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Lasell Receives Davis Educational Grant for Core Curriculum Changes
July 3, 2013
Lasell College has received a two-year $180,500 Davis Educational Foundation Grant supporting changes to the College's approach to General Education. A new interdisciplinary core curriculum will incorporate the College's recently formed 14 institutional learning outcomes, which include core intellectual skills and integrative learning.
The Davis Educational Foundation was established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis' retirement as Chairman of Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc.
"This grant will enable the College to develop an integrative curriculum that engages students at every stage of their intellectual and professional development, achieves measurable learning outcomes, and links liberal arts learning with the habits, methodologies, and dispositions necessary to embody the best of Lasell's Connected Learning educational philosophy in students' majors," said Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Ostrow.
According to Ostrow, the changes to the core curriculum include a revised first-year seminar that introduces the 14 institutional learning outcomes and immerses students in reading and writing, dialogue and debate to develop intellectual skills. It will also include a service-learning project that initiates integrative learning in civic engagement. The changes will also include a sophomore experience that takes an interdisciplinary, project-based approach in thematically focused seminars; a cross-disciplinary experience that brings together juniors from all majors for collaborative ethical inquiry; and a Capstone experience that synthesizes the institutional learning outcomes. Additionally, existing courses will be revised as inquiry-based approaches to core intellectual skills within the first two years of study.
"These changes will be transformative for Lasell College, deepening student learning and increasing persistence to graduation." said Ostrow.
The College is eligible to apply for a third year of funding following successful implementation of the first two years.