General Education

Administration of the General Education Program

     A General Education Committee will be established at each institution. The purpose of this committee will be to monitor internally all courses within the General Education Program and ensure that the courses satisfy the goals and learning outcomes for each category established by the General Education requirements. This Committee will represent the faculty as a whole, not disciplines or departments, and will report directly to the chief academic officer. Responsibilities of the committee will include:

• Developing a methodology for evaluating and recommending that courses satisfy the general education requirements. 

• Accepting and approving courses satisfying the general education requirements. 

• Assuring all general education requirements are met for all degree programs.

• Developing assessment strategies for each category of the general education core requirements.

• Assisting the chief academic officer with the program assessment of general education documenting outcomes.

Accountability to the Tennessee Board of Regents

• Each institution must provide a methodology for selection and assessment of the courses which meet the category requirements for the general education core. This methodology will be reviewed by a statewide General Education Committee.

• A limited number of courses is expected to satisfy the general education core.

• Each institution must provide the TBR Academic Affairs office with a list of courses that satisfies the general education core requirements in each category. The TBR staff has the responsibility to inquire concerning any course that may be questionable concerning a particular general education category.

• Upon completion of an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree, the requirements for the lower division general education core will be complete and accepted by the four-year institution upon transfer.

• If an associate degree is not obtained, each institution must accept transfer of general education courses based on fulfillment of complete categories. (Example: If all 8 hours in the category of Natural Science are complete, this “block” of the general education core is complete.) When a category is incomplete, course-by-course evaluation will be conducted.