General Education Design Principles
Final Principles
Well-Rounded
General education should give students foundational knowledge in major academic disciplines and a set of core competencies that enables them to be well informed learners ready for success.
Foundational
General education should expose students to skills, diverse learning perspectives and ways of knowing in the Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities, to prepare them for a lifetime of learning.
Connections/Coherence
General education should inspire students to learn by allowing them to explore their passions and purposes and to make connections between a coherent body of knowledge, their chosen professions, and information they may not realize they need to know.
21st Century Skills
General education should encourage inquisitiveness, creativity, self-motivation and critical thinking in students, enabling them to develop 21st century skills such as data and technology literacy, and work in multi-disciplinary teams.
Success in All Settings
General education should prepare students to thrive in the workplace, society, and the world.
General education should prepare students for future employability by providing a broad base of knowledge and the skills to succeed in the workforce.
General education should prepare students to be intellectually-engaged productive citizens, strongly grounded in American history and government, and prepared to participate in a diverse and complex global economy.
General education should teach students to clearly communicate their ideas in a manner that is respectful of civil discourse and perspectives, and to demonstrate those skills through verbal, written, digital, and multi-modal communication channels.
Process
General education should provide a clear, flexible platform for student success by providing engaging, high quality courses that maintain consistent rigor and facilitate seamless institutional transfer.