ABSTRACT
As developers, they argue that the authors are now in the “Age of the Network,” where “the challenges and opportunities appear more intensified and complex” and point out that the authors face challenges that no single part of a university can address alone. These “forces of change” include the changing professoriate; the changing student body; and the changing nature of teaching, learning, and scholarship. The 2002 five-year self-study of the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center at Grand Valley State University showed a center true to its mission. It was indeed “enhancing student learning by supporting faculty members in their efforts to teach effectively.” Claiming a Liberal Education (CLE), the broader institutional initiative described in this chapter, had quiet beginnings. As one of the early documents in the CLE initiative noted, “This degree of growth and change has led to questions about the content, goals, and standards of a university education”.
