Faculty: The Top 15 Frequently Asked Questions

1.  What are the proposed changes to the General Education Core and when will they take effect?

•  First Year Experience (FYE):  at least 1 credit hour (or more) curricular and/or experiential requirement to strengthen ongoing student reflection.  Examples include first year seminars, other appropriate first year courses, or learning communities.
•  Mid-Collegiate:  an additional reflection activity (course or experience) to compliment the student’s ENG 289 (or other writing course). (An example of a Reflective Component of a Computer Programming course)
•  Senior Capstone Course:  both interdisciplinary and contextual perspectives are to be included.
•  Contemporary Topics Changes:  students will now choose 2 from the following 3 topics. (6 credit hours)

 Diversity and Culture:  analysis and understanding of issues arising from individual and cultural differences
 Social and Ethical Issues:  social/ethical reasoning from historical and contemporary perspectives 
 New!  Technology and Innovation:  analysis and understanding of how discovery and invention (tangible or     intangible) impact society

• Breath of Knowledge (BoK) Distribution Changes:  
  
  

  BoK designated courses should be introductory and also appropriate as a "complete" introduction to a field, one that could be the only course that students take in a particular discipline.  These courses should be of general value and interest and might be ones that programs recommend to their students on a routine basis.  Generally, they have few or no pre-requisites. The BoK designation is usually reserved for freshman (1000) and sophomore (2000) level courses.  In a very few instances, programs may provide a BoK designation to a 3000 level course, although the above characteristics should apply.   

• Students will now choose 4 courses from a minimum of 3 areas. (12 credit hours)

 Fine Arts
 Historical Perspectives
 Humanities (Literature will be added to this area.) 
 Natural Sciences (Computer Science will be omitted from this area.)
 Social Sciences

• Interdisciplinary Courses:  may now carry two BoK classifications.  Students completing these courses will earn credit for each of the indicated BoK’s.  This option is meant to encourage and facilitate the completion of course sequences for depth of learning, double majors, and certificate programs.
  
• Timing of New General Education Core:  recommendations should be acted on by each college, by Dec 31,2008.  Changes will go into effect when UC transfers to a semester calendar.  Changes in the assessment procedures will begin immediately.

2.  Are all students required to participate in the General Education Core?
Yes.  All undergraduate students in a baccalaureate program/major must fulfill the requirements of the General Education Core in order to earn a baccalaureate degree.

3.  Is assessment a necessary part of the General Education Core AND is assessment a temporary trend in higher education, or is it here to stay?
Assessment is a critical and integral component of the General Education Core.  It will provide feedback on the relative success of the  Core and illustrate over time, the need for change.  Also, it is a requirement for accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.  Assessment is now mandated on all levels including federal and state government and professional and regional accrediting agencies.  Assessment is likely to continue to be an integral part of how we prove, and more importantly improve, institutional effectiveness.

4. Are all undergraduate programs/majors required to participate in the General Education Core?
All undergraduate programs/majors which lead to a baccalaureate degree must participate in the General Education Core.  This is supported by general faculty consensus and is a requirement of the Higher Learning Commission.

 5.  Evaluating a student for “social responsibility” can be confusing.  Can you give a definition of social responsibility and how it fits within a program?
How social responsibility is defined is discipline-specific, yet in general, social responsibility is the ability to apply knowledge and skills gained through the undergraduate experience for the advancement of society.  One goal of the General Education Core is to introduce a student to historical ethical reasoning, contemporary social and ethical issues, and to promote knowledge, skills, and attitudes that encourage responsible civic engagement.  Each academic unit should identify and provide each student in the program/major with opportunities to develop some level of social responsibility.

You may also visit these websites, among others, for discipline-specific information related to social responsibility.
                         Business-- www.bsr.org
                         Behaviorists-- www.bfsr.org,
                         Computer professionals-- www.scn.org/IP/cpsr/cpsr.html, 
                         Scientists-- www.unc.edu/scs/resources.htm  
                         Teachers-- www.esrnational.org  
                      

6.  What if there are questions about the GenEd assessment process; where can we get help?
The college representatives on the General Education Coordinating Committee should be able to answer general questions on the assessment process.

Gigi Escoe, Chair (Provost Office)
Jim Boerio (COE)
Julie Burdick (Provost Office)
Laura Caldwell (CAS)
Thomas Dinsmore (CLMT)
Gary Dick (Social Work) 
Michelle Gibson (A&S)
Tom Herrmann (CAHS)
Adrianne J. Lane (NUR)
Marianne Lewis (COB)
Raj Mehta (Honors)
Marlene Miner (RWC)
Dennis Puhalla (DAAP)
Stephanie Schlagel (CCM)
Deborah Tenofsky (Faculty Senate and Libraries)
Jim Vondrell (CECH)

7.  How will a program/major know if its discipline-specific General Education rubrics are acceptable?
Each program/major is to submit its discipline-specific rubrics to the General Education Coordinating Committee by the 5th week of winter quarter.  While this is essentially only for confirmation purposes, the Committee will review the rubrics and, if they appear to
be significantly out of line, the Committee will make recommendations back to the program/major.  

8.  What if students don't do well when assessed?  Are there any penalties?
No.  There are no penalties in General Education assessment.  Assessment of the baccalaureate competencies is designed to help programs/majors, unit units/departments, colleges, and the University address how to better prepare students.  Poor student performance should be viewed as an indication that there is need for program improvement. 

9.  What if an academic unit doesn't have a program leading to a baccalaureate degree, does that unit still have to participate in the General Education Core?
The academic units that do not offer a baccalaureate degree program/major are not required to fully participate.  However, since all academic disciplines can contribute to at least one of the four baccalaureate competencies, all academic units are encouraged to participate in the General Education Core.

10.  If a course doesn't carry 3 credit hours, can it contribute towards fulfilling a Breadth of Knowledge distribution requirement?
If a course meets the above listed criteria for a course that fulfills a BoK requirement except for carrying 3 credit hours, it can still contribute towards fulfilling a BoK distribution requirement if it is combined with one or more other courses.  Academic unit heads, in conjunction with faculty, are responsible for designating such combined courses.

11.  Who determines where a course is located under Breadth of Knowledge?
Faculty who teach a course, in consultation with the unit/department head, are responsible for identifying the Breadth of Knowledge area in which that course is listed.

12.  Can an interdisciplinary course fulfill a General Education requirement?
Yes, as long as it targets at least one of the baccalaureate competencies and substantially addresses a BoK area.  As with other courses, units offering an interdisciplinary course should designate which Breadth of Knowledge area the interdisciplinary course addresses.

13.  Does the syllabus for a course need to be approved for the course to be included in the General Education Core?
No.  However, a Faculty Senate resolution advises faculty that course syllabi should include, among other items, the following: 1.)Indication of the BoK area(s), if any, that the course fulfills; 2.) If the course has been designated as only partially meeting a BoK area, those other courses that combined with  the course to satisfy the BoK area should be listed; 3.) Indication of the baccalaureate competencies that the course addresses. 

 14.  Is Information Literacy included in the General Education Core?
Yes.  Information literacy is an essential skill that supports each of the baccalaureate competencies and must permeate every component of the General Education Core.  Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.  It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. (Information Literacy Rubric)

15.  Do courses taught by adjunct faculty contribute to the General Education Core?
Yes, as long as the courses address one or more of the baccalaureate competencies and fulfill a requirement of the General Education Core.