Gen Ed Theme Development

Students are required to complete the campus Gen Ed Requirements as part of degree completion, which includes coursework in Gen Ed categories Advanced Composition, Humanities & the Arts, Natural Sciences & Technology, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Cultural Studies (Non-Western, US Minority Cultures, Western/Comparative Cultures), and Quantitative Reasoning. There are over 700 Gen Ed courses listed on the course explorer that meet the Gen Ed criteria and guidelines in the Gen Ed categories and courses are offered by units across campus. In order to provide a way for students to make connections across their Gen Ed courses or explore an area of interest, Gen Ed Themes were developed.

Gen Ed Themes are 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 do not replace the current campus Gen Ed Requirements students must fulfill and they are not in addition to the requirements.

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

Gen Ed Themes are 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, and must include courses across campus and across Gen Ed categories. The development and creation of Gen Ed Themes is under the purview of the Office of the Provost by 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.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals for new Gen Ed Themes should be a collaboration and include input from faculty, staff, and students across campus, should appeal to students across campus, and must be unique from current Gen Ed Themes. It is encouraged to align themes with Exploration Pathways when possible. Proposals are accepted at all times and there is no deadline, but proposals submitted outside of the regular Fall or Spring semesters may take longer for review. It is encouraged to work with the Director for General Education prior to submitting a proposal and any questions may be sent to gen-ed@illinois.edu.

The following must be submitted as a Word document to gen-ed@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)
  • More information about the theme and why it is proposed, how it connects to the university mission/vision/goals/plan, student interest (may include supporting documents), information about course selection and any course development, any connection to the Exploration Pathways, career trajectories
• Gen Ed Courses fitting the theme listed by category
  • Courses must be active Gen Ed courses meeting the below criteria:
    • All courses must be 100- or 200-level, with the exception of Advanced Composition (may be up to 400-level) and Quantitative Reasoning II (may be up to the 300-level)
    • Taught on a frequent basis (preferably every semester, but at least once per year)
    • Must be open to all students across campus without prerequisites
  • Must have courses in at least four different main Gen Ed category areas (Advanced Composition; Humanities & the Arts; Natural Sciences & Technology; Social & Behavioral Sciences; Non-Western Cultures; US Minority Cultures; Western/Comparative Cultures; Quantitative Reasoning I & II)
    • Preferrable to have between five and ten courses listed in at least four categories (course lists should be selective to ensure students have enough options from units across campus, but are not overwhelmed by choices)
    • Courses may be listed in more than one category if they fulfill more than one Gen Ed category
    • It is encouraged that sponsors reach out to the units offering the courses to ensure there is support to include the courses on the list (include support if applicable)
  • Must be across at least six different curriculums and across at least three different colleges/schools
  • List all sections of the course with the controlling section listed first followed by crosslisted sections
• How students may explore the theme more
  • Statement about exploring the theme more
    • Example: “Students interested in exploring more about Data, Analysis, Technology, & Information may want to explore some of the areas below. These areas require highly developed critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills. Students in these areas should like working with numbers, dealing with large, complex data sets, examining trends, and spending significant amounts of time working at a computer.” (see the Gen Ed Themes website for other examples)
  • List of majors, minors, certificates, offices, clubs, organizations, etc. a student may explore to gain more experience in the theme (this will be provided to students similar
• 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

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.

If you are interested in being a part of the discussions about one or more of the Gen Ed Themes, please email gen-ed@illinois.edu and include the theme(s) you are interested in joining.

Courses Included in Gen Ed Themes

Themes include a selective list of relevant Gen Ed courses open to students. There are additional Gen Ed courses that fall within a theme, but the lists are intentionally kept limited to make student exploration more manageable and provide a variety of options across different disciplines. The courses listed under each theme are meant to be select examples representing units across campus to get the wheels turning about how Gen Ed courses can be organized, rather than being an exhaustive list that would be a replacement for course explorer. We also link to departments that may provide additional exploration within the area, and encourage interested students to take other courses available in those units. Courses that list restrictions or prerequisites or are not offered on a regular basis have been omitted from the themes.

Courses must meet the below criteria:

• Active Gen Ed course following Gen Ed Criteria and Guidelines
• Must be 100- or 200-level, with the exception of Advanced Composition (may be up to 400-level) and Quantitative Reasoning II (may be up to the 300-level)
• Taught on a frequent and regular basis (preferably every semester, but at least once per year)
• Must be open to all students across campus without restricted audiences or prerequisites
• Align with the Gen Ed Theme
• Limited when possible to two to three courses within one subject per Gen Ed Category per Gen Ed Theme

Adding Courses to a Gen Ed Theme

If you would like to request a course to be included in a Gen Ed theme, please make sure you review the course criteria above and reach out to gen-ed@illinois.edu with the following:

• Course Subject, Number, and Title (list all sections of the course with the controlling section listed first followed by crosslisted sections)
• Gen Ed Category/Categories
• Justification for how the course fits the Theme
• Most recent syllabus for the course
• How often the course is offered and capacity
• Approval from the Department offering the course

Removing Courses Listed in a Gen Ed Theme

If you would like to request a course be removed from a Gen Ed Theme, please reach out to gen-ed@illinois.edu with the course information and reason to remove the course from the Gen Ed Theme.