On Thursday, April 2, teachers and students from Northeastern Illinois University gathered in Alumni Hall from 1:40 to 5 p.m. to celebrate University Day by hearing a lecture, having a discussion and celebrating with a banquet. The lecture was titled “A Compass: Essential Learning for the 21st Century” and was given by Dr. Terrel “Terry” Rhodes, vice president of Office of Quality, Curriculum and Assessment. The lecture was about how to define goals for an undergraduate education.
Rhodes talked about what employers look for when graduates come in looking for a job. One thing that is not looked at very much is college transcripts, instead, most employers are looking at how students use what they have learned. They also like to see that students have electronic portfolios and have completed internships. Another matter that was discussed was the fact that for students coming into high school and entering colleges, teachers at the universities should help the students and see how things fit together. College professors should also assess a student’s ability to apply learning to complex problems and to connect knowledge with choices and action. They should also foster civil, intellectual, intercultural and ethical learning.
Another issue that was discussed was that many colleges have decided not to have general education courses and some don’t even require that students have a major. Rhodes also discussed essential learning outcomes which included human cultures and the physical and natural world, intellectual and practical skills, which include written and oral communication, quantative literacy, inquiry and analysis, and teamwork and problem solving, along with personal and social responsibility and integrative learning. His last words of advice were that a student voice needs to be a part of what the faculty does.