Essential Education Newsblog

Tag: Essential Ed quicklinks

Save the Date – Michigan Tech’s 2026 Essential Education Symposium

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Michigan Tech’s 2nd Annual Essential Education Symposium will take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 on campus, the week after Spring Semester Final Exams. The 1st Annual Essential Ed Symposium took place on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. It was highlighted by our special guest Shane Sutherland – Founder/CEO/CMM of PebblePad, an internationally higher education utilized ePortfolio platform. His lunchtime Keynote focused on how other academic institutions around the world are using ePortfolios to maximize student reflection, communicate skill acquisition and application, and documenting their academic accomplishments to future employers and academic programs.

The 2026 Essential Ed Symposium will feature highlights from the launch of each element of Essential Education. More exciting sessions relating to Essential Ed, its impact on students, faculty support resources and best practices, skill needs of future employers, will be announced in early spring. These elements are highlighted in this short video “What is MIchigan Tech’s Essential Education?” 

We encourage you to visit Michigan Tech Essential Ed YouTube channel . This is the home of the videos being created to promote Michigan Tech’s Essential Education program rollout, including outlining the value of this educational experience to current and future students. Videos of Future Symposiums presentations and materials serving as resources for instructors teaching Essential Education program courses will also be available on this channel. 

Here are some quick links to a sample of the 2025 Symposium presentations, beginning with highlights of the full event. 

For more information on the rollout of Michigan Tech’s Tech Forward 1.0 initiative, Essential Education, review Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Newsblog.

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Ongoing Improvement in Essential Education Courses: A Mid-Semester Guide for Instructors

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At the core of the Essential Education program is a commitment to continuous improvement of student learning through the Essential Abilities (EA) assessment process. This faculty-driven system provides both structure and flexibility, helping instructors intentionally design, assess, and enhance their courses each semester through two main components: the Planning Tool and EA-Assessment Reporting.

  • The Planning Tool, completed at the start of each semester, helps instructors identify supported Essential Abilities, confirm course alignment, and request support or offer feedback.
  • EA-Assessment Reporting, at the end of the semester, prompts instructors to reflect on how these abilities were integrated, evaluate student performance, and plan improvements for future courses.

To balance ongoing engagement with workload, Essential Ed faculty follow a 3-Year Improvement Cycle. Instructors complete the Planning Tool every semester throughout the cycle. Meanwhile, their end-of-semester responsibilities gradually shift—from detailed assessment reporting and improvement planning toward sharing updates and focusing more on professional development—supporting continuous improvement while managing workload.

Week 7: Mid-Semester Check-In: How’s Your Essential Abilities Plan Holding Up?

As we settle into the rhythm of the semester, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the work many of you did back at the start — completing the Essential Abilities (EA) Planning Tool.

Though it was brief (approximately 15 minutes), that step helped lay the groundwork for more intentional teaching by:

  • Clarifying which Essential Abilities your course supports
  • Encouraging alignment between assignments and Essential Abilities
  • Creating a space to flag support needs or raise questions

Now, with classes in full swing, you may already be seeing the benefit of that early intentionality — whether it’s clearer assignment design, more focused student feedback, or simply a stronger sense of direction. A quick self-check now can help ensure that things stay on track—or give you space to course-correct, if needed.

Quick Check — Which best describes your experience so far?

  • Students have submitted assignments showing Essential Abilities, and I’m satisfied with my plan, and I’m satisfied with how my plan is unfolding.
  • Students haven’t submitted yet, but I’m confident in my plan.
  • I’m beginning to think my original plan may not work as expected and might need revising.

If you relate to the third point or feel unsure, reach out to your Course List Team for help you revisiting your plan, realigning assignments, or troubleshooting challenges. Also, visit the Essential Ed Resource Hub for Instructors in Canvas, which offers updated tools to support you—whether you’re revising your plan mid-semester or preparing for reporting. It includes support contacts, editable rubrics, a setup guide with a growing number of examples from fellow instructors.

Why This Matters Now

This fall marks the soft launch of the Essential Abilities assessment process. Selected courses—typically those taken by first-year students—are participating in the phased launch of EA Reporting. Instructors teaching 1xxx- and 2xxx-level courses on the Foundations, Math, and Science lists are asked to complete an EA Report at semester’s end.

