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Division of Academic Affairs

Resources for Faculty

General Education: Policies and Procedures (APM 215, Revised Fall 2024)
GE ePortfolio Policy (Fall 2023)

General Education Writing Requirements  (pending approval date)

  • Courses must have a substantial iterative writing assignment.
  • Lower division foundation courses for Area 1A require a minimum of 5000 words of formal writing across their major assignments, at least 4000 of which must be in revised final draft form.
  • Lower division foundation courses for Area 1B require a minimum of 5000 words of writing. This 5000-word requirement may include a combination of process drafts, written peer response, and other forms of informal writing which informs students’ inquiry-driven research and writing process. Students should revise and receive feedback on at least one extended argument from their instructors. 
  • Upper division GE Integration courses require a 2000 word iterative assignment.

GENERAL EDUCATION PROCEDURES 

General Education (GE) course proposals are submitted through Modern Campus and should include the following:

  1. A title.
  2. A brief description (catalog entry).
  3. Any prerequisites (including those required by the GE Program).
  4. A justification of the course as meeting the goals, criteria, specifications and learning outcomes
    of GE as outlined in the Program Description document (Areas 1-6 as required), as well as the
    applicable sections of Policies for Inclusion and Evaluation of General Education Courses
    (detailed in the General Education Policies document). Integration courses require an explanation
    of the manner in which the course integrates area and subarea goals and learning outcomes.
  5. Frequency of course offering.
  6. Additional operating money required beyond present levels.
  7. Additional instructional equipment required.
  8. A course syllabus for each section taught that should include all required elements from the University syllabus templates.
  9. Specific writing or performance requirements that comply with GE Policies and the GE Writing Requirements document (e.g. typical paper assignments, research projects or performance requirements).
  10. A plan for assessing the student learning outcomes for the appropriate GE area, including the student work to be evaluated and the rubric or standardized method by which the work will be evaluated.
  11. The approval of the Departments involved, of the School or College curriculum committee(s), and of the School or College Dean(s).

General Education (GE) New Course proposals are submitted through Modern Campus via a New Course Form 

  1. A request for a course to be added to the GE Program is made through the submission of an Undergraduate GE Course Proposal form. Following a substantive review of the request by the Department, appropriate School or College committee, and approval by the School or College Dean, the request is submitted to the GE Committee through the Provost or Provost’s designee. Proposals must be approved by the GE Committee as well as the Provost or Provost’s designee. If approved, the course is incorporated into the next year’s catalog, and it may be scheduled for offering during the academic year covered by
    the catalog. Existing courses for GE do not need to be submitted to the Undergraduate Curriculum Subcommittee.
  2. If a course is interdisciplinary in nature, involving more than one School or College, the proposal must be approved by the respective committees and Deans of each school or College before submission to the GE Committee.

General Education (GE) Existing Course proposals are submitted through Modern Campus via a Course Revision Form 

  1. Deletions or changes in existing courses involving unit value, lecture/laboratory format, distance/mediated learning, prerequisites, class size, content, and title or description are requested on the Undergraduate GE Course Change Request form. Following a review by the Department, review and recommendation by the appropriate School or College committee, and approval by the School or College Dean, the request is submitted to the GE Committee through the Provost or Provost’s designee. If approved, the course is incorporated into the next year’s catalog, and it may be scheduled for offering during the
    academic year covered by the catalog.
  2. The procedures for submission of existing course proposals shall be the same as those described for new course proposals with the understanding that the depth of the review is contingent upon the extent of the proposed change.

  1. When a new course or a proposed change affects another program or Department, it must be cleared by the affected program or Department. Such clearance, as evidenced by the appropriate signatures on the request form, must be secured by the Department requesting the change. If clearance is denied, then resolution of the issues can be sought before the GE Committee. If a change significantly affects other courses or programs within the Department making the request, the necessary adjustments should also be indicated on the form. Information on current course interrelationships may be obtained from the Provost or Provost’s designee.
  2. The GE Committee will be responsible for recommending to the Provost or Provost’s designee amendments to the list of courses included in the GE Program.
  3. All courses in GE must be resubmitted and reapproved every five years during a review performed by the GE Committee to ensure the courses continue to meet the goals and learning outcomes of the program.

Governing Documents

Program Review

Useful Links