While general education programs often make claims around relevance in their missions, students consistently report the opposite. This presentation focuses on the transformation of general education at St. Ambrose University, which—with support from a NetVUE Program Development Grant—sought to move relevance from the margins to the center of student experience during an institutional merger of St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy University. Particular attention will be given to the course design process, which included a dedicated design team that worked collaboratively with faculty to create a new course catalog organized around questions and outcomes relevant to students’ personal and professional journeys.
Ella Johnson, Associate Dean, Core Curriculum, Mission, and Vocation and Associate Professor of Theology, St. Ambrose University (IA)
Kristopher J. Keuseman, Core Curriculum Coordinator and Professor of Chemistry, St. Ambrose University (IA)
Brittany Tullis, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Spanish and Latinx Studies, St. Ambrose University (IA)