General Education Reform: Passed

After about eight years of hard work, the general education reform has finally passed with an 89-8 faculty vote, and three abstaining. The new general education program will be called The Core Curriculum, and will start to be implemented in the fall of 2013.

            A general education task force in 2003 began making recommendations for changes. The last time general education was changed was in the 1980s.

            "We've been trying to look at the general education program and seeing if it's actually the best," said Dr. Michael Rosewall, associate professor of music and faculty chair. "We've been trying to figure out what will best serve the students."

            There are many academic disciplines on St. Norbert's campus, but all disciplines share general education courses.

            The Core Curriculum will have a first year experience common course. The course will be a blend of the First Year Experience program, communio, and other components. The next semester and next academic year will be spent creating and developing the common course.

 "All the best institutions have some sort of common course for their first year students," said Dr. Kevin Quinn, professor of economics. "A first year experience course is the best practice."

The Core Curriculum will have three parts.

Part one will be foundations. Foundations will include the first year experience common course, theological foundations and philosophical foundations, which will be similar to GS1 and GS2.

Part two will be a series of core areas. Core areas include: The Human Experience, The Physical and Natural World, Catholic Imagination, Individual and Society, Difference and Diversity and Beyond Borders. The faculty is still working on the specifics of what these courses will look like.

Part three is the change in upper general education requirements. Rather than GS 10, 11 and 12, there are going to be advanced courses requirements and these courses will be taken during the junior and senior year.

The advanced courses can be double dipped with majors. "It is very difficult to offer all the courses so students can make their general education requirements and satisfy their major requirements," explained Quinn.

This is an important change because instead of focusing on individual areas, the students can take more electives.

 "We shouldn't be worried if science majors know science. If we do then we have a serious problem. By allowing the advanced courses to double dip with majors this is going to make it easier for SNC to offer a slate of classes," said Quinn.

For example, if a student majoring in psychology then they can take an upper level psychology course which will satisfy both one of their major requirements and a general education requirement, and now that frees the student up to take electives or minor courses.

            "When faculty has had discussions about changing the general education program, they've really stuck to ‘This is about the students,'" said Quinn.

 "I'm proud of the faculty and the years of hard work."        

              The Core Curriculum will be largely similar to the current general education program, but with innovation. "We want to take better advantage of the expertise of our faculty," said Quinn.

            "This change is a major part of the history of St. Norbert College. This is big."