General Education Oversight Committee

Academic preparation, skills and expectations for educational and professional success through exploration of a topic or issue.

SLOs: Critical Thinking and Reasoning, Effective Reading, Information Literacy, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Intellectual Curiosity

Effective reading, writing, and information usage.

SLOs: Effective Reading, Information Literacy, Written Communication

Numerical, analytical, statistical, and problem-solving skills.

SLOs: Quantitative Reasoning

Exploration of the different ways individuals and societies have and continue to express themselves and communicate the human experience.

SLOs: Knowledge of Human Experience, Intellectual Curiosity, Ethical Reasoning

Critical and comparative analysis of humanity, emphasizing the role of history, culture, and/or language in human issues.

SLOs: Critical Thinking and Reasoning, Understanding the Human World, Effective Reading, Knowledge of Human Experience, Intercultural Competence

Quantitative and/or qualitative analysis of human behavior and/or societies.

SLOs: Understanding the Human World, Knowledge of Human Experience, Emerging and Enduring Global Issues, Intercultural Competence

Applied social science, with an emphasis on understanding and solving problems in the social or behavioral sciences.

SLOs: Quantitative Reasoning, Knowledge of Human Experience, Emerging and Enduring Global Issues, Ethical Reasoning

Experiential laboratory-based science.

SLOs: Quantitative Reasoning, Scientific Reasoning, Knowledge of the Physical World

Applied science, with an emphasis on understanding and solving problems in the natural, physical, and technological sciences (may or may not include a lab).

SLOs: Critical Thinking & Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Scientific Reasoning, Knowledge of the Physical World

Interconnected dimensions of wellness, including physical, emotional, and financial, to live a healthy, successful life.

SLOs: Personal Health and Wellness

Apply knowledge and competencies from General Education through internship, study abroad/away, research, senior project, or other relevant experience.

SLOs: Critical Thinking and Reasoning, Information Literacy, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Intellectual Curiosity

Q: Can FYS sections be offered for a specific subgroup of students?

A: Just as FYS cannot be required for a major of department or program, it is against the spirit of the FYS program to have designated sections of FYS set aside for Honors or any other subgroup of students (one could imagine transfers, or commuters, or teams, or special-interest groups, etc.). The GEOC therefore works with the registrar to insure that every FYS that is offered is open and available to all entering students, and not set aside or restricted in any way, nor are students allowed to be selectively pre-enrolled or advised towards a particular FYS.

Q: During the transition to the new general education program, which students will follow the new curriculum?

A:

• Students who matriculate into SU prior to fall 2024 can stay in their original catalog year and will be responsible for completing the “old” gen ed.
• Students who matriculate in fall 2024 or after will be enter into that catalog year and will be responsible for completing the “new” gen ed.
• Current students who drop or choose a new major, minor, track, etc. during or after fall 2024 will automatically move to the catalog year that coincides with their change.  If they stay in that catalog, they will be responsible for completing the “new” gen ed as well as the updated major, minor, track, etc. requirements.  However, if the updated major, minor, track, etc. existed in their previous catalog year, they can request to move back to that year and complete the “old” gen ed as well as the major, minor, track, etc. requirements associated with that catalog year.   
• Beginning with the fall 2024 online course catalog, both the “old” and “new” gen ed designations will be listed in the course descriptions.  The “old” gen ed designations will remain for a period of seven years. 
• Beginning with the fall 2024 online catalog, an appendix will list all approved gen ed courses (under the requirement).  This is a new practice, essential now that we can’t point to specific disciplines in any category. 

Q: Will current students have an opportunity to choose the new model?

A: The new General Education curriculum is slated to go into effect for fall 2024. Students entering the university for that term and beyond will be required to complete the new General Education curriculum. Current students may opt to change their catalog year to fall 2024 at that time. If they choose to do so, they will also follow the major and minor curriculum that has been approved for that term.

Q: Can any academic department offer a General Education course?

A: Yes. General Education requirements are based on the general description of the requirement as well as the fulfillment of the assigned Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs).

Q: Can a department offer courses in more than one General Education requirement?

A: Yes. The same department can offer some courses under one requirement and other courses under another. They will choose the appropriate requirement based on the requirement descriptor and the ability to teach to/asses the assigned SLOs.

Q: Can courses be approved for more than one requirement?

A: Courses may be approved for one of the themed areas (i.e: civic and community engagement; diversity and inclusion; and environmental sustainability) as well as another requirement in the General Education listing as long as the SLOs have been met for both requirements.

Q: Do courses have to meet all the SLOs assigned to that requirement to be approved for General Education?

A: Yes. Faculty must teach to and asses all SLOs assigned to the specific General Education requirement.

Q:  Will Special Topics courses be approved for General Education?

A: It depends. If the course is a shared syllabus course where every instructor would use shared elements (assignments, readings, etc.) to meet the SLOs required for General Education, then as long as all course sections keep to the shared syllabus elements, different sections do not need to be evaluated by the General Education committees, and oversight is done at the department level. If the course is a shell course where all sections are focused on a general topic with a shared approach but different faculty have the freedom to approach different topics within this framework as they desire. However, each new syllabus (dealing with a new topic, but still meeting the required General Education SLOs) will be submitted to the appropriate subcommittee for expedited review. These proposals for expedited review will only require department chair and GEOC approval (along with GEOC Advisory Subcommittee review).

Q: How will students know whether a course will fulfill a General Education requirement?

A: Much like it is now, the General Education designation will be listed in the course description in both the online catalog and in GullNet; students will be able to search for courses based on requirements; and the Academic Requirements Report will show when an enrolled course fulfills a General Education requirement.

Q: What will the subcommittees use to evaluate course proposals?

A:  The GEOC and GEOC Advisory Subcommittees will use the approved category criteria and rubrics published in the appendices to the GEOC Standing Rules.

• Creating a Proposal
• Curriculog for Current Courses
• Curriculog for New Courses