Context: Now that the General Education "Refresh" curriculum has entered its fourth year, we as a community of teachers and learners have a unique opportunity to reflect on the strengths of these changes as well as opportunities for improvement.
Purpose: The UNIV Advisory Group has been charged by Provost Prelock to review one of the most innovative components of the curriculum--the UNIV 101 and 301 courses designed to "bookend" a student's general education experience. To that end, the UNIV Advisory Group is seeking input regarding these two courses, their goals, content, delivery, and impact.
Timeline: The Advisory Group meets biweekly. The Advisory Group will be engaged in focus groups and interviews with stakeholders through October and November. The Advisory Group will submit recommendations through a report delivered to the Provost in December.
Learn more about our charge, membership, and stakeholder engagements below.
The major responsibilities of the UNIV Advisory Group include:
- Collecting input from key campus constituents;
- Identifying strengths, limitations, and opportunities;
- Proposing possible revision options and expected outcomes;
- Communicating committee progress; and,
- Providing a final report by the end of the Fall 2025 semester.
Group Co-Chairs
- Cindy Rankin, Associate Professor, Physiology
- Kian Alavy, Director of Strategic Planning & Initiatives, Division of Undergraduate Education
Group Members
- Margo Lefkowitz, Main Campus Student
- Olivia Gibbons, Main Campus Student
- Jacob Kaforey, Arizona Online Student
- Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski, Academic Advising
- Devon Thomas Jones, General Education
- Jeremy Vetter, Faculty Senate
- Joel Smith, Faculty Senate
- John Pollard, Honors College Dean
- Leslie Sult, University-Wide General Education Committee
Support
- Annie Kurtin, Senior Associate Director, Integrated Learning Partnerships, Student Engagement & Career Development
- Sarah Kyte, Senior Research Scientist, Student Success
- Ryan Winet, Director of Communications, Division of Undergraduate Education
- Michelle Levere, Executive Assistant, Academic Administration
Please note that this list will be updated as more focus groups & interviews are scheduled. Following a brief primer about UNIV courses in general education, all focus groups are given the same two prompts:
- Based on your understanding of these courses, what should students take away from their UNIV 101/301 experience?
- Given that Student Success is our top Strategic Imperative, how might these UNIV courses be revised to help students get there?
In addition to focus groups, individual UNIV Advisory Group members will be conducting interviews with various stakeholders across campus using a consistent interview protocol.
Focus Groups
Faculty Groups
- UNIV Professors of Practice (interviewed Oct. 1)
- University-wide General Education Committee (interviewed Oct. 15)
- Undergraduate Council (interviewed Oct. 21)
- Heads-Up Network (interview date TBD)
Administrative Groups
- Deans' Council (interviewed Oct. 21)
- Undergraduate College Academic Administrators Council (interviewed Oct. 28)
- U-CAAC (interviewed on Oct. 28)
- Heads-Up Network (interview date TBD)
- Faculty Senate – (interview date TBD)
- UNIV Instructors (interview date TBD)
Student Groups
- Undergraduate Advisory Cabinet (interviewed on Oct. 28)
- Campus Health Service Student Board (scheduled Nov. 3)
- ASUA, FSP, & SCEH (scheduled Nov. 12)
Staff Groups
- Academic Advising Council (scheduled for Nov. 3)
- Staff Council (scheduled for Nov. 7)
Interviews
Note: Like the U of A, Ohio State University offers "bookend" courses in general education curriculum.
- Steve Patterson, Office of Public Safety
- Audrey Tocco Kahn, Senior Coordinator for High Impact Practices
- Missy Beers, Senior Director for Bookend Courses, Ohio State University
- Alan Kalish, Assistant Vice Provost, Ohio State University
- Teresa Johnson, High-Impact Curriculum Expert, Ohio State University