General Education and Writing Requirement courses are evaluated for recertification on a rotating schedule.
GEC Chair
The Chair of the General Education Committee (GEC) shall
- In the Fall of each academic year, determine the courses that are to be evaluated for recertification each year. These courses should
a. have had their last recertification at least THREE years prior;
b. include a range of enrollment sizes;
c. typically include courses with the International (N) and Diversity (D) designations.
- Identify recertification reviewers, who shall be drawn from the regular members of the GEC.
- Assign one recertification reviewer to each course that will be evaluated.
- Send a letter explaining the recertification process to the chairs’ of the departments that offer the courses that will be evaluated.
Recertification Review Process
The recertification reviewer shall
- Inform the course instructor of the evaluation process.
- Request the current syllabus and supplementary course information.
- Review the current syllabus and supplementary information to determine if the course meets the current standards for the assigned general education designation(s).
- Set up an initial meeting with the instructor(s) to discuss the syllabus, course objectives and structure, and to describe the activities that will take place during the course review process.
If the recertification reviewer chooses to include a class visit the reviewer shall
- With the instructor and, if appropriate, course coordinator, agree upon times to visit class (lecture and discussion sections, if applicable) and/or to review online course materials. Visits should not take place at the same time as class exams.
- Attend class for at least one entire period and gather information that will help determine if the classes (lecture and, if applicable, discussion) are consistent with the syllabus and includes components appropriate to the general education designation(s).
- Interview students to confirm their knowledge of the general education focus and requirements in the course.
- For online classes, these “visits” should be done online.
- Set up a second instructor meeting to discuss findings and any issues.
Report
- The recertification reviewer shall prepare a brief report to the GEC. This report should include a summary of the findings and, if possible, a recommendation to the GEC regarding the General Education designation.
- In all cases, the GEC shall make the final decision on the proposed action. This may include a decision to obtain further information on the course.
Instructor/Department Meeting
If the GEC decides to revoke the general education designation of a course, the GEC Chair and/or Co-Chair shall meet with the instructor and the Chair of the academic unit responsible for the course to discuss the report and the final decision.
Registrar
The GEC Chair shall inform the Registrar’s office of any action to be taken regarding each course.
Undergraduate Affairs