Update on general education

Posted By: Ben Rodgers On: 2023-02-14
Posted On: 2023-02-14

One of the major academic planning initiatives identified by leadership last May was the revision of the general education program.

On Jan. 13, faculty voted to support a general education revision proposal approved by the curriculum committee. Faculty, academic advisers, coaches, and other staff will soon have all of the information needed to answer student questions and support their learning goals.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to creating this revised program in time for implementation for fall 2023, which should continue to serve our students well.

This plan — now referred to as the General Education Program — eliminates several elements of the previous Integratus program that were not sustainable with current staffing and resources. It is also transfer friendly, key to our critical goal to grow enrollment.

Under the new General Education Program, students will take 39 credits in the following:

  • First Year Experience – 9 cr
    • INT101 First Year Seminar (3cr, reduce from 4 cr)
    • E130 First Year Writing (3 cr)
    • TH111 Thinking Theologically (3 cr)
  • COM202 Communication Fundamentals or COM204 Professional Public Speaking – 3 cr
  • Disciplinary Distribution requirements – 24 cr
    • Arts, Communication, and History (3 cr)
    • Computer Science & Natural Sciences (6 cr w/ 1 lab)
    • Literature (3 cr)
    • Mathematics/Statistics (3 cr)
    • Philosophy (3 cr)
    • Social Sciences (3 cr)
    • Theology (3 cr)
  • INT499 Interdisciplinary Capstone course – 3 cr

Eliminated are:

a) the Integratus minor requirement
b) the Integratus minor offerings
c) the Integratus minimum upper division credit requirements
d) Wellness Experience requirement
e) Cultural Engagement Experience requirement

The changes will not directly affect current students since they are under a different catalog year, and because the university will continue to teach-out those in the Integratus program, unless they decide to change catalog years through the registrar’s office.

On that front, we continue with our teachout implementation for majors and minors that are being phased out, which will now include the Integratus minors.

Our primary goal is for faculty and advisers to have what they need to best help students. The Student Success Center is always a resource for advisers. They can reach out to advising@smumn.edu with questions.