Mark Your Calendar!
Sat., Oct. 15, 2022 is the deadline for department heads or their designees to approve new certifications in Curriculog. Go here to act now.
Reimagining General Education
On May 11, 2022, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga faculty approved a new general education program to be implemented in Fall 2023.
Key Features of the New Program:
- Program learning outcomes are clearly defined and measurable.
- Helps students make timely progress toward graduation by removing barriers:
- No subcategories in Humanities and Fine Arts.
- Behavioral and Social Science recommends but doesn’t require study in two different areas.
- Aligns easily with existing Clear Path advising documents as existing general education exemptions remain in place.
- Combines Math and Statistics categories into “Quantitative Reasoning” to clearly emphasize that skill (6 hours).
- Student learning outcomes are fewer and clearly measurable.
- No category is aligned directly with a single department, inviting more participation in general education across UTC.
- The Nonwestern Culture category is re-purposed as “Individual and Global Citizenship,” which focuses on students learning about multiple perspectives and experiences and how their own may overlap with or differ from those of others.
Moreover, the design is in full compliance with SACSCOC requirements for a general education program as expressed in the 9.3 principle* for SACSCOC accreditation.
- The institution requires the successful completion of a general education component at the undergraduate level that: (a) is based on a coherent rationale. 22 (b) is a substantial component of each undergraduate degree program. For degree completion in associate programs, the component constitutes a minimum of 15 semester hours or the equivalent; for baccalaureate programs, a minimum of 30 semester hours or the equivalent. (c) ensures breadth of knowledge. These credit hours include at least one course from each of the following areas: humanities/ fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural science/ mathematics. These courses do not narrowly focus on those skills, techniques, and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession.
* Section 9.3 Educational Program Structure and Content: The Principles of Accreditation, Foundations for Quality Enhancement
The committee approved a newly designed 40-41 hour general education program that includes four program-level learning outcomes and a category distribution with student learning outcomes as detailed below.
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Program-level Student Learning Outcomes
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Upon completion of their general education program, students will:
- Communicate effectively according to purpose using written, oral, and/or audio-visual methods.
- Critique and evaluate information, concepts, theories, and claims.
- Cultivate inclusion by recognizing, examining, and reflecting on the diversity of cultural and individual experiences.
- Create, innovate, and adapt to take charge of your own learning.
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Category Distribution (40-41 hours total)
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- Writing and Communication (6 hours)
- Humanities and Fine Arts (12 hours)
- Natural Science (7-8 hours)
- Behavioral and Social Science (6 hours)
- Quantitative Reasoning (6 hours)
- Individual and Global Citizenship (3 hours)
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Categories of Study