Zachary Goodell

SOCY 101 - Introductory Sociology

I teach large Introduction to Sociology courses as do a few of my colleagues. This course is aligned with the ethical reasoning learning goal. Upon reviewing the 5 learning objectives associated with ethical reasoning, and acknowledging that by the 10th week of this course, many first year students are not likely to be able demonstrate proficiency in all five skill areas, I selected three. As I sat down to design an assignment, I began to think of how I might be able to use this assignment for a second purpose - to help students see the value of a sociological perspective especially as it pertains to interviewing for their first job(s). With this in mind, I authored a scenario where the student, during a hypothetical interview, is asked to share how they would address an ethical dilemma that had recently arose at the organization. Students are expected to address each of the three objectives in a single paragraph. The dual purpose of the assignment allows us to fulfill both the assessment of the ConnectEd program, but also helps our colleagues make the value of a sociological perspective more explicit and empirical.

View the assignment prompt

Nicholas Wong, Ph.D

Assistant Professor and Director of Introductory Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics

Nick Wong, Assistant Professor and Director of Introductory Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, College of Humanities and Sciences, joined the GEAC in 2022. Nick has been an active member of the committee and has played an instrumental role in advancing the work of understanding the nuances of assessing work aligned to the ConnectED learning goals of critical/creative problem solving and quantitative literacy.  In his department, Nick has worked to develop foundational experiences for students, supporting them in developing prerequisite skills needed to succeed in higher levels math courses and applied settings. Nick has been a strong advocate for ConnectED programmatic assessment, leading meaningful discussions with his colleagues about assignment design and alignment. His engagement and efforts stem from a deep caring for student learning and success.

Asked about his experience as a member of GEAC, Nick shared,  ​​”Serving on the General Education Assessment Committee has allowed me to collaborate with faculty members outside of my department and other university units to work towards a common goal of ensuring that our ConnectEd curriculum serves its purpose. 

Serving on this committee also gives me an opportunity to see how other academic units nurture and develop industrious individuals who are aware of what is happening in our society and possess the critical thinking skills to identify an issue, examine various points of view, and work towards a reasonable outcome. This in turn makes me critically examine what is happening in my own department so we can continue to evolve as well.”

View one of Nick's assignments aligned to Quantitative Literacy