This document outlines Michigan's draft state action plan for the Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) initiative for year 1. It recommends initially focusing on sharing best practices around general education assessment, high impact practices, and strategies to facilitate integrative learning between institutions. It also recommends developing a communication plan to convey the value of general education skills to various stakeholders. The action plan's steps include joining the LEAP Faculty Collaborative, collecting and analyzing general education assessment data to determine impact on underserved student groups, and identifying which LEAP skills are taught in general education programs.

1. Michigan Draft LEAP State Action Plan Year 1
1. Recommended Initial Focus
(From Michigan Focus on Essential Learning Outcomes (MIFELO) Steering Committee
and Michigan public institution Provosts’ LEAP State Application October 5, 2015)
• Continuance of statewide discussions about best practices at member institutions with
regard to assessment of general education (closing the loop), the use of high impact
practices and value rubrics, and strategies to facilitate integrative learning.
• Sharing data and making recommendations on how all member institutions can increase
the success of underserved groups. This is vital to our success as a state and a nation.
• Development of a statewide communication plan to convey the value of the knowledge,
attitudes and skills developed through an integrated general education program to
students, parents, legislators and employers.

2. Michigan Draft LEAP State Action Plan Year 1
2. Recommended Action Steps for Year 1
Step 1:
• Join the LEAP Faculty Collaborative initiative and create an Instate Collaborative to Advance Learning Outcome Assessment in General
Education.
• Focus discussions on best practices in general education assessment and continuous improvement through the use of high impact
practices and value rubrics, and strategies to facilitate integrative learning.
• In addition to the LEAP steering committee members include faculty, institutional research, and general education committee
representatives from each Michigan public institution.
Step 2:
• Collect and disaggregate general education assessment data for each public institution to determine the impact of general
education/foundation courses on student subpopulations (veterans, underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, low SES, first
generation, transfer, international, etc.)
• Identify which LEAP skills (intellectual, practical, personal, and social responsibility skills) are taught in Michigan’s general education
programs/foundation courses.
Step 3:
• Develop a communication plan for internal and external stakeholders that demonstrates the value of general education Essential
Learning Outcomes and how the skills taught through Michigan’s general education programs contribute to Inclusive Excellence and to
the economy and welfare of citizens, employers and the State of Michigan.