Personal and Social Responsibility as Essential Outcomes: Making the Case with Students, Faculty, and External Constituents

October 2009 Network for Academic Renewal Meeting Minneapolis, MN

Narrow Learning is Not Enough The Essential Learning Outcomes

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and

Natural World
Focused by engagement with enduring and contemporary big questions

Intellectual and Practical Skills

Practiced extensively across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance

Personal and Social Responsibility

Anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges

Integrative Learning
Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems

Personal and Social Responsibility OutcomesWhat Are They?

Civic knowledge and engagementlocal and global Intercultural knowledge and competence Ethical reasoning and action Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

Communications Rule # 1
Know Your Audience What do they already think about your issue? How do you communicate about the issue? (where, how, who, to whom)

What Does Your Campus Community Think?

Faculty and Campus Leaders Students Parents of Students Trustees and/or Legislators

Discussion Questions
For this group, are these outcomes important for all college students? Should colleges place more emphasis, less emphasis, or about the same emphasis on these outcomes? Who is responsible for advancing students achievement of these outcomes? How should campuses advance these outcomes?

PSRNeglected But Essential Mixed Data on Commitment & Results Rhetorical Commitment but not matched fully by action Confusion about responsibility and timing assumed rather than made explicit by faculty and college leaders

Evidence of Commitment
Mission Statements Core Commitments Campus Compact Explosion of Service and Community-based learning programs

Evidence of Commitment: Mission Statements

2005 Review of 312 mission statements 121contributing to the community 89social responsibility 77personal perspectives, values, and moral character 67appreciating diversity 53responsible citizenship 50international and global understanding
Source: Learning Goals in Mission Statements, by Jack Meacham and Jerry G. Gaff, Liberal Education (Winter 2006)

Core Commitments Five Dimensions of Personal and Social Responsibility

Striving for Excellence Cultivating Personal and Academic Integrity Contributing to the Larger Community Taking Seriously the Perspectives of Others Developing Competence in Ethical and Moral Reasoning

Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory

Dimension: Contributing to a Larger Community

contributing to a larger community should be a major focus of this campus

Constituent Group
Students Campus professionals

% Strongly Agree
58 74

Student sample: N = 23,950 Source: Civic Responsibility (AAC&U 2009)

Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory

Dimension: Contributing to a Larger Community

The importance of contributing to a larger community is a major focus of this campus

Current academic standing
First Year Sophomore Junior Senior
Student sample: N = 23,950 Source: pers. comm., Eric Dey, University of Michigan

% Strongly Agree
49 38 37 35

% saying their institution is placing more emphasis on each

Undergraduate research 1st year experiences supporting transition to college Study abroad
Service learning in courses
78% 73% 71% 68% 62% 54% 54% 52% 47% 38%

Internships
1st year academic seminars Diversity studies/experiences Learning communities
(courses linked by theme)

Practicums/supervised fieldwork Orientations to liberal education

Glass Half-Full?
AAC&U Member Survey AAC&U Employer Survey NSSE PSRI

Among respondents from campuses WITH campus-wide goals, percent saying their institutions common set of learning goals/outcomes addresses each area of knowledge/intellectual skills & ability

Areas of Knowledge
Humanities Science Social sciences Global/world cultures
92% 91% 90% 87% 87% 73% 61% 49% 42%

Intellectual Skills/Ability
Writing skills Critical thinking Quantitative reasoning Oral communication Intercultural skills Information literacy Ethical reasoning Civic engagement Application of learning
79% 76% 75% 68% 66% 65% 63% 99% 95% 91% 88%

Mathematics
Diversity in U.S. Technology U.S. history

Languages
Sustainability

Research skills
Integration of learning

24%

How Should Colleges Prepare Students To Succeed In Todays Global Economy?

Key findings from survey among 305 business leaders and 510 recent college graduates conducted November 2 December 5, 2006 for The Association of American Colleges and Universities

Employers: Top Priorities For Increased Emphasis By Colleges

% saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome
Science and Technology Developments
Teamwork in Diverse Settings Applied Knowledge in Real World Settings Written and Oral Communication Critical and Analytical Thinking Global Issues Information Literacy Creativity and Innovation

82% 76% 73% 73% 73% 72% 70% 70%

Employers: Other Areas in Need of More Emphasis by Colleges

Complex Problem Solving US Role in the World Quantitative Literacy Ethics and Integrity Cultural Values/Traditions Civic Engagement Foreign Language Skill Democracy/Government

64% 60% 60% 56% 53% 48% 46% 42%

How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning?

