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Liberal Education and America's PromiseUW-Madison participates in the Association of American Colleges and Universities' national project, Liberal Education and America's Promise. Wisconsin - and the University of Wisconsin System, specifically - was the pilot state for this project, which now has institutions all across the nation participating. This ten-year long initiative seeks to identify and clarify the the goals and learning outcomes essential for all college students in the 21st century if they are to engage successfully with rapidly changing global economies and interdependencies. This project reaches out to students in technical and professional programs, not just those in the humanities and social sciences, and recognizes the need for scientific and quantitative literacy for students who are not pursuing technical or science majors. In so reaching across disciplines in support of this range of technical and intellectual skills, this initiative builds upon the foundation laid in a broad program of general education.
Studies conducted by the AAC&U found that employers and recent college graduates recognize the importance of interdisciplinary and flexible learning as key to success in the new global century. The traditional notion of liberal education—an elite curriculum for a small group that could afford liberal arts education for its own sake—is outmoded. Today, all students need to have the experiences and develop the skills inherent in liberal education if they are to succeed in a rapidly changing economy. The LEAP Project on the UW-Madison campus began with efforts to improve, internally, our ability to communicate effectively and to work more intentionality to promote the goals of a broad-based, liberal education. We continue to work with each other (faculty, staff, and students) to become more articulate about the role of this philosophy of education, to foster “ah-ha moments” in which our colleagues recognize the value of discussing the goals and outcomes of liberal education in order that our students, their parents, and others across Wisconsin recognize its value. Furthermore, by being articulate and intentional with our students in discussing liberal education is empowering for students because they will be better able to gauge their own development and articulate their own skills and talents as they prepare for life beyond the university. One important outgrowth of these efforts has been the development of a concept of "The Wisconsin Experience", and a statement describing "The Wisconsin Experience at UW-Madison", which attempts to describe the distinctive style of "essential learning" at UW-Madison. LEAP at UW-MadisonUW-Madison LEAP liaisons:
Please let us know about your LEAP-related activities!We know that many people at all levels across the UW-Madison campus engage in activities that promote the goals of liberal education. We're always interested in hearing what you do. Please send information to webmasterls@ls.admin.wisc.edu, or contact Professor Vanderwal-Taylor (jvtaylor@wisc.edu) or Associate Dean Nancy Westphal-Johnson (westphal@ls.admin.wisc.edu). If you'd like to become an planning partner to help promote LEAP, please contact: Nancy Westphal-Johnson Do you want to incorporate the Essential Learning Outcomes into your program, or to assess student learning in these areas?Please feel free to use this template, which provides a simple framework for assessing student learning in terms of what they know, can do, or value in the essential learning outcome areas, as found in the distinctive context provided by your program. Users will note that this framework can be applied in academic, co-curricular, and student service programs. We'll be happy to share examples, too, so feel free to send them to us c/o Assistant Dean Elaine Klein (kleine@ls.admin.wisc.edu). |
