{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T18:07:30Z","timestamp":1777399650782,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"The Pennsylvania State University Press","issue":"1-2","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>In a moment when the \u201cvalue\u201d of postsecondary education has been repeatedly called into question, this study responds by identifying long-term effects of the undergraduate experience with particular attention to the general education curriculum. Specifically, it draws on 559 written responses from a wide range of alumni to identify which elements of their undergraduate education are still most salient. Of these elements, coursework emerged as most important for alumni, who cited its contributions to their development of self-understanding, interpersonal skills, career preparation, and intellectual skills such as critical thinking. Alumni also indicated that perceptions of coursework shifted with time so that courses that did not seem useful at graduation ultimately provided valuable preparation for their lives and careers. In negative accounts, alumni described a lack of guidance through curricular requirements. This study demonstrates an approach that can yield more nuanced and complex information about the general education curriculum\u2019s long-term effects by including respondent writing as a supplement to the data gathered through closed-entry surveys. Analyzing what college alumni write about their undergraduate education proves not only to be a promising approach for understanding how to improve general education curricula more effectively, but to also further evidence for proclaiming the importance of general education.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5325\/jgeneeduc.70.1-2.0149","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,22]],"date-time":"2023-06-22T20:11:50Z","timestamp":1687464710000},"page":"149-173","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Alumni Perspectives on Undergraduate Education: How Writing Can Increase What We Know"],"prefix":"10.5325","volume":"70","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6746-6919","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Anne Ruggles","family":"Gere","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Jason","family":"Godfrey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Marquise","family":"Griffin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Kelly D.","family":"Hartwell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Ion","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Naitnaphit","family":"Limlamai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Andrew","family":"Moos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Andrew Appleton","family":"Pine","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Kathryn Van","family":"Zanen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"3287","reference":[{"issue":"6","key":"2024092514073377300_r1","first-page":"14","article-title":"A snapshot of writing instruction in middle schools and high schools","year":"2011","journal-title":"English Journal"},{"issue":"100","key":"2024092514073377300_r2","first-page":"79","article-title":"Moving assessment forward: Enabling conditions and stumbling blocks","year":"1997","journal-title":"New Directions for Higher Education"},{"issue":"3","key":"2024092514073377300_r3","first-page":"193","article-title":"A process model of writing development across the life span","year":"1996","journal-title":"Educational Psychology Review"},{"key":"2024092514073377300_r4","volume-title":"Our underachieving colleges: A candid look at how much students learn and why they should be learning more","year":"2006"},{"issue":"6","key":"2024092514073377300_r5","first-page":"605","article-title":"General education models: Continuity and change in the U.S. undergraduate curriculum, 1975\u20132000","year":"2009","journal-title":"Journal of Higher Education"},{"issue":"3","key":"2024092514073377300_r6","first-page":"289","article-title":"Liberal education and effective action","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of General Education"},{"key":"2024092514073377300_r7","unstructured":"Carnevale, A., Cheah, B., & Strohl, J. (2013). Hard times: College majors, unemployment, and earnings (ED528241). ERIC. https:\/\/files-eric-ed-gov.proxy.lib.umich.edu\/fulltext\/ED528241.pdf"},{"issue":"5","key":"2024092514073377300_r8","first-page":"1","article-title":"Understanding the purpose of higher education: An analysis of the economic and social benefits for completing a college degree","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Education Policy, Planning and Administration"},{"key":"2024092514073377300_r9","volume-title":"Fixing English: Prescriptivism and language history","year":"2014"},{"issue":"4","key":"2024092514073377300_r10","first-page":"58+","article-title":"The liberal arts: Preparing the workforce of the future","year":"2018","journal-title":"Liberal Education"},{"key":"2024092514073377300_r11","first-page":"18","article-title":"Clashing values: A longitudinal, exploratory study of student beliefs about general education, vocationalism, and transfer of learning","year":"2014"},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"2024092514073377300_r12","first-page":"86","article-title":"Reflection on a successful process for general education reform","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of General Education"},{"issue":"2","key":"2024092514073377300_r13","first-page":"5","article-title":"A liberal education for the 21st century: Some reflections on general education","year":"2016","journal-title":"Currents in Teaching and Learning"},{"key":"2024092514073377300_r14","volume-title":"Creating the path to success in the classroom: Teaching to close the achievement gap for minority first generation, and academically underrepresented students","year":"2018"},{"issue":"2","key":"2024092514073377300_r15","first-page":"112","article-title":"Student views of general education","year":"1981","journal-title":"Liberal Education"},{"issue":"1","key":"2024092514073377300_r16","first-page":"99","article-title":"Writing and conceptual learning in science: An analysis of assignments","year":"2019","journal-title":"Written Communication"},{"issue":"6","key":"2024092514073377300_r17","first-page":"1043","article-title":"High school teachers use of writing to support students\u2019 learning: A national survey","year":"2014","journal-title":"Reading and Writing"},{"issue":"3","key":"2024092514073377300_r18","first-page":"179","article-title":"General education sucks: So teach the great identities","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of General Education"},{"issue":"3\u20134","key":"2024092514073377300_r19","first-page":"114","article-title":"Undergraduate critical-thinking development: Permitted, prompted, or pushed?","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of General Education"},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"2024092514073377300_r20","first-page":"30","article-title":"Closing the gap: Increasing student voice on campus to improve understanding of a general education program\u2019s goals","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of General Education"},{"key":"2024092514073377300_r21","first-page":"180","article-title":"The demand side of general education: Attending to student attitudes and understandings","volume-title":"Journal of General Education","year":"1991"},{"key":"2024092514073377300_r22","unstructured":"Keller-Wolff, C., Eason, B., & Hinds, M. 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