Early planning makes the process smoother and more meaningful because you will have already:

  • Identified which Essential Abilities you’re focusing on
  • Aligned those abilities with your assignments or activities
  • Set clear expectations for how students demonstrate those abilities

If you’re not required to report this semester, it’s still a good time to reflect on how your EA goals are unfolding. Taking a few notes now will be especially helpful later, when EA Reporting is fully launched and you teach the course again.

The EA Report is essentially a check-in: Did things go as planned? What worked well? What might you adjust next time? We’ll share more about the reporting process next week—including who will need to complete a report this term.

By Jean Straw DeClerck, Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness

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Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Steering Committee Guides the function and continuous improvement of the program

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As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure that our students are prepared to enter and succeed in this changing world – to have the skills to become culturally-responsive leaders who are civically engaged. This line of thinking is at the heart of Essential Education, a core component of the Tech Forward vision. 

To make this vision become a reality, Essential Education will be guided by the Essential Education Steering Committee (EESC). The EESC will conduct the following activities:

  • Planning of the annual Essential Education Symposium
  • Review new Essential Education course proposals, suggesting any needed changes, approving changes
  • Provide oversight of assessment and resulting actions to ensure continuous improvement and effectiveness of the Essential Ed curriculum
  • Provide feedback to Essential Ed instructors and units regarding curricular needs and possible modifications

Steering Committee Membership: Representatives from staff and faculty, including 6 course-list leaders:

  • Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (chair)
  • Essential Ed Project Manager
  • Assessment Manager 
  • Director, Husky Folio
  • Registrar’s Office representative
  • Student Affairs representative 
  • 2-3 at-large members selected to ensure that there is faculty representation from each college of the university
  • 6, course list team leaders (see below)

The Essential Ed oversight structure is intended to encourage and support a community of educators focused on student achievement of programmatic learning outcomes (which for Essential Ed are the Essential Abilities). Since the course-list types serve different functions within the curriculum and have different expectations, support is structured around groupings of course lists: course-list teams and leaders (who also sit on the Essential Ed Steering Committee). Note: This differs from the previous approach structured around undergraduate student learning goals (USLGs).

Role of Essential Educations Course List Teams

  • 3-6 members who are from units teaching or supporting courses on the associated Essential Ed course lists 
  • Helps compile/disseminate findings and recommendations; develop online resources; help train faculty; make proposed-course recommendations to assist Steering Committee, plan/attend Essential Education Symposium 
  • Provides Essential Ed faculty support for their units — to provide assistance or referral on topics including pedagogy, Essential Ability evidence/assignment design, ePortfolio, as well as Essential Ed checklist completion and assessment reporting
  • Participate in professional development, especially the summer assessment activities (strongly encouraged)hort description: 

Different from previous goal committee structure: 

  • Not applicable to degree program outcome assessment. 
  • Considerable faculty support duties
  • Fewer members but additional faculty can be recruited for specific tasks
  • Reviews course proposals and makes recommendations to Steering Committee

To view who staffs the Essential Education Steering Committee and Course List Teams, visit Michigan Tech’s Essential Education News Blog. Next week, learn about the role of continuous improvement in the ongoing improvement and increased effectiveness of Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Tech Forward initiative.

Michigan Tech Essential Education Steering Committee

Essential Education Steering Committee
Member Department Role Course List Team
Marika Seigel APUE Chair
Steve Patchin APUE – Project Mgr Member
Jean DeClerck APUE – Assessment Mgr Member
AJ Hamlin Eng Fund, Director Husky Folio Member
Darren Bausano Registrars Office Member
Cassandra Reed-Vandam APUE – E3 Manager Member
Anna McClatchy Student Affairs Member
Travis Wakeham BL & APUE Member
Yu Cai College of Computing Member
Valroiee Gagnon CFRES Member
Audra Morse CoE Member
Steven Holloway CoB Member Foundations & SHAPE
Richelle Winkler SS Member Experience & 1 credit minor portfolio Course
Holly Hassel HU Member Composition & Communication Intensive
Crystal McLeod Ctr Student Mental Health & Wellness Member Seminar + Activities for Wellbeing & Success
Mike Maxwell VPA Member Arts & Culture + Intercultural Competencies
Mike Meyer Physics Member Math + Science + STEM

