Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We have made a blank version of the application so you can look at the questions before applying.

This PDF contains every possible question that could appear based on your responses. When it's time to fill out the actual application, you will not see all of these questions; just the ones that pertain specifically to your particular course.

No. This application is for general education designation. For new courses, you will need to fill out and submit a Course Proposal Form before submitting this application. One-time course approval is no longer permitted. All new courses are now required to go through the standard approval process.

No, unless your syllabus already explicitly addresses the learning goals of the Area of Inquiry and Perspective(s). You are providing this information in the application, but it's important for students to understand how courses incorporate the Areas of Inquiry and helps to bring together the various different Perspectives they are encountering as a part of the general education program. If a syllabus does not address the learning goals in the new curriculum, the proposal will be returned for revision.

No. Approvals are being done at the course level, not section/instructor level. If multiple faculty members teach the same course, they should consult with one another about applying for general education credit for their course. Although courses may differ in readings, assessments, etc., they should have common learning goals that incorporate the Area of Inquiry. When asked to submit a syllabus, faculty can submit a representative syllabus or a PDF that contains multiple syllabi to illustrate the varying approaches of faculty.

Yes. You may keep your current designations but will need to fill out the General Education Application in order to apply for the new designations.

Yes. To apply for general education designation under either or both general education curriculums, use the General Education Application.

Please note that the general education designations under the old system will be discontinued after academic year 2024-25.

No, but there are some new guiding principles and more details will be forthcoming. The FYI is designed to introduce (and showcase) critical inquiry across the liberal arts disciplines, so that problems, questions, or issues are the point of entry into the course subject and a source of motivation for sustained inquiry.

Faculty will continue to choose their own subject, or topic for FYI, but it will be important to encourage FYI faculty to frame their course around essential questions, also sometimes referred to as ill-structured problems, namely, open-ended questions that do not have a clear right answer and must be responded to with a claim (or proposition) supported by reasons and evidence.

Contact Joe Johnson johnsonj@union.edu or Judith Lewin education@union.edu for more information.

The Learning Design and Digital Innovations Team (formerly ITS Learning Technologies) offers support to faculty in the areas of professional development, individual and team based coaching, and technology development.

Yes. Unfortunately the "Save and Resume Later" feature does not save uploaded files.

A description of the Areas of Inquiry and Perspectives can be found HERE. If preferred, a PDF version is available to download.

No. Each course may be approved for only one Area of Inquiry - Justice, Equity, Identity, and Difference (JEID) or Global Challenges (GC).

Yes. However, you may only apply for up to three Perspectives designations for a single course. However, regardless of how many Perspectives a course has been approved for, a student may only count a course towards one Perspective.

Regardless of how many Perspectives a course has been approved for, a course may only count toward one Perspective. Students are not able to double-count courses. Students entering in Fall 2022 must take 6 unique courses; students entering in Fall 2023 must take 7 unique courses; students entering in Fall 2024 must take 8 unique courses.

Yes! We encourage faculty from all divisions to read the descriptions and learning goals of the various Perspectives to determine if their course fulfills the stated goals. Each proposal is read by multiple faculty members from different disciplines and discussed to ensure that the learning goals are explicitly demonstrated in the syllabus and application. If a course does not initially meet all learning goals, a member of the Board will reach out for further discussion. The faculty member may choose to re-envision or augment parts of the course to align with learning goals and re-submit a proposal or decide to withdraw their course from consideration of that Perspective.

No. Each course will be evaluated by multiple faculty members from different disciplines and approval will be based on whether the course demonstrates that it incorporates the Area of Inquiry and fulfills the Perspective learning goals in a meaningful way, as elucidated by the syllabus, course description, and application.

Each proposal is read by multiple faculty members from different disciplines and discussed to ensure that the learning goals are explicitly demonstrated in the syllabus and application. If it is not initially clear to the evaluators that the course meets all learning goals, a member of the Board will reach out for clarification. While in many cases the faculty member may simply need to clarify their submission, they may choose to re-envision or augment parts of the course to better align with learning goals and re-submit a proposal, or decide to withdraw their course from consideration of that Perspective.

We have been accepting proposals since January 2022 and will continue to accept and review submissions on a rolling basis. Submit your course proposal at any time! Proposals received over the summer will be reviewed in Fall 2022 by the General Education Board.

A description of the general education categories under the Common Curriculum can be found HERE.

Yes. The current designations of HUL, HUM, LCC, QMR, SCLB, SET, and SOCS will be discontinued after academic year 2024-25.

Please contact Judith Lewin at education@union.edu.

Please contact Judith Lewin at education@union.edu.

If you have questions about the form, are having a problem filling out the form, or have found an error in the form, contact Sara Garrand garrands@union.edu.