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University Studies Program: General Education for the 21st Century

Implementation: Next Steps

Stay Informed: Weekly “USP Update”

• USP Updates will continue this year, sent via email each Tuesday. 
We welcome all faculty and staff who are engaged in this historic implementation to watch for the subject line “USP Update".

• Additional implementation information will continue to be made available on the “Teaching Community” section of the USP website.

• For a quick summary of implementation activities accomplished since the proposal’s acceptance, check out the Opening Day USP Update.

Register: Quest II Course Development

When is the Quest II professional development opportunity?
Friday, Sept. 28, 1:50 to 4 p.m. & Saturday, Sept. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Who should register for this professional development opportunity?
If you will be preparing a Quest II course for the University Studies Program, please register for this opportunity by September 24. If you cannot make yourself available for these dates and times, an alternative arrangement will be made.

Each department/program determined courses for Quest II during the “preliminary course identification” last spring. In the next week, departments and programs may wish to revisit their lists to finalize decisions about Quest II courses and instructors.

What is the purpose of this professional development opportunity?
These workshops will equip and inspire the USP teaching community to design exemplary Quest II courses, integrating best practice research and substantive Signature Question content. Those who participate will work collaboratively to construct expectations regarding the “ethical reasoning” component of Quest II courses. Participants are invited to make significant progress on the development of their courses during the workshop.

How will those who develop Quest II courses be supported?

  • Interdisciplinary dialogue during the September 28 and 29 sessions
  • Feedback to drafts from faculty colleagues
  • Posting of collaboratively constructed resources
  • Daily availability of USP council members to answer questions
  • $1,000 stipends upon timely completion of a draft syllabus, a final syllabus, and the appropriate USP forms (submitted by the department for course review and approval)
Funds to support USP course development have been secured via an “Institutional Change Grant” from the UW System and the continued commitment of the UW Oshkosh administration.

What are the expectations for Quest II courses?

  • Integration of a Signature Question
  • Integration of “ethical reasoning”
  • Class size limit of 50 (can also be a lab section of a larger course)
  • Learning Community structure– Quest II courses will be paired with two sections of either a writing or speaking course (each set at 25 students)
  • Offered primarily in the second semester of students’ academic journeys

To revisit Quest II course parameters described in the accepted program proposal, check the “Teaching Community” section of the USP website.

Need Help?
For assistance, please use the following contact information:
email: usp@uwosh.edu
website: uwosh.edu/usp

Watch for University Studies Program Update each Tuesday of the Fall 2012 Semester!
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
This e-mail was sent by the UW Oshkosh University Studies Program
765 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh, WI 54901.