General Education in Virginia's Colleges and Universities.

Overview & Synopsis

This document provides a complete, if complex, picture of the state of general education in Virginia. A total of 66 institutions, including 24 public two-year, 15 public four-year, 20 private not-for-profit, and 9 private for-profit institutions, participated in one or more parts of this study. The study is divided into five parts. Part One examines the rationale for general education programs by analyzing the formal statements of the philosophy of general education at each institution. Part Two describes the structure of general education programs and its possible options for students. Part Three provides an analysis of actual course-taking patterns of a cohort of students during the years 1993-1997. This section provides lists, by institution, of the courses most commonly taken by the cohort in each of the general education categories defined by that institution. Part Four addresses the methods of assessment used to look at the results of general education programs, and Part Five gives an overview of the process of change in general education programs. Overall, the report shows that the Virginia institutions are actively engaged general education programs and the delivery of high quality education to students. Appendices include General Education Study Committee, General Education Survey Forms, Virginia Community College System's Minimum Requirements for Associate Degrees, and institution by institution listings of course data. (Contains 33 tables.) (JJL)