Wilcox to lead comprehensive review of general education program at KU

LAWRENCE -- Kim Wilcox, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas will lead a comprehensive, 18-month review of the university's general education program, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor David Shulenburger announced today.

Shulenburger and Wilcox, with the advice of University Governance, soon will appoint a committee to begin the review process. Wilcox will assume an additional title of Vice Provost for General Education Coordination, Shulenburger said. He will not receive any additional salary.

"The university's general education program has not been examined in more than a decade. Dean Wilcox is in an ideal position to lead a thorough review," Shulenburger said. "Our general education curriculum is based on the six goals of general education. Kim's experiences as faculty member, department chair, president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents and dean of the College give him a unique and appropriate perspective from which to lead the effort to examine the fidelity of KU's general education program to those goals."

The six goals are available online.

The general education curriculum refers to common coursework that undergraduate students complete before entering one of KU's 13 professional schools or selecting a major field in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the university's largest academic unit offering 45 majors . It is designed to give students the ability to make the most of specialized study and to respond to social, personal and cultural changes and challenges.

"As a research university, KU has a special responsibility to ensure that our general education curriculum offers students the broadest possible exposure to our growing knowledge base. I look forward to working with the faculty to ensure that KU continues to offer a vibrant and comprehensive general education to its students," Wilcox said.

Senior Vice Provost Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett said, "I look forward to working with Kim on this initiative. The curriculum belongs to the faculty and informing the university's goals for general education requires faculty commitment and enthusiasm. Kim's experience and expertise in faculty leadership and curricular reform make him the ideal person for this position."

Wilcox, who became dean in July 2002, earned a bachelor's degree in audiology and speech sciences at Michigan State University in 1976 and his master's and doctoral degrees in speech and hearing science at Purdue University in 1978 and 1980. He taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia for four years before joining KU in 1984. Wilcox was a faculty member in the College from 1984 to 1998, when he was named interim director of academic affairs for the Board of Regents. A year later he was promoted to executive director. His title was changed to president and CEO in 2001.