Our university is known all over the world. Not for its beautiful location or historically rich campus, but for the product it offers its students after a demanding four years for schooling – a superior degree. It is proud of its mission statement – “to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.” This statement is lived out through its excellent and humble faculty and staff, its passionate students and its continuous efforts to reach out to the community, nation and world. ACU was even ranked No.1 in the “Best Colleges: Up-and-coming Masters Universities (West)” by U.S. News & World Report in its most recent survey.
But we are not perfect.
In 2003 and 2006, the General Education Review Steering Committee (GERSC), administered a series of assessments to the faculty and student body in an attempt to “benchmark ACU’s curriculum with comparative colleges and evaluate best practices in core curriculum,” according to GERSC’s final report. Assessments included the Writing Assessment at ACU, the ACU Faculty Survey on General Education, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Academic Profile. Simply stated, these are the surveys students receive via e-mail that ask them to rank school satisfaction on a numeric scale.
These assessments showed ACU students scored below university standards and expectations in “writing, problem solving, critical thinking and global awareness,” according to the report by the GERSC. Data also revealed students were spending less time than the national average of college students preparing for class, studying and applying critical thinking to assignments.
Since 2005, the university and the GERSC have been formulating ideas to improve the quality of education provided for students. Through conferences and the study of other universities, the GERSC has found that a liberal arts education is crucial to a university’s level of excellence.
In response to these findings, a four-year plan has been formulated. A non-exhaustive list of the plan’s goals are to adopt integrative thinking, intercultural knowledge, strong and analytical communication and a hands-on experience with social, religious, theological and spiritual realms.
It will apply to all majors and will “emphasize the value of liberal arts education in providing all majors at ACU with durable and transferable skills to equip them for the demands of the 21st century.”
Students can expect changes. These will appear in the number of hours needed in non-majors courses and in the adoption of a series of courses, lasting from freshman to senior year, known as ‘The Cornerstone.’
Until the specifics surrounding these changes are finalized, it is senseless to debate rumor.
However, it is sensible to debate the university’s approach and philosophy behind this decision based on the present information.
The university is making a wise step to contemplate such academic changes. Yes, it will change incoming freshmen and transfer students’ required classes, perhaps many of them will find themselves placing more and less emphasis in particular areas. But, they can deal with those changes like mature adults if they remember that in exchange for thousands of dollars, the university is providing each of them and us a product – a degree. We would hate (more than any scheduling changes) to be cheated of the highest education possible for the amount we are paying. So, support the university’s decision to do what it must to ensure that we all receive the best so we can use that education for “Christian service and leadership throughout the world.”
