University of Lynchburg has appointed Dr. Sharon Foreman, an associate professor of human services, as the first director of general education.
In her new role, she will support faculty members as they create first-year and senior seminar courses — two key features of the new DELL general education program. Dr. Foreman also will provide guidance to the General Education Oversight Committee and facilitate the approval of general education courses and assessment tools.
“The recent faculty approval of the DELL curriculum signals a new and exciting era for liberal arts learning at Lynchburg,” Dr. Foreman said. “The stated purpose of the DELL curriculum is to, ‘Prepare students for responsible engagement in a complex world,’ and this is the same mission and passion that led me to pursue a career in academia and that led me to become a faculty member at Lynchburg.”
“Dr. Foreman has a passion for general education,” said Dr. Allison Jablonski, associate dean for academic affairs. “I look forward to working with her in depth to launch the new curriculum, assessment tools and new seminars.”
The DELL Curriculum was designed over the past two years to simplify students’ academic requirements while preparing them for lives and careers in a complex world. Its name refers to the Dell at the center of campus as well as to “Diverse, Engaged, Lifelong Learners,” and it emphasizes:
- intellectual engagement
- breadth of learning
- social and personal responsibility
- global perspectives
- integrated learning.
The first-year and senior seminar courses will cover broad themes and allow students to integrate knowledge while addressing themes such as “Local and global diversity” or “technology and society.”
The curriculum will be implemented in the fall of 2019, one year after the institution becomes the University of Lynchburg.
Dr. Foreman said she is excited for the opportunity to focus on “raising and maintaining awareness and excitement among students, faculty, and staff about the DELL curriculum and its embodiment of the unique Lynchburg experience, and on developing cohesive processes and resources to support and sustain this mission-driven curriculum.”
In addition to holding a PhD from Virginia Commonwealth University, she is a Human Services Board certified practitioner and a certified crisis counselor. In 2017, she received University of Lynchburg’s Thomas C. Allen Award for Excellence in Academic Advising, an award presented each year to honor a faculty or staff member for excellence in advising practices. She was the convocation speaker in August 2017.