Purpose:

To increase the number of Grand Valley faculty who apply the principles of liberal education in meaningful ways in their teaching, thus also contributing to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Participating faculty benefit by enhancing their teaching and being recognized as a teaching expert by their colleagues. Students benefit by a richer learning experience.

The Liberal Education Academy (LEA) is co-sponsored by the Pew FTLC, the Center for Creative and Scholarly Excellence, and University Libraries.

2008-2009 LEA Associates:

Larry Burns, Psychology                          Lisa Hickman, Sociology
Sigrid Danielson, Art and Design            Susan Mlynarczyk, Nursing
Shirley Fleishmann, Engineering             Dauvan Mulally, Writing
Karen Gipson, Physics                              Joy Washburn, Nursing

LEA Staff:

Catherine Frerichs, Pew FTLC
Lynn Sheehan, University Libraries
Robert Smart, Center for Creative and Scholarly Excellence
Tamara Rosier, Pew FTLC

Becoming a Member of the Liberal Education Academy

Liberal Education Academy Associates are all tenured, tenure-track, and affiliate faculty are eligible to be an Associate of the Academy.  Application forms are available on the Pew FTLC website on the CLE/LEA page and under "Forms."

Four Associates will be selected from CLAS, two from SCB, and one from each of the other colleges. Associates will commit to a year in which they study one of their courses in the context of liberal education, and then develop, carry out, and report on a project that derives from the study.

In the second year, returning Associates will be paired with one of the new Associates. As the program continues, all Associates will meet at least once yearly for mutual encouragement and support.

Associates who complete their reports will receive $500 for professional development, to be used at their discretion. The Liberal Education Academy is intended to continue indefinitely.

What Does It Mean To Teach Within a Liberal Education Context?

1. Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World
   • Through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts.
2. Intellectual and Practical Skills, including
   • Inquiry and analysis
   • Critical and creative thinking
   • Written and oral communication
   • Quantitative literacy
   • Information literacy
   • Teamwork and problem solving
3. Personal and Social Responsibility, including
   • Civic knowledge and engagementlocal and global
   • Intercultural knowledge and competence
   • Ethical reasoning and action
   • Foundations and skills for lifelong learning
4. Integrative Learning, including
   • Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies

--College Learning for the New Global Century, American Association of Colleges and Universities, 2007; www.aacu.org. Grand Valley is a member of Liberal Education & America's Promise (LEAP), an AAC&U initiative that developed this definition.

CALENDAR

Winter

1. February 15: Applications due to each college's dean's office.
2. Mid-March: Associates selected; announced by Provost.

Fall

1. Mid-August: one-day retreat, to include focus on methodology for studying teaching.
2. Monthly lunches on both campuses.
3. Late fall meeting to discuss possible projects.
4. Individual meetings with Pew FTLC staff to discuss projects and relationship to relevant research.

Winter

1. Half-day meeting before semester begins to present and discuss project plans.
2. Application cycle begins again.
3. Lunches continue.
4. Early spring meeting to discuss projects.
5. End-of-semester celebration dinner.
6. May 15: project report completed.

Fall

1. Returning Associates put on retreat for new Associates.
2. Reports at Fall Teaching Conference, also within individual colleges.

The application for the Liberal Education Academy can be found here.