One-Page Brief: WMU CAS Critical Thinking Requirement in Context
WMU’s current Liberal Education Curriculum (LEC) requirement
Students must complete 3-4 credit hours of the General Education Proficiency 4C, Critical Thinking, by completing one out of eight approved courses.
Round 1 survey results
- In response to the survey, 7/8 CAS units and 28/43 individual faculty members indicated that CAS should require students to select from among specific courses in critical thinking.
- In the comments section, many also independently suggested that critical thinking should be integrated in additional courses and be reflected in the requirements beyond the eight courses that are currently approved as fulfilling the 4c proficiency requirement.
- Many faculty members indicated that one of the priorities of a liberal education is to teach students how to think critically and apply those skills to real life situations in various different content areas. Such individuals requested student training in content areas that directly relate to their lived experiences beyond the assessment of abstract ideas and situations.
- WMU prides itself not only on its diversity, but also on training students who are globally aware and engaged. Current LEC course requirement categories for critical thinking do not include teaching students the skills necessary to think critically about or engage with cultural diversity and inclusion as it may pertain to fields such as history, literature, world languages, race and ethnicity, gender and women’s studies, etc.
What experts say
- The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) echoes the value of teaching critical thinking skills in college; moreover, according to the AAC&U, employers are more interested in college graduates’ critical thinking and problem solving skills than in their majors.
- The National Education Association (NEA) also details the role of critical thinking skills in achieving both a successful education and career.
Market analysis
WMU’s Office of Institutional Research has identified seven universities as close approximations to WMU in size and designation (= “peer institutions”) that also house chapters of PBK. The Colleges of Arts and Sciences at four of the seven universities require much more critical thinking coursework than WMU CAS currently does, as follows:
- University of Alabama: 12 credit hours
- University of North Carolina Greensboro: 12 credit hours
- SUNY at Binghampton: 6-12 credit hours
- Ohio University: 6-8 credit hours
- Kent State University: 3 credit hours
- Oklahoma State University: 3 credit hours
- University of North Dakota: 3 credit hours