Michigan Tech Essential Education Course List Teams

2025-26 Essential Education Course List Teams
Course List Team Member Dept Role
Foundations & Shape Steven Holloway CoB Lead
Steve Walton SS Co-Lead
Laura Fiss Pavlis/HU Member
Experience + 1-credit minor portfolio course Richelle Winkler SS Lead
Cassandra Reed-VanDam APUE Co-Lead
Laura Rouleau SS Co-Lead
Danielle Meirow SLI Member
Estella Mira Barrenda HU Member
Composition + Communication Intensive Holly Hassel HU Lead
Jennifer Nish HU Co-Lead
Paul Sanders MAT Member
Jonathan Robins SS Member
Nich Radcliffe VPA Member
Seminar + Activities for Wellbeing & Success Crystal McLeod Ctr Student Mental Health/Wellbeing Lead
AJ Hamlin Eng Fund Co-Lead
Veronica Horning SA Member
Melissa Michaelson Career Services Member
Craig Pelizzaro KIP Member
Christopher Plummer VPA Member
Arts & Culture + Intercultural Compentency Mike Maxwell VPA Lead
Destaney Sauls PHF Co-Lead
Matt Seigel HU Member
Math + Science + STEM Mike Meyer Physics Lead
Teresa Woods Math Co-Lead
Brigette Morin BL,CSA Member
Tim VanWagner CC Member
Andrew Galerneau Chem Member
Chad Walber MAE Member
Matt Laird CEGE Member

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Essential Education important Fall Dates for course proposal submission

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Reminder of important Fall Essential Ed course proposal dates.

– Oct 15 (Wed): White binder course proposals complete & posted to department summary sheet
– Oct 17 (Fri): Proposals for Essential Ed courses due to Essential Ed Steering Committee via Google form
– Oct 27 (Mon): White binder proposals/changes reviewed by Deans & sent to Registrar’s Office for processing
– Nov 21 (Fri): Degree audit changes due to Registrar’s Office
– Dec 5 (Fri): Essential Education Steering Committee review of proposals complete; list of approved changes forwarded to Registrar.s Office

The Course Proposal Form is live for courses you would like to propose and submit before the deadline. Stay tuned for next Thursdays Tech Today article regarding the role of Essential Educations Steering Committee and Course List Teams. Did you miss a Thursday Michigan Tech Essential Ed Update? Find it at Michigan Techs Essential Ed Newsblog.

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Essential Education is here! Your guide to the new curriculum

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This fall marks the official launch of Essential Education, a new general education program that began as a part of Tech Forward 1.0 conversations seven years ago. Essential Ed represents a strategic evolution of our curriculum, and we’re dedicated to helping you navigate it.

Every Thursday this academic year, we’ll use Tech Today to highlight the many components of Essential Education. You’ll get a closer look at the key elements, and we’ll share the accompanying programs and resources designed to assist instructors, community partners, and in navigating this new curriculum.

For a deeper dive into any topic, visit the Essential Education News Blog . We’ve already developed a number of resources to get you started:

  • What is Michigan Tech’s Essential Education? The Essential Ed website provides a comprehensive overview of the program’s core elements.
  • Introducing HuskyFolio powered by PebblePad. Learn about the value of Folio Thinking and how the new HuskyFolio platform will be gradually integrated into the curriculum at the HuskyFolio website .
  • Essential Education Minors – Find the current list of minors. Degree audits will be linked here once they are finalized.
  • Essential Education Experiences – Get all the details on the new Essential Education Experiences website.
  • Essential Education Resource Hub for Instructors – If you are teaching an Essential Ed course, this Resource Hub is your one-stop-shop in Canvas. It offers step-by-step guidance—including a Course Setup Guide, instructions for Instructor EA reporting and HuskyFolio—as well as specialized tools and support for course lists, Essential Abilities, large-class teaching, and more.
  • Essential Education YouTube Channel – Our new channel features videos you can use in the classroom or just to learn more about Essential Ed, featuring corporate partners discussing the value of Essential Abilities, highlights from our first symposium, and more. We’ll be adding new content all year to showcase how Essential – Education prepares our students for success.

If you ever miss a Thursday Update, just check the Essential Education News Blog to catch up and continue exploring this signature program.

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