Integrated Studies Staff Member Presents at AAC&U Conference

Jeremiah C. Gee, assessment coordinator for Pennsylvania College of Technology's School of Integrated Studies, recently offered a presentation at the Network for Academic Renewal Conference hosted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Baltimore.

The conference focused on general education and was attended by leaders in higher education from across the nation. The conference theme was "General Education, Assessment, and the Learning Students Need."

Speaking with chief academic officers, faculty members and administrators, Gee presented examples of a customizable methodology for organizing assessment processes at institution, program and course levels.

"Attending the conference also provided a benchmark comparison between Penn College and various institutions nationwide," Gee said. "It was encouraging to see how advanced Penn College's general education program is. Showing others how we introduce general education through our core curriculum and reinforce it throughout our majors' courses provided an impressive display of the unique general education structure of Penn College."

A recent revision to the College Goals of the Core Curriculum provides a set of 10 clearly defined general education goals that are embedded throughout the curricular sequence of the college's majors. Gee's presentation, titled "Streamline and Sustain Assessment at All Institutional Levels," highlighted the practical application of assessment to program improvement.

Gee noted: "At Penn College, I advocate homegrown assessment that provides meaningful data for faculty. Assessment of student-learning outcomes is one way that we continually advance the excellent student-learning opportunities that we provide."

Founded in 1915 by college presidents, AAC&U helps colleges and universities keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges. AAC&U comprises more than 1,150 accredited colleges and universities that collectively educate more than 7 million students every year.

Gee earned a master's degree in education from Mansfield University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Nyack College Manhattan Center. He is a doctoral student in The Pennsylvania State University's adult education program.

For more information about the School of Integrated Studies at Penn College, call (570) 327-4521 or visit online .

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