Generally Speaking

“Generally Speaking…is a valuable resource for those who seek to understand the contemporary landscape of general education initiatives across academia in our country. The case studies are invaluable for shedding light upon how some universities are shaping their general education curriculum. Those in university life who are experiencing challenges with developing a robust and workable general education curriculum can find some solace and possible answers through some of these case studies. It is for this specific purpose that Generally Speaking should be carefully consulted by those who seek to improve the general education curriculum at the university level.” (Read full review HERE.)

"Generally Speaking: The Impact of General Education on Student Learning in the 21st Century, edited by Madeline J. Smith and Kristen L. Tarantino, is an excellent text that provides an overview of the changes in general education curricula during the 21st Century, and how those changes have positively affected student learning. As someone who spent the last half of her career working to make general education relevant and valuable to all students, I find this text to be an exceptional resource for faculty, administrators, and assessment professionals, as well as graduate students looking to become university professors."

Gail G. Evans, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Association of American Colleges and Universities; Retired Dean of Undergraduate Studies, San Francisco State University; Faculty Emerita, San José State University

“Although the book is titled Generally Speaking, its well-qualified contributors actually speak in highly specific terms about the most important purpose of general education: preparing students for satisfying careers and for rewarding lives as contributors to society. Informed by a sense of history, the volume is for the most part forward looking. The criteria for building and assessing effective programs are both principled and pragmatic, and the case studies offer compelling examples of how genuine reform can occur. As we leave behind “boxes to check” in favor of coherent programs that motivate and transform students, we may for the first time enable all students to enjoy the benefits of a genuinely liberal education.”

Paul L. Gaston, Ph.D. Trustees Professor Emeritus, Kent State University Consultant to Lumina Foundation

“General education may be the most potent weapon in educators’ centuries old fight against ignorance. This book, Generally Speaking, is a welcome and necessary addition to the arsenal. I believe the book helps to shore up general education and put it on a firm ground in an age when many have general education in the crosshairs.”

Angelo Letizia, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Notre Dame of Maryland University

Acknowledgments

1. General Education for the 21st Century and Beyond
Madeline J. Smith and Kristen L. Tarantino

2. Assessing the Impact of General Education on Student Learning
Lisa K. Bonneau, Ryan Zerr, Anne Kelsch, and Joan Hawthorne

3. Closing the Assessment Loop in General Education
Nhung Pham and Doug Koch

4. The Impact: Two-Year Institutions
Angie Adams and Devon Hall

5. The Impact: Four-Year Institutions
Kristen L. Tarantino and Yue Adam Shen

6. The Larger Impact: Culture and Society
Mary Kay Jordan-Fleming and Madeline J. Smith

7. Case Studies in General Education: Engaging Through Faculty Learning Communities
Su Swarat and Alison M. Wrynn

8. Case Studies in General Education: Design Thinking for Faculty-Driven Assessment
Tim Howard and Kimberly McElveen

9. Case Studies in General Education: Critical Timing for Critical Reading
Bridget Lepore

10. Case Studies in General Education: Integrating General Education and the Majors
Henriette M. Pranger

11. Guiding Generation Z’s Future: Transforming Student Learning Opportunities to Career Outcomes
Jeremy Ashton Houska and Kris Gunawan

12. The Future Relevance of the General Education Curriculum
Kristen L. Tarantino and Madeline J. Smith

Index

Contributors

Madeline J. Smith

Madeline J. Smith has nearly a decade of experience in the field of higher education, specifically in the areas of academic program development and student learning assessment. After starting her career as a legislative liaison to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, she joined the academic affairs division of the agency with responsibilities in the areas of academic program approval and curriculum development. Smith next pursued a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration from the College of William and Mary. Concurrently, she served as the Assistant Director of Assessment at Christopher Newport University and subsequently took on a similar role at the University of Georgia. Smith currently holds a position in the academic affairs division of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where she is responsible for the oversight of assessment and research. She has been published in the Journal of College Student Development and was a contributing author to The Dynamic Student Development Meta-Theory: A New Model for Student Success.

Kristen L. Tarantino

Kristen L. Tarantino is an independent writer and researcher in the field of higher education. Having worked with college students for over 10 years, she has conducted and published research on how students make meaning from their college experiences, including personal traumatic events as well as participation in institutionally supported programming. Her research interests center on the factors that influence student learning and how to appropriately measure learning gains. She has taught at the College of William and Mary and Old Dominion University, specializing in assessment for college student learning. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership with a Higher Education emphasis and a cognate in college teaching from the College of William and Mary.