THE GREAT QUESTIONS FOUNDATION

TO DATE, TGQF HAS HELPED OVER 140 FACULTY MEMBERS AT MORE THAN 60 INSTITUTIONS REDESIGN COURSES TO FOCUS ON THE DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF TRANSFORMATIVE TEXTS AND IDEAS, IMPACTING NEARLY 10,000 STUDENTS.TGQF CONTINUES TO OFFER ITS ONLINE CURRICULUM REDESIGN WORKSHOPS, FOCUSED ON HELPING FACULTY MEMBERS INCORPORATE THE DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF TRANSFORMATIVE TEXTS INTO GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES THEY TEACH AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES. ABOUT 30 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE COMPLETED TGQF ONLINE WORKSHOPS DURING THIS PERIOD, IMPACTING OVER 1,500 STUDENTS. IN EACH WORKSHOP, 10 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBERS COLLABORATE WITH TWO EXPERIENCED FACULTY LEADERS TO DEVELOP DISCUSSION-BASED PEDAGOGY, STUDENT-CENTERED STUDY QUESTIONS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND A REDESIGNED SYLLABUS FOR A GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE THEY TEACH AT THEIR HOME INSTITUTION. WORKSHOPS FEATURE SEMINAR DISCUSSION IN A COLLABORATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT, CONDUCTED THROUGH ZOOM. UPON COMPLETION OF THE WORKSHOP, FACULTY PARTICIPANTS INCORPORATE THE DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF ONE OR MORE OF THE TEXTS INTO THE CURRICULUM OF A GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE THEY TEACH. FIND OUT MORE HERE: HTTPS://WWW.TGQF.ORG/WORKSHOPS/TGQF HAS CONDUCTED AN IMPACT STUDY ON THESE WORKSHOPS AND FOUND THAT THE REDESIGNED COURSES HAVE BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN ENHANCING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, STIMULATING INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, ENCOURAGING DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES, AND CREATING AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR FREE EXPRESSION. THESE COURSES STAND OUT AT THE INSTITUTIONS WHERE THEY ARE OFFERED BY PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION-BASED LEARNING. 98% OF STUDENT RESPONDENTS REPORTED THAT THEIR TGQF-SUPPORTED REDESIGNED COURSES INCLUDED MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSION COMPARED WITH OTHER COURSES THEY HAVE TAKEN AT THEIR INSTITUTION. IN THESE DISCUSSION-BASED COURSES, STUDENTS FELT FREE TO ENGAGE WITH A DIVERSITY OF VIEWPOINTS AND IDEAS. 89% OF RESPONDENTS AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED THAT THEY FELT FREE TO EXPLORE OPINIONS AND POINTS OF VIEW THAT ARE UNPOPULAR OR NOT WIDELY HELD IN THESE REDESIGNED COURSES.TGQF IS EXPANDING ITS FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, SUPPORTED BY A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE MELLON FOUNDATION. TGQF FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS ARE THE HUMANITIES-GROUNDED CREATIVE CENTER OF DISCUSSION-BASED AND STUDENT-CENTERED PEDAGOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE LIBERAL ARTS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES. TWENTY-ONE FACULTY FELLOWS FROM SIX INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEGUN THIS TWO-YEAR FACULTY LEADERSHIP INCUBATOR, POSITIONING THEM AT THE CREATIVE CENTER OF DISCUSSION-BASED AND STUDENT-CENTERED PEDAGOGY IN THE LIBERAL ARTS. THEIR WORK IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT OVER 10,000 STUDENTS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.FELLOWS WORK TO REDESIGN FREQUENTLY TAUGHT COURSES TO CENTER THE DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF TRANSFORMATIVE WORKS AND IDEAS WHILE EXPLORING AND PRACTICING DISCUSSION-BASED PEDAGOGIES, AS WELL AS ACTIVE, COLLABORATIVE, AND REFLECTIVE ASSIGNMENT DESIGN WITH FACULTY LEADERS. EACH FELLOW DEVELOPS THEIR CAPACITY AS AN INSTITUTIONAL LEADER AND ORGANIZES AT LEAST ONE HUMANITIES-CENTERED EVENT AT THEIR INSTITUTION WITH TGQF'S SUPPORT. ADDITIONALLY, FELLOWS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR GRANTS FROM TGQF TO SUPPORT THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF HUMANISTIC INQUIRY IN THE LIBERAL ARTS AT THEIR INSTITUTIONS. ALONG WITH REGULAR ONLINE WORKSHOPS, WHERE THEY ENGAGE WITH INVITED COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY LEADERS IN LIBERAL EDUCATION, FELLOWS CONVENE IN TWO IN-PERSON MEETINGS DURING THEIR FELLOWSHIP TENURE: ONE HELD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND ANOTHER AT A FELLOW'S HOME INSTITUTION.OUR FACULTY FELLOWS ARE TRANSFORMING GENERAL EDUCATION AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF TRANSFORMATIVE TEXTS AND DEEP, BROAD THINKING ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION. THE GREAT QUESTIONS FACULTY FELLOWS PROMOTE FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AN EDUCATION UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS BROADER THAN MARKET UTILITYAN EDUCATION THAT TODAY IS TOO OFTEN A PRIVILEGE RESERVED PRIMARILY FOR THE SMALL SET OF STUDENTS WHO BEGIN THEIR STUDIES AT THE SHRINKING NUMBER OF FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS THAT PRIORITIZE THIS IMPORTANT AND LIBERATING VISION OF HIGHER LEARNING. FIND OUT MORE HERE: HTTPS://WWW.TGQF.ORG/FELLOWSHIP/