Education Assessment System:
    • 1. Individual faculty can enter separate or aggregate data for their course sections - OR
      2. Departments can identify one person to enter aggregate data for ALL sections of a course at once - OR
      3. A department assessment coordinator is responsible for entering all General Education data for all courses. In this case, the coordinator will need to submit data after the deadline, contact Institutional Effectiveness to receive all course rubric links.
  • Faculty will be prompted to verify the data entered before clicking the “submit” button. Once the data is submitted, the rubric link becomes “inactive." If a faculty member becomes locked out of the rubric, please contact Institutional Effectiveness.
  • If a faculty member needs to resubmit course assessment data due to an error, or submit data after the deadline, please contact Institutional Effectiveness.

Record of GE Assessment Data Collection Schedule

Semester/Session Deadline For GE Goals (& any newly approved GE courses/CLEs)
Summer Sessions 2018 Session 1: Friday, Aug. 17, 2018
Session 2: Friday, July 06, 2018
Session 3: Friday, Aug. 17, 2018
1, 2, 3
Spring Semester 2018 Friday, May 18, 2018 1, 2, 3
Winter Session 2017 Friday, January 26, 2018 1, 2, 3
Fall Semester 2017 Friday, December 22, 2017 1, 2, 3
Summer Sessions 2017 Session 1: Friday, Aug. 18, 2017
Session 2: Friday, July 07, 2017
Session 3: Friday, Aug. 18, 2017
7, 8, 9, 10
Spring Semester 2017 Friday, May 19, 2017, by 5 p.m. 7, 8, 9, 10
Winter Session 2016 Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, by 5 p.m. 7, 8, 9, 10
Fall Semester 2016 Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, by 5 p.m. 7, 8, 9, 10
Summer Sessions 2016 Session 1: Friday Aug. 12, 2016
Session 2: Friday, July 1, 2016
Session 3: Friday, Aug. 12, 2016
All by 5 p.m.
4, 5, 6
Spring Semester 2016 Friday, May 13, 2016 by 5 p.m. 4, 5, 6
Winter Session 2015 Friday, Jan. 22, 2016 by 5 p.m. 4, 5, 6
Fall Semester 2015 Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 4, 5, 6
Summer Semester 2015 Session 1: Friday, Aug. 14, 2015
Session 2: Friday, July 3, 2015
Session 3: Friday, Aug. 14, 2015
All by 5 p.m.
1, 2, 3
Spring Semester 2015 Friday, May 15, 2015, by 5 p.m. 1, 2, 3
Winter Session 2014 Friday, Jan. 23, 2015 by 5 p.m. 1, 2, 3
Fall Semester 2014 Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 by 5 p.m. 1, 2, 3
Summer Session 2014 Session 1: Friday, Aug. 15, 2014
Session 2: Thursday, July 3, 2014
Session 3: Friday, Aug. 15, 2014
All by 5 p.m.
All
Spring Semester 2014 Friday, May 16, 2014, 4:30 p.m. All
Winter Session 2013 Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014 by 5 p.m. All
Fall Semester 2013 Friday, Dec. 20, 2013 by 4 p.m. All
Summer Session 2013 Session 1: Aug. 14, 2013
Session 2: July 9, 2013
Session 3: Aug. 14, 2013
All by 4 p.m.
All
Spring 2013 May 24, 2013, by 5 p.m. All
Fall 2012 n/a All

 

The data tables posted to Nuventive Improve (formerly TracDat)

Nuventive Improve (formerly TracDat) is the password-protected database that is the repository for BU assessment data. Permission is granted to users based on position and on decisions made in departments. For instance, in some departments only the chair has access, in others the chair and an assessment coordinator has access, and in others department members have read-only access while the chair and those involved with assessment can modify content in Nuventive Improve (formerly TracDat). Those with permission can log in here!

Fall 2012 VALUE rubric data has been posted to the SLO area of departmental Nuventive Improve (formerly TracDat) sites, under the Documents tab. If you have difficulty locating your department’s data in Nuventive Improve (formerly TracDat), or trouble logging in, please contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

The data files posted to department areas in Nuventive Improve (formerly TracDat) present the information in six formats, each answering a slightly different question:

  • Table 1: In each of our courses supporting each General Education Goal, how many and what percentage of students were scored at capstone, milestone 3, milestone 2, benchmark, and below benchmark performance levels?
  • Table 2: In each course, how many and what percentage of students were scored at capstone, milestone 3, milestone 2, benchmark, and below benchmark performance levels?
  • Table 3: For each Gen Ed Goal, which VALUE Rubric did we use, and what number and percentage of students were scored at each level for each element of that rubric?
  • Table 4: For each of the SLOs for each course, how many and what percentage of students were scored at each level?
  • Table 5: For each of the SLOs for each course, and for each rubric element used to assess that SLO, how many and what percentage of students were scored at each level?
  • Table 6: For each course contributing to each Gen Ed Goal, how many and what percentage of students were scored at each level of each rubric element?

