GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES (Effective Fall 2007)

General education courses are defined as broad-based (not narrowly focused on one major or program of study) courses designed for the general student population. General education courses are intended to provide knowledge and skills that satisfy general education competencies and core course requirements.

In order to satisfy any of the 40 hour general education core requirements, courses must be identified through a review process. All general education courses must assess at least one general education competency. In addition, it is recommended that all general education courses include at least one of the following competencies – effective expression (oral, written, technological communications), critical thinking, global community.

The General Education Course Review Form must be submitted for each general education course (not section). The information will be reviewed by the QEP/General Education Assessment Council (GEAC) to ensure that collegiate-level course proficiencies/assessments are included. (Collegiate-level proficiencies must meet or exceed the “Application” level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)

Every general education course syllabus must:
(1) identify the course as a general education course;
(2) identify the general education competency(ies) addressed in the course;
(3) contain student learning outcome(s) that demonstrate the competency(ies);
(4) identify the assessment tools used to measure student performance.

The General Education Summary Form will serve as the means by which general education assessment data is collected and analyzed. The form is intended to document the outcomes, methods, data, and actions taken regarding general education assessment. Information from the forms will be compiled and utilized by the QEP/GEAC to evaluate general education campus-wide.