Revisioning General Education at Howard University
| DUE DATES | GOALS | STATUS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step One | 9/15/2022 | All schools and colleges will receive the common GEC presentation. | Complete | |
| Step Two | 10/14/22 | Receive feedback from curriculum committee chairs from each school and college (UG). | Complete | |
| Step Three | 11/14/22 | Post all versions received from the School-wide committees and present an updated framework that incorporates the feedback of the curriculum committees for public comment. | Pending | |
| Step Four | 12/15/22 | GEC submits final recommendation to Provost for review and recommendation to Board of Trustees | Pending |
Howard University's General Education Program
Step One
The purpose of this site is to capture Howard's journey of implementing a strategic, impactful and contemporary general education experience for undergraduates. Additionally, this site provides supportive resources for campus-wide adoption and implementation of Howard's revised general education curriculum.
Proposed General Education Revisions
Current and Proposed Credit Hour Distribution
Essential Learning Outcomes Form (With Sample)
Sample Student Learning Outcomes from other Universities
Why a General Education Program?
The General Education Program shapes the unique Howard Experience among all undergraduates by:
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Providing innovative, 21st century educational experiences for Howard University students;
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Ensuring that students are well-equipped with intellectual and applied skills to succeed in upper division courses;
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Enriching the profile of the Howard graduate as one who is broadly trained and fully equipped to accept his or her role as a globally-minded servant leader;
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Ensuring adherence to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
The General Education Committee (GEC) comprises Howard faculty, students, campus partners, and staff of the Office of General Education.
Our primary purpose is to support the adoption, assessment, and continuous review of a Howard University General Education Program that:
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Institutionalizes a unique and innovative Howard experience for all undergraduates;
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Ensures that students are well equipped with basic intellectual and applied skills to succeed in upper division courses;
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Enriches the profile of the Howard graduate as one who is broadly trained, rigorously prepared in the disciplines, and fully equipped to support the mission of the University; and
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Allows optimal progress toward degree completion and support fluid transitions between Schools, Colleges, and majors.
Our Journey
Faculty Action Items
The Proposed General Education Program:
- Is inclusive of a university-wide GE credit hour distribution to be uniformly adopted across undergraduate schools and colleges.
- Provides a set of proposed Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) that would allow for a consistent “unique Howard Experience” across the university as well as the flexibility necessary for schools/colleges to meet accreditation mandates and major/minor requirements.
- Enrich the profile of the Howard graduate as one who is broadly trained, rigorously prepared in the disciplines, and fully equipped to support the mission of the University; and
- Allow optimal progress toward degree completion and support fluid transitions between Schools, Colleges, and majors.
The proposed General Education Program ensures that students are provided unique experiences through unified learning outcomes that support their academic and social development.
The proposed General Education Program will also aid with increasing our graduation rates by providing clear pathways to degree attainment and offering flexibility needed to accommodate larger enrollments.
Please review the Proposed General Education Essential Learning Outcomes and the Current and Proposed Credit hour Distribution documents conceptualized by the General Education Committee.
Proposed Essential Learning Outcomes
Proposed Credit Hour Distribution
Howard University requires 120 credit hours to complete an undergraduate degree. The proposed model establishes credit hour parameters within the required 120 credits:
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General Education courses (25%);
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Program Area or Major requirements (42-54%);
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Minor requirements (0-15%); and
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Electives (12.5%)
Please review the Supporting Document, Current and Proposed Credit Hour Distribution.
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General Education courses (25%);
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Program Area or Major requirements (42-54%);
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Minor requirements (0-15%); and
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Electives (12.5%)
Next Steps & Timeline
1) REVIEW
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Recommended Credit-Hour Distribution (Slide 28)
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Proposed Essential Learning Outcomes (Slide 30)
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Outstanding issues (Slide 32)
2) CONVENE
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Department/School/College Curriculum Committees to discuss areas of agreement and areas for improvements
3) SUBMIT
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Revised Credit-Hour Distribution recommendation if necessary
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Revised Essentials Learning Outcomes that includes outcomes that are unique to Howard University
The Chair of each School/College Curriculum Committee should send:
1) a revised credit-hour distribution model if changes are recommended; and
2) the Essential Learning Outcomes table
*Please Note: Be sure to incorporate feedback on Outstanding Issues into the provided templates. (Refer to Slide 32 in the General Education Presentation - link provided at top of this page).
Revisions should represent the collective feedback of Departmental Curriculum Committees or other committees within the Schools or Colleges no later than Friday, October 14th, to generaleducation@howard.edu.
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Course recommendations for the Essential Learning Outcomes ARE NOT due by Friday, October 14th. The goal is to finalize the General Education framework first. Sample course recommendations and a degree map are provided to inform the discussions.
Courses and program schemes that map to the Essential Learning Outcomes will be due by Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
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Have questions? Please contact the Office of General Education at generaleducation@howard.edu
Supporting Documents for General Education Revisions
Current and Proposed Credit Hour Distribution
Essential Learning Outcomes Form (With Sample)