University of Nebraska Kearney

Planning Subcommittee
Meeting of March 1, 2005
Notes

The entire meeting was devoted to a review of the NSSE questions. There was agreement that items should be selected that applied most clearly to the General Studies Program, rather than to a student's UNK education in general. So items were omitted from the list that applied equally to the major and minor, or applied to the institution as a whole.

The following items were selected as most relevant to General Studies.

1. Academic and Intellectual Experiences
   1. Asked questions in class (VC)
   2. Made a class presentation
   3. Prepared 2 or more drafts of a paper
   4. Worked on a project that required integration of different ideas
   5. Included diverse perspectives in class discussions
   9. Put together ideas from different courses
   11. Participated in a community-based project as part of a course
   14. Discussed grades or assignments with instructor (VC)
   15. Talked about career plans (VC)
   16. Discussed ideas with faculty members outside of class
   17. Prompt feedback (VC)
   19. Worked with faculty members on activities other than coursework
   20. Discussed ideas with others (VC)
   21. Had serious conversation with students of a different race or ethnicity
2. Mental Activities
   2. Analyzing
   3. Synthesizing
   4. Making judgments
   5. Applying
3. Examinations
   • Challenge of exams
4. Reading and writing
   1. Number of assigned textbooks (VC)
5. Problem sets
   • none
6. Additional Collegiate Experiences
   1. Attended an art exhibit/performance (VC)
7. Enriching Educational Experiences
   1. Practicum (VC)
   2. Community service
   3. Learning Community
   4. Work on a research project outside of a course (VC)
   5. Foreign language coursework
   6. Study abroad
   7. Independent study (VC)
   8. Senior experience -capstone (VC)
8. Quality of Relationships
   2. Relationships with faculty members
9. Time Usage
   1. Preparing for class (VC)
   4. Participating in Co-curricular activities (VC)
10. Institutional Environment
    1. Time studying (VC)
    2. Academic support (VC)
    3. Encouraging contact among diverse students (VC)
    4. Providing social support (VC)
    5. Attending campus events (VC)
11. Educational and Personal Growth
    1. Acquiring a broad general education
    2. Acquiring work-related knowledge
    3. Writing clearly and effectively
    4. Speaking Clearly and effectively
    5. Thinking critically and analytically
    6. Analyzing quantitative problems
    8. Working effectively with others (VC)
    9. Voting in elections
    10. Learning effectively on your own
    11. Understanding yourself
    12. Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
    13. solving complex real-world problems
    14. Developing a personal code of values and ethics
    15. Contributing to the welfare of your community
    16. Developing a deepened sense of spirituality

The discussion also included the benchmark studies. The most critical benchmark study for UNK General Studies was the one entitled "Enriching Educational Experiences."