TO: Full and Part-Time Faculty

FROM: Ken Scheffel for the General Education Program

DATE: January 16, 2004 

SUBJECT: New Course Proposals for the General Education Program

The General Education Advisory Committee requests proposals for courses to be offered in the FALL SEMESTER 2004 . Only courses which are to be offered for the General Education Program for the FIRST TIME must be submitted for approval. Proposals must contain the following information and follow the outline below. (Please consult the Academic Policies section [p.4f] of the Faculty Manual for further information about the program, especially the goals and their definitions.)

•  Identify clearly the Arts & Sciences learning goal for which the course is being submitted.

With the exception of courses which count toward the non-Western goal, or which are to be counted as mathematics-or writing intensive courses, courses may be submitted for ONE GOAL . (Instructors seeking writing-intensive courses should submit documentation to the Writing & Speaking Committee.) If instructors are seeking approval for two goals as provided for in the exceptions listed here, they must submit full documentation for each goal.

•  Carefully articulate how the course helps students achieve the learning goal.

•  Explain clearly how the course takes the learning goal for "The Diversity of Human

Experience" into account and helps students achieve that goal.

•  Discuss how you intend to assess student achievement of these learning goals,

i.e., the goal for which the course is submitted and the diversity goal .

•  Submit a syllabus for the course which clearly embeds the goals and their assessment items 2-4 above.

A tentative syllabus is acceptable provided there is sufficient information about how the course achieves the goals of the General Education Program.

If you are offering a TOPICS course for the General Education Program, you must follow the guidelines listed above and should submit the proposal directly to the General Education Advisory Committee by way of Rosie Burley, Room 203 Reci . (If, however, you are developing a new course to be offered regularly, please submit all materials-i.e. the new course proposal and the general education proposal-directly to the Educational Policies Committee.

All proposals for Fall Semester 2004 are due no later than Friday, February 13, 2004 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for your interest in and support for the General Education Program.