Shenandoah’s General Education Town Hall Program Draws National Attention
Shenandoah University’s general education town hall program was recently featured on the Association of American Colleges & Universities’ website, in an article about adaptations of California State University–Chico’s town hall and Great Debate models.
The piece includes interviews with Henkel Family Chair in International Affairs Eric Leonard, Ph.D.; Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of General Education Amy Sarch, Ph.D.; Department Chair and Associate Professor of Mathematics Jessica OShaughnessy; and Shenandoah University alumnus Rodrigo Casteriana ’17.
The article describes how general education town hall classes operate: “Students choose from a list of broad topics—including immigration, racial inequality, and homelessness—and narrow it down. Classes discuss what makes sources reputable, and students research and write an action plan in preparation for attending the town hall event. After the event, students use feedback they received from their peers, community members, and faculty to revise their action plan, which faculty assess with a common rubric that analyzes student writing, perspective taking, and critical thinking.”
This video describes how it works, even further:
The article also features Tarleton State University, a public university in Stephenville, Texas, which has adapted CSU–Chico’s Great Debate model.
Read the full article on the Association of American Colleges & University’s website.
