Gen Ed Themes should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they continue meeting student needs and align with the Gen Ed Program. The development of new Gen Ed Themes is encouraged by groups of faculty, staff, and students. Themes should be developed based on student interest, align with the university mission, include courses across campus and across Gen Ed categories. The development and creation of Gen Ed Themes is under the purview of the Director for General Education. There are no changes to the campus Gen Ed Policies and Guidelines to create and develop Gen Ed Themes, but the process includes collaboration with the Gen Ed Board.
Gen Ed Theme Overview
The Gen Ed Program provides “Gen Ed Themes” as a way for students to focus their Gen Ed coursework within a thematic area, providing them with a way to examine an issue through multiple perspectives and disciplines. Themes are broad and interdisciplinary and allow students to select one or more areas that compliments their major or explores areas of interest or passion. The themes provide a list of courses across different Gen Ed categories and disciplines students may use to select one or more courses of interest.
Themes are optional and are not listed in a student’s record or on a transcript. There is no “completion” of a Gen Ed Theme and no minimum number of classes a student may take in one or more themes. Instead, themes will act as a map for students to curate their undergraduate education, and then students will communicate what they’ve gained from these courses via their resume and discussion with potential employers.
Proposing a New Gen Ed Theme
Proposals for new Gen Ed Themes should be a collaboration and include input from faculty, staff, and students. It is encouraged to align themes with Exploration Pathways when possible.
Proposal Requirements
It is encouraged to work with the Director for General Education prior to submitting a proposal (email: genedboard@illinois.edu). Proposals are accepted at all times and there is no deadline, but proposals submitted outside of the Gen Ed Board meeting times may take longer for review.
The following must be submitted as a Word document to genedboard@illinois.edu:
- Theme Title
- Summary of the Theme (50-100 words) To be included on the Gen Ed Themes website (we encourage you to include what a student may gain from taking courses within this area and how it connects to Gen Ed Goals: “build students’ abilities to think critically, solve problems, generate new ideas and create knowledge, make connections between academic disciplines, respect and understand differences, and develop as citizens and leaders”)
- Description of the concept of the theme (2-3 pages)
- Gen Ed Courses fitting the theme listed by category
- Courses must be active Gen Ed courses taught on a frequent basis, and must be open to all students across campus without prerequisites (the Director for Gen Ed may provide a list if requested)
- List all sections of the course with the controlling section listed first
- Must have courses in at least four different main Gen Ed category areas and must be across at least six different curriculums and across at least three different colleges/schools
- Theme Sponsors (Names, emails, units)
- Must include at least three sponsors from three different units, two must be faculty
- It is encouraged to have at least one staff member involved, and student involvement
- Supporting documents (if applicable)
- May include items such as: survey of student interest, letters of support from units across campus and/or offering courses, employment/career reports, and any other documents that may support the new theme
Proposal Review
New Gen Ed Theme proposals will be reviewed first by the Office of the Provost General Education Program and the Chair of the Gen Ed Board to confirm all required items are included. The proposal will then be discussed in a Gen Ed Board Policy Wing Meeting where it will either be approved to move on to a Full Gen Ed Board Meeting, or the sponsors will be contacted for any questions and/or adjustments. Sponsors of the theme may be asked to attend meetings where the proposal is discussed. The Full Gen Ed Board will make a decision on the inclusion of the new theme. If approved, the Director for General Education will work with the sponsors to make updates to the Gen Ed Themes website and promote the new theme to students across campus.
Reviewing Gen Ed Themes
Regular review of the Gen Ed Themes is required to ensure themes continue meeting student needs and align with the Gen Ed Program. Review is done within the Office of the Provost by the Gen Ed Program Office as well as any others identified as key stakeholders for the theme (may include sponsors, working groups, and the Gen Ed Board). Courses included in the themes will be checked on a regular basis to ensure they have continued to maintain their Gen Ed status in the listed categories, and courses newly certified to the Gen Ed program will be evaluated to determine if they fit in any of the Gen Ed themes.