Preparing for HLC: General Education Review and Revision at UNI

General Education Program Review and Revision - Based on conversations in the Faculty Senate and with the Liberal Arts Core Committee, a General Education Task Force will be convened to lead a collaborative and inclusive process to discuss General Education revision. The process will be in two stages. Stage one will focus on the development of a Mission for the UNI General Education Program and of clearly delineated Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). It will also include a consideration of the name of UNI’s GEP. The SLOs will be a fundamental statement of our values: what is the foundation for learning at UNI? What knowledge, skills, and dispositions do we feel that all UNI students must have as part of their journey with us?

The Committee to Re-envision the GEP will be responsible for guiding the process of reimagining General Education at the University of Northern Iowa. The process for developing a new General Education Program will come in two phases and will be collaborative and inclusive. Phase I will include crafting a bold mission statement, developing student learning outcomes, and considering the naming of UNI’s GEP; the first phase will end with endorsement from the college senates, the Liberal Arts Core Committee, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC), and the Faculty Senate. 

Phase II will include aligning current courses, and possibly new courses, within a structure that allows students to meet the learning goals; students must be able to complete the program within 36 credit hours and the program must be delivered using current resources and even work towards realizing efficiencies. The committee will also determine how the new GEP will be coordinated, including administrative and faculty oversight. The structure, courses, and oversight will be reviewed to make certain that student curricular needs will be met and then will be endorsed, again, by the college senates, the Liberal Arts Core Committee, and the UCC, before going to the Faculty Senate for final approval.

Please see Doc: DRAFT 10-2-2017 – Preparing for Higher Learning Commission Accreditation: General Education Review and Revision at the University of Northern Iowa