CGS Wins AGLS Exemplary Program Award
The College of General Studies won the Association for General and Liberal Studies’ Exemplary Program Award, recognizing the college’s Boston-London Program for its focus on outstanding co-curricular general education.
Megan Sullivan, Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development and Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning, traveled to Orlando, Fla. to accept the national award, alongside several faculty members.
“I think the award makes explicit what many have long recognized: In the era of the BU Hub, CGS has much to offer,” Sullivan said.
From the beginning of the development of the Boston-London program, Sullivan said that CGS faculty were eager to take on the challenge of developing a co-curricular program that encapsulated all the best that CGS had to offer.
“We recognized from the beginning that we could infuse a new program with what over 50 years of general education has taught us: students benefit from cohorts of learners; a team of faculty; an interdisciplinary focus with co-curricular or experiential opportunities; and a global component,” she said.
In the application, Sullivan highlighted how outside of the classroom experiences in both Greater Boston and London, including trips to Walden Pond, Stonehenge, and more, enhanced student learning, with data to support the outcomes.
“Our several year assessment and the fact that we could compare September and January students was huge; we had the data to support that one of our key learning rubrics – integrated learning – is strengthened as a result of co-curricular experiences,” Sullivan said. “I think AGLS also liked that we take general education seriously. It’s what we do, and we do it well precisely because we know how important it is for student success.”
Sullivan said the award, which is now on display on the second floor of CGS, is a way of recognizing the work of all those involved with the program, including administrators, faculty, staff, and students.
“I was especially pleased because I am first and foremost a faculty member; I have taught many students in my decades at CGS, and I felt that this award recognized these students and their hard work,” she said.
— By Chelsea Feinstein