Course Approval Process Summary

1. Basic submission information:
   1. Course prefix and number
   2. Course title
   3. Credit hours
   4. Catalog description
   5. Department or program that is proposing the course’s inclusion in the GE Program
   6. Contact person (and their contact information)
   7. Indicate if the proposed course is:
      1. An existing bet36365体育 course that is being proposed for addition to the GE Program (include current GE courses being proposed for cross-listing in an additional LOPER category or to move to a different LOPER category), or
      2. A newly-created course (NOTE: For a newly-created course, the proposal also must include documentation of submission for approval through the Academic Affairs process. The Council will not vote on final approval of a new course until it has been approved by the FS Academic Affairs Committee.)
2. Department assurance statements:
   1. The Council relies on chairs and departments to act in good faith in delivering General Education courses once they are approved for inclusion in the Program. The Council also depends on instructors (including visiting and adjunct faculty) to cooperate in collecting and reporting data on student performance, and to provide the Council with information on how their GE courses are being taught, so the Council can assess the Program’s effectiveness. Accordingly, we require that the proposal includes assurances from the department on all of the following:
      • All sections of the course will be taught in a manner consistent with the submitted syllabus. Reasonable instructor freedom to select assigned texts/materials, craft assignments, and adopt their own course policies is, of course, permitted.
      • All sections of the course will meet all learning outcomes for the LOPER category (or categories, where applicable) for which the course is approved.
      • All instructors will participate in GE Program assessment. Courses approved to meet LOPER categories will be scheduled for assessment in rotating semesters; this schedule will be announced to campus and posted on the General Education for Faculty Canvas organization. Instructors are responsible to collect the requested data and report it to the GE Director by the established deadline. Instructors also are responsible to submit their GE course syllabi to the Council upon request.
3. Suitability for the GE Program:
   1. Indicate for which LOPER category the course is being proposed. Courses in the Broad Knowledge categories (LOPERs 5-8) may propose to be cross-listed for LOPER 9 or for LOPER 10 (e.g., count for both LOPER 7 and LOPER 9), if the course content satisfies all the relevant learning outcomes (see Appendix for learning outcomes).
      • LOPER 1: First-Year Seminar
      • LOPER 2: Writing Skills
      • LOPER 3: Oral Communication Skills
      • LOPER 4: Mathematics, Statistics, and Quantitative Reasoning
      • LOPER 5: Visual or Performing Arts
      • LOPER 6: Humanities
      • LOPER 7: Social Science
      • LOPER 8: Natural Science
      • LOPER 9: Civic Competency & Engagement
      • LOPER 10: Respect for Human Diversity
      • LOPER 11: Wellness
   2. List the learning outcomes for the LOPER category (or categories, where applicable)
   3. Explain clearly and in detail how the course meets each learning outcome and how student achievement of those outcomes will be demonstrated. In other words, specify the course contents and the types of activities and assignments that enable students to develop and to exhibit the applicable skills, knowledge, and/or dispositions. To obtain approval, a course must meet all learning outcomes for its LOPER category (or categories, where applicable).

All GE course syllabi must include, at minimum, the following information.

Basic Course Information Required:
NOTE: The submitted syllabus may use headings or spaces for section- or instructor-specific information and omit those details.

Course identifiers:

• Course prefix, number (include section number, where applicable), and title
• Class meeting time and place
• Instructor name
• Instructor contacts (office location, phone number, and e-mail address)
• Instructor office hours
• Required text / course materials (to be purchased or made available on Canvas?)
• Course prerequisites (where applicable)
• Course description (from the undergraduate catalog)

General Education Program Information Required:

• A statement that the course is a General Education course, including its LOPER category (e.g., HIST 210 is a General Education course that meets the LOPER 6 (Humanities) broad knowledge requirement).
• The purpose statement for General Education:
  • The bet36365体育 LOPERs General Education Program helps students to develop core academic skills in collecting and using information, communications in speech and writing, and quantitative reasoning (LOPERs 1-4); to acquire broad knowledge in a variety of disciplines across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences (LOPERs 5-8); and to instill dispositions that prepare students to lead responsible and productive lives in a democratic, multicultural society (LOPERs 9-11).
• The program objective for the course’s LOPER category:
  • LOPERS 1-4 Program Objective: Courses are designed for students to develop core academic skills in collecting and using information, communications in speech and writing, and quantitative reasoning.
  • LOPERS 5-8 Program Objective: Courses are designed for students to acquire broad knowledge in a variety of disciplines across the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences.
  • LOPERS 9-11 Program Objective: Courses are designed to instill dispositions that prepare students to lead responsible and productive lives in a democratic, multicultural society.
• The specific learning outcomes for the course’s LOPER category
• An explanation of how the course enables students to achieve those learning outcomes. In other words, link the abstract outcomes to the course’s activities and assignments (e.g., [Outcomes a-b] will be achieved by finding sources and summarizing their arguments in the assigned research paper).

Course and University Policy Information Required:

NOTE: The submitted syllabus should include examples of the course policies that are required to be included in a syllabus, but it should indicate which of those are instructor-specific and which are common to all sections/instructors of the course.

• Course outline: include a tentative schedule of exams, major assignments, and events such as papers, projects, field trips, and presentations.
• Grading information: include both the components of the course grade and their weights, and the grading scale for course grades, specifying how many points or what percentage is required for each letter grade.
• Course policy / expectations: include attendance, class participation, late assignments, and conduct. Instructor policies on e-mail communications and use of technology in the classroom are recommended but not required.
• Academic integrity: include at least a reference or link to bet36365体育’s Academic Integrity policy and state the instructor’s policy/penalties for academic dishonesty.
• Other University policy statements: include reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and those who are pregnant; reporting sexual harassment, sexual violence or sexual assault; and diversity & inclusion. (Update as needed each semester to include the latest policy statements.)

Complete the following checklist and include this in your course proposal. Marking “yes” affirms that your proposal includes the required information and that information is complete. The Director of General Education will review your proposal to make sure all of the following information is included.  Once approved, the proposal will then be reviewed by the General Education Council Course Review Subcommittee prior to consideration by the full Council.

• General Education Course Syllabus Checklist

The General Education Council will evaluate proposals based on the following considerations:

• Does the proposal include all the required parts and information in sufficient detail for the Council to determine the course’s suitability for inclusion in the LOPERs Program?
• Is the course appropriate for new learners and non-majors?
• Is the course being proposed from an appropriate academic discipline for that LOPER category?
• Does the proposal establish that students who take the course will be able to achieve the applicable learning outcomes?
• Does the syllabus communicate to students the LOPER learning outcomes for the course, how they will be achieved, and how the course fits into the General Education Program as a whole?