It may be that tables three and five will be most useful for departmental discussions about student learning, curriculum, and instruction.

Table 1: By GE Goal and course

This table answers the question, In each of our courses supporting each General Education Goal, how many and what percentage of students were scored at capstone, milestone 2, milestone 2, benchmark, and below benchmark performance levels? Responses on all rubric elements associated with a given GE Goal are combined.

Table 2: By courses and reported achievement levels

This table answers the question, In each course, how many and what percentage of students were scored at capstone, milestone 2, milestone 2, benchmark, and below benchmark performance levels? In this chart, responses on all rubric elements used to assess performance are combined.

Table 3: By GE Goals, then VALUE Rubric and Element

This table answers the question, For each Gen Ed Goal, which VALUE Rubric did we use, and what number and percentage of students were scored at each level for each element of that rubric? (It is a version of this table, with aggregated data across all courses using a given VALUE rubric element, that the General Education Council will consider.)

Table 4: By course, then course SLOs

This table answers the question, For each of the SLOs for each course, how many and what percentage of students were scored at each level? If more than one rubric element was used to score a single SLO, this chart combines them.

Table 5: By course, then SLO, then rubric element(s) used to assess each SLO

The data in chart 5 duplicate the data in chart 4, but include specific rubric elements. This table answers the question, For each of the SLOs for each course, and for each rubric element used to assess that SLO, how many and what percentage of students were scored at each level?

Table 6: By course, GE Goal, rubric, and rubric element(s)

This table answers the question, For each course contributing to each Gen Ed Goal, how many and what percentage of students were scored at each level of each rubric element?

GE for Faculty, Staff & Administration

A general education is the result of the entire university experience. It should assure broad exposure to areas of study beyond the major to foster a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the world, its possibilities, and the individual’s part in it.

BU's General Education program, based on acquiring skills, knowledge, and cultural awareness, will help develop each student’s ability to think critically and communicate clearly.

This council is responsible for:

  • Developing guidelines for proposing General Education Points within a course or co-curricular learning experience. These guidelines are to be submitted to the BUCC for approval.
  • Providing guidance for the preparation of proposals.
  • Making recommendations to the BUCC concerning proposals for general education course and co-curricular learning experiences.
  • Conducting an annual review of the entire General Education program. Each goal of general education will be reviewed in detail every five years and as necessary.

General Education Guidelines

The General Education Council Guidelines are documents intended to help faculty, departments, student affairs personnel, and others prepare courses and co-curricular learning experiences for general education points in the MyCore General Education Program. The Guidelines support current policies and are intended to give proposal preparers suggestions of best practices at the current time. The Guidelines will be periodically updated and are open for discussion. Please tell the General Education Council about any concerns you may have. — GEC Guidelines for credit-bearing courses. CLE Guidelines for non-credit bearing courses

Loren Selznick, GEC Chairperson, Department of Accounting, Zeigler College of Business

Mindy Andino, Interim Vice Provost

Mary Lou D’Allegro, Associate VP of Institutional Effectiveness

Kate Beishline, Biological & Allied Health Sciences, College of Science & Technology

Rodger Benefiel, Sociology, Social Work & Criminal Justice, College of Liberal Arts

Jessica Bentley-Sassaman, Exceptionality Programs, College of Education

Tina Entzminger, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts

Bob Heckrote, Academic Advisor for Military and Undeclared Students

Jennifer Johnson, Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts

Jung Kim, Department of Marketing & Professional Sales, Zeigler College of Business

Linda Neyer, Library Faculty

Mykola Polyuha, Languages & Cultures, College of Liberal Arts

Cherie Roberts, Department of Teaching & Learning, College of Education

Cassandra Sachar, Academic Enrichment, Student Success

Jennifer Sheaffer, Nursing, College of Science & Technology

Nodir Egamberdiev, Student Representative

GEC Operations & History

Approved Bylaws & Procedures

Policies

  • PRP 3612 - General Education Requirements policy
  • PRP 3233 - Required Format for Master Course Syllabi Policy
  • PRP 3230 - Course and Academic Program Development Policy and Proposal Requirements
  • Omnibus Omnibus Document

Frequently Asked Questions - Faculty, Staff, Administrators