About
Georgia State University is undergoing review for re-accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 2008. As part of the re-accreditation process, the University must prepare a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The University’s QEP, Critical Thinking through Writing (CTW), seeks to increase our baccalaureate students’ capacity for critical thinking and writing as evidenced in their major field of study.
The strategy for achieving this goal is to implement a university-wide graduation requirement that undergraduates pass two critical thinking through writing (CTW) courses in their major. This requirement, approved by the University Senate in April of 2007, will take effect for students entering Fall, 2009. Each CTW course will be designed by the major department and approved by the General Education Subcommittee (a sub-committee of the University Senate’s Committee of Academic Programs).
The University hosted a luncheon for department chairs and school directors on September 11 & 12, 2007. Departments/schools were asked to identify at least one faculty member per undergraduate degree major to serve as a CTW Ambassador. The University has offered CTW workshops in September, 2007, October, 2007, and November, 2007, May 2008, and October 2008 to prepare the CTW Ambassadors, as they assist in designing CTW courses and implementing assessments of student learning in their degree programs. The CTW Ambassador Workshops focused on what constitutes critical thinking through writing, including developing rubrics for assessment, sharing ideas for activities and assignments, and discussing methods for implementation in the department. All CTW Workshops are coordinated by a team of five faculty members, appointed by the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, in consultation with the deans and chairs. The coordinators consist of two faculty members with specific expertise in critical thinking and writing, and eight additional faculty members to represent the breadth of disciplines across the university.
If you would like further information on the Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) Initiative, please contact
George Pullman, Director CTW Initiative
e-mail: gpullman@gsu.edu
phone: 404-413-5854
or
Jennifer Lawrence, Associate Director CTW Initiative
email: jlawrence@langate.gsu.edu
phone: 404-413-5878