Key findings from survey among 305 business leaders and 510 recent college graduates conducted November 8 December 12, 2007 for The Association of American Colleges and Universities

Employers Evaluate College Graduates Preparedness

Not well prepared (1-5 ratings)*
Teamwork Ethical judgment Intercultural skills Social responsibility Quantitative Skills Oral communication Self-knowledge Adaptability Critical thinking Writing Self-direction Global knowledge
21

Very well prepared (8-10 ratings)*

39% 38% 38% 35% 32% 30% 28% 24% 22% 26% 23% 18%

Mean rating*
7.0 6.9 6.9 6.7 6.7 6.6 6.5 6.3 6.3 6.1 5.9 5.7

17% 19% 19% 21% 23% 23% 26% 30% 31% 37% 42% 46%

*ratings on 10-point scale: 10 = recent college graduates are extremely well prepared on each quality
(How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning? AAC&U/Peter D. Hart, 2008)

NSSE 2007 Students Reporting Small or No Gains in the Following Areas

Personal and Social Responsibility:
Participating in a community-based project related to a course 51%
Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds 46% Developing a personal code of values and ethics: Contributing to the welfare of your community 42% 53%

2007 Administration of the Personal and Social Responsibility Institutional Inventory

Dimension: Contributing to a Larger Community

This campus has helped me expand my own awareness of the importance of being involved in the community and contributing to the greater good
Current academic standing First Year % Strongly Agree 38

Sophomore
Junior

33
33

Senior
Student sample: N = 23,950 Source: pers. comm., Eric Dey, University of Michigan

32

Communications Rule #2Use All Opportunities to Communicate; Repeat the Message Again and Again Messages are sent: -curriculum--What is requiredin gen ed; in majors; syllabi -Web site -admissions

2007 Administration of the Personal and Social Responsibility Institutional Inventory

Dimension: Contributing to a Larger Community

Faculty publicly advocate the need for students to become active and involved citizens
Current academic standing
First Year Sophomore Junior

% Strongly Agree
44 35 36

Senior
Student sample: N = 23,950 Source: pers. comm., Eric Dey, University of Michigan

34

What is impact of curriculum on civic engagement?

More College = more civic engagement (correlation vs causation?) GPAno relation to political participation, voting, community service, political persuasion, commitment to importance of having impact on politics

What is impact of curriculum on civic engagement?

social science credits = political/civic engagement business credits = political/civic engagement science/engineering credits = political/civic engagement education credits = no impact humanities credits = political/civic engagement
Source: Education and Democratic Citizenship, by Norma Nie and D. Sunshine Hillygus, in Making Good Citizens , edited by Diane Ravitch and Joseph P. Viteritti (Yale UP, 2001).

What Do Students Say?

LEAP Focus Groups

Peter D. Hart Research conducted 8 focus groups for AAC&U in
2004 and 2005, among:
Rising public high school seniors who plan to attend a four-year college or university Rising juniors and seniors at public and private colleges and universities The groups were held in four locations: Indianapolis, Indiana Portland, Oregon Alexandria, Virginia Milwaukee, WI

The discussions focused on personal aspirations relating to college and not on outcomes of college as they relate to society as a whole.

Reasons for Going to College Top Tier

career choices and opportunities skills and knowledge in chosen field knowledge to help me throughout life both in and off the job knowledge, capabilities, ethics and values essential for professional success

Reasons for Going to College Bottom Tier

ensure higher paying job opportunity to learning about and from people and cultures different from my own prepare me for a life of civic responsibility and leadership

Outcomes of college least valued

Sense of values, principles, and ethics Tolerance and respect for people of other backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and lifestyles Computer skills Cultural and global awareness Citizenship and orientation to public service

Common challenges to the message

These issues should be developed in k12 education These are important, but developing them is not the job of college Your values are not my values PSR outcomes not connected to professional success goals

For full LEAP Report and poll data:

www.aacu.org/leap For info on Core Commitments:

www.aacu.org/core_commitments

humphreys@aacu.org