CC at OCC...

Core Commitments: Educating Students in Personal and Social Responsibility An initiative supported by the Association of American Colleges and Universities

What have OCC students said

about personal and social

responsibility?

“This semester I am in an Ethics class. There are many controversial issues that we discuss and it’s nice to see the different perspectives of others. After listening to everyone in class, I start to reexamine my point of view.”

What our students are saying…

“There’s rarely any opinionated discussions in classes. I can’t think of one time that has happened…”

“It is always interesting to have another perspective. That is what I was planning on having [in] my current class and I must say I am disappointed. There has been no room for discussion and the only right answers are the opinions of the instructors.”

“I’m very involved in the community due to the type of job that I have, working with runaway teens, but the college hasn’t really had any part in my community involvement…”

“In my Political Science class I was challenged to speak out my morals and develop them even though I knew they were opposing the instructor’s view. He made us comfortable doing that because we knew that even if our views were different than his, that would not affect the grading of our work.”

“Having NO meaningful discussions with students has strengthened my sense of responsibility toward the greater good. They are not interested in being aware.”

“What is the deal with ethics? Can’t we just get an education?”

The Five Dimensions of the Core Commitments

Striving for excellence Cultivating personal and academic integrity Contributing to a larger community Taking seriously the perspectives of others Developing competence in ethical and

moral reasoning

Participating Institutions Allegheny College, PA

Babson College, MA

Bowling Green State University, OH

California State University-Northridge, CA

Concordia College-Moorhead, MN

Elizabethtown College, PA

Miami University, OH

Michigan State University, MI

Middlesex Community College, MA

Oakland Community College, MI

Portland State University, OR  Sacred Heart University, CT

Saint Anselm College, NH

Saint Mary’s College of California, CA

St. Lawrence University, NY

United States Air Force Academy

United States Military Academy, NY

University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL

University of Central Florida, FL

University of the Pacific, CA

Wagner College, NY

Winthrop University, SC

West Point, NY

PSRI (Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory)

Administered Fall 2007 by all participating colleges/universities

October 2007, 491 OCC students responded and 216 faculty

Students were selected who had completed at least 1 credit during Fall 2007, 18 years and older, and were seeking a degree

Inventory assessed the 5 dimensions

Findings Full reports can be found at

http://www.oaklandcc.edu/assessment under Results/Findings

Today, sharing only… 1. Some of our students thoughts 2. Major gaps in perception between OCC students and faculty 3. Gaps between OCC students and other participating college students (We are surprisingly very similar in most findings!)

Gaps in PerceptionsStudents and Faculty

Striving For Excellence

I/Students Are Current and Up-to-Date With My/Their Reading and Other Homework

Assignments

30%

71%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

OCC Students Faculty

The Students Have a Stronger Work Ethic at the End of Their Studies Here

18%

42%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

OCC Students Faculty

Cultivating Personal and Academic Integrity

I/Students Came To College With a Well Developed Sense of Personal and

Academic Integrity

76%

8%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Student Faculty

Students Understand Academic Honesty Policies

47%

28%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Student Facul ty

Contributing to a Larger Community

I/Students Came to This College Aware of the Importance of Contributing to the

Greater Good Through My/Their Community Involvement

42%

10%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Student Facul ty

I Have Included Community-Based Projects That Were Officially Connected to My

Courses or Programs

21%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Faculty

I Have Encouraged Students to Participate in Community-Based Projects That Were Not Connected to Courses or Programming

33%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Facul ty

Taking Seriously the Perspective of Others

Students Here are Respectful of Diverse Perspectives When They First Come to

College

62%

12%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Student Facul ty

Refining Ethical and Moral Reasoning

I/Students Have a Well-Developed Capacity for Moral and Ethical Reasoning When I/They

First Come to College

66%

7%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Student Facul ty

OCC Student Responses Compared to

Participating Students In National Study

I Have Thought Seriously About Issues of Personal Conduct (Drinking, Vandalism, Interpersonal Behavior, Internet Piracy,

etc.) Since I Have Been in College

45%

28%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

OCC Students National Average

I Have Had Meaningful Discussions About Personal and Academic Integrity With

Others on This Campus

34%

17%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

OCC Students National Average

Faculty Publicly Advocate the Need for Students to Become Active and Involved

Citizens

37%

25%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

OCC Students National Average

I Participate in Community-Based Projects That are Officially Connected to a Course

9%

19%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

OCC Students National Average