San José State University : Center for Faculty Development : What Does It Mean to be an Educated Person?

What Does It Mean to be an Educated Person?

Graduates at Commencement

Educated Person Dialogue Web Site:

^{Reasons for this Dialogue | How this Dialogue Works and How to Join | Background Information |}

Current schedule of discussion topics and dates [pdf]

How is this Campus Dialogue concept relevant to SJSU's curricula and programs? What is the meaning of an Educated Person for students? What is our role as faculty? These are just a few of many questions that touch the hearts of our faculty in our ongoing Dialogue. In this site, you will find meanings to your questions regarding:

Reasons for this Dialogue
How this Dialogue Works and How to Join
Background Information

Reasons for this Dialogue: What Does It Mean to be an Educated Person?

Universities continually discuss what it means to be an educated person, what a "liberal education" means or looks like and why it is or is not important, and how general education courses help or hinder.

We all face the question of what it means to be an "educated person" regularly in helping students to know why they are required to take GE courses, why they should get involved in campus activities outside of class, how to help students become lifelong learners, and how to reinforce GE skills and knowledge in major courses.

University Scholar Self Assessment Tool [pdf]

This question also touches on many activities at SJSU including:

WASC accreditation (Western Association of Schools and Colleges)
MUSE (Metropolitan University Scholar's Experience) and
FYE (First Year Experience)
Regular review of GE Guidelines that is called for in S96-9 This was completed in Spring 2005 [pdf]. Click here for the revised GE guidelines.
Sustainability and Global Citizenship – how can these topics be incorporated into courses, programs, and co-curricular activities to help students become responsible citizens (as called for in SJSU's mission statement).
Updating of the RTP policy - should a professor's dossier or teaching portfolio include a description of their teaching and learning philosophy and how their course design and delivery helps to facilitate student advancement to becoming lifelong learners?