General Education Recertification 

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Why Gen Ed Recertification? 

Prior to the rollout of the new General Education program in 2022, the existing GE program was from 1998. Proposed courses underwent a rigorous review before being approved by the University-wide General Education Committee, but the piece that was lacking was the re-review of these courses over time to ensure quality and adherence to the GE policies. When the Perspective-taking and Building Connection GE program was created, language was included in the policy that all courses would be periodically reviewed, and student learning would be assessed. As we approach the 5-year mark of the new program, a systematic approach to reviewing approved GE courses has been created. 

This recertification process is being used for several reasons.  First, to verify that our GE  courses are fulfilling the policies and guidelines for all General Education Curriculum, second, to ensure that, as a whole, General Education courses are achieving the Program outcomes¹, and third, to prove to both the Arizona Board of Regents and our accrediting body that we value the General Education experience and are meeting our goals. This is NOT, in any way, an evaluation of the instructor’s teaching. 

The review process involves reviewing each course on a 5-year schedule. Courses have been assigned to group A, B, C, D or E based on their original approval date for review (see schedule). If courses have multiple sections and instructors using different syllabi, each instructor must submit a completed form with associated attachments. 

¹The assessment portion of the review will be incorporated after the first year of recertification reviews have been complete.