Article
Culminating a College Education While Fostering Civic Agency
Peer Review
(2013)
Abstract
Two decades ago, a group of Portland State University faculty began an intentional process to reform the institution’s general education curriculum. To study in depth how college students learn best, the faculty task force attended national conferences on trends in higher education and emerging pedagogies, including community-based learning. Through this process, faculty became open to abandoning the model of general education as a series of isolated courses and moving to one based on coherence for students. The result was an innovative curricular approach to general education spanning all four years of the college experience that positions civic engagement, application, and integration as central tenets. This reform brought Portland State into the era of University Studies, a nationally recognized general education program. The culminating required course of this curriculum is the senior capstone.
Keywords
- Pedagogy -- higher education
Disciplines
Publication Date
2013
Publisher Statement
- Copyright (2013) AAC&U.
Citation Information
Kerrigan, S., & Carpenter, R. (2013). Culminating a college education while fostering civic agency. Peer Review, 15(4), 16.