SEEDS Curriculum

SEEDS Curriculum Mission Statement

Education is a process of self-discovery and growth. The Montclair SEEDS curriculum encourages students to uncover what excites and motivates them. Our world faces significant social, cultural, and environmental challenges and needs citizens with passion and purpose who think critically and creatively, communicate clearly, and act ethically. The Montclair SEEDS curriculum will strengthen and build upon students’ existing skills and teach them new ways to embrace the world around them.

Documentation

SEEDS VALUES.

Social Justice and Equity.

Students will learn how different forms of inequality (social, economic, environmental, racial, gender) have developed; the history of those who have struggled against injustice; and the many ways in which inequality continues to function in present day society.

Educated Citizenry (PDF)

Students will learn to assess, produce, and communicate knowledge as informed and responsible citizens, and learn to critically evaluate the sociopolitical structures that influence information creation.

Engagement, Agency, and Leadership.

Students will learn how to engage with issues in their communities and develop the confidence and strategies to become leaders and contribute to the public good.

Diversity and Intercultural Competency.

Students will develop the ability to understand diverse cultural contexts and to communicate and function within them.

Self-Discovery and Self-Care.

Students will be introduced to multiple disciplinary approaches towards achieving a healthy, meaningful, and productive life, and, along the way, develop a sense of self.

SEEDS Curriculum Student Learning Outcomes and Rubrics.

Foundations (18- 21 credits).

All learning outcomes in the Foundations area are required (15-18 cr).
The second course of Effective Writing can be taken within the major where available.
Students who can demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a foreign language can fill this requirement with only 3 credits. Students who choose to start the study of a new language will be required to take 6 credits.

Explorations (12 credits)

Students are required to take 12 credits.
Students can choose 4 from the 6 learning outcomes in this area.
It is not allowed to choose the same learning outcome more than once.

LIST OF APPROVED SEEDS COURSES.

Montclair SEEDS Curriculum Implementation 2024-2025.

Pilot Implementation 2024-2025.

Starting in Fall 2024 Montclair SEEDS curriculum will be implemented as a pilot program among undeclared first-year students registered in University College.

Certification 2024-2025.

A new round of certification will start on September 23 2024. Guide for SEEDS Certification.
Starting in Fall 2024 the Advisory Board will consider both existing and new courses for certification in the SEEDS curriculum.
New courses should get SEEDS certification before they seek curriculum approval.
Starting in Fall 2024 courses certified in the SEEDS curriculum will have a five-year certification.
The learning goals of the course must be aligned with ONE of the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) in the SEEDS curriculum.
The instructor(s) of the course agrees to participate in the assessment of the SEEDS curriculum. Participation includes submitting samples of student work and distributing other indirect assessment measures.
The purpose of the course will be aligned with one of the SEEDS Values.
Faculty will be invited to participate in the creation of instruments to assess the SEEDS values.

Starting on Fall 2024 courses certified will be admitted for five years, with the following understanding:

Courses submitted for certification should already reflect any changes that are necessary to best align the course with SEEDS learning outcomes and values. These may include changes to the title, pre-requisites and co-requisites, learning objectives, and course description. If changes need to be made, these should be submitted to the SEEDS Advisory Board and then seek approval through the curriculum approval process.
Faculty will be asked to participate in the assessment of SEEDS SLOs and SEEDS values.

SEEDS Certification Form

Program Alignments.

Last May, many of you completed and submitted degree plans that aligned existing programs with the new SEEDS curriculum. We know this was an herculean effort completed in a very short period of time. We sincerely thank you for your hard work.

Now that this task has been completed we have a better idea of which programs will need additional assistance to align their curricula with SEEDS. In the next few weeks, we will be reaching out to start these conversations. In the meantime, if you identified problems that your program or programs may face as a result of the implementation of SEEDS, please contact either Kate McCaffrey or Esperanza Brizuela-Garcia at your earliest convenience.