General Education Recertification 

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Why general education recertification? 

Prior to the rollout of the "Refreshed" general education program in 2022, the previous general education curriculum had not been substantially changed since 1998. 

For the Refreshed curriculum of 2022, proposed courses underwent a rigorous review before being approved by the University-wide General Education Committee (UWGEC); however, the piece that was lacking was the re-review of these courses over time to ensure quality and adherence to current general education policies. When the perspective-taking general education 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 five-year mark of the new program, a systematic approach to reviewing approved general education courses has been created. 

This recertification process is being rolled out for several reasons. First, we need to verify that our general education courses are fulfilling current policies and guidelines; second, we need to ensure that, as a whole, general education courses are achieving the Program outcomes¹; and third, we need to demonstrate to both the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) and our accrediting body that we value the general education experience and are meeting our goals.  

The review process involves reviewing each course on a five-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.