Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Mark J. Pilgrim has been named Lander University's new general education director.
Beginning in the fall, Pilgrim will be responsible for overseeing the collection of data from all of Lander's general education courses for reports to Lander faculty members and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC).
"I will likely also be called to meet with academic areas on campus to facilitate dialog regarding improvements in general education that are supported by the data we collect," he said.
According to Pilgrim, administrators "hope to institute changes in the general education curriculum that will improve achievement of student learning outcomes, such as academic success in courses, and institutional outcomes, such as retention and successful completion of degree programs."
The newly created position was deemed necessary "to not only keep us in compliance with SACS-COC standards, but also to keep up with best practices in higher education," he said.
As a liberal arts institution, Lander values "a broad, well-rounded education for our students," and having "a robust general education program" helps it to achieve this mission, he said.
Dr. Scott Jones, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, thanked Pilgrim for his "willingness to step up and contribute his talents to the university."