Requirements & Rubric

The requirements for proposing a general education course are outlined in the Course Evaluation Rubric shown below.  It is helpful to download the rubric (docx) and use the document as a guide when writing a proposal and/or as a checklist before submitting a proposal to the committee.

 

COURSE CONTENT

 SELECT:
Does the content of the course meet the identified study area and, if Tier One, the category? Yes No
Appendix A: Definitions of General Education Tier One Study Areas
 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

 SELECT:
Does the course have clearly stated learning outcomes? Yes No
These outcomes should reflect what the student will be able to do by the end of the course
Note: How do the course outcomes align with the Gen Ed program outcomes? (Not all course outcomes will align with program outcomes.) Then, what assessments are you using to measure whether your students have met the expected learning outcomes? (Refer to the General Education Student Learning Outcomes and the definitions of Tier One Study Areas and Tier Two Study Areas for examples)
 

WRITING REQUIREMENTS

 SELECT:
Does the course meet the writing policy requirements? Yes No
The University-Wide General Education Committee will look for specific detail with respect to the writing policy when evaluating course proposals; sample assignments are helpful.
  • Writing assignments, both formal and informal, are integrated in the course requirements through more than one means.
  • Writing assignments emphasize critical inquiry.
  • Writing assignments are evaluated for format, organization, style, grammar, and punctuation, as well as content and participation in the scholarly conversation.
  • At least one writing assignment involves a revision process in which students receive instructor and/or peer feedback on a first draft and make substantive revisions before submitting a subsequent draft for grading.
  • Writing assignments may vary in number and length but must add up to a minimum of 10 pages or 2500 words over the term. One or more writing assignments of at least 750 words must be done outside of the class session.
Note: The Writing Requirement policy was approved by academic committees and Faculty Senate in 2015.
 

COURSE MECHANICS

 SELECT:
Does the course meet the 40% rule? Yes No
For Tier One and Tier Two courses, 40% of the grade points should be completed by the 8th week of classes (or the mid-point of shorter terms) so that students have ample feedback on their performance prior to the 10-week deadline to drop a course.
 

HONORS COMPONENT

 SELECT:
Does the course include a component for Honors students? Yes No
 

INFORMATION LITERACY

 SELECT:
Does the course address at least one of the Information Literacy Standards? Yes No
As defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries, 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." "Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. Information literacy is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education." The expected information literacy outcomes for the General Education Program are in Appendix C.
 

Other Areas of Review

DOES THE PROPOSED COURSE:

 SELECT:
Require sufficient readings (in terms of volume and content) to provide fundamental knowledge? Yes No
Emphasize critical and evaluative thinking? Yes No
Foster independent, creative, and interactive learning (i.e. group work, research projects, library work requiring use of printed and electronic sources)? Yes No
Provide students with opportunities to discuss course topics and material? Yes No
Identify multiple faculty members who can teach the course? Yes No
 
GENERAL COMMENTS: