Core Education Installation plan 

 

The Baccalaureate Core Committee has developed an Installation plan for the new curriculum. Below are frequently asked questions and answers we believe will guide inquiring minds through the plan. We recommend you read through the FAQs in the order they appear. If you have a question that is not yet addressed in the FAQs, please contact the Director of the Baccalaureate Core, McKenzie Huber. 

 

 

1. The Statement of Intent (SoI) is now live. College Designees may begin submitting the SoI now for the first Course Adaptation and Design Institute (CADI). Information CADI sessions can be found in FAQ 6 below. 

Access the Statement of Intent

Statement of Intent Help Guide and FAQs.pdf

 

CADI DATES

Fall 2023 Winter 2024 Spring 2024

September 5 – Canvas Guides available

September 12, 21, and 27 

December 11, 12, 14

Week 9 (RF): March 7, 8 

Week 10 (RF): March 14, 15 

Finals Week (MTR): March 18, 19, 21 

Week 9 (RF): May 30, 31 

Week 10 (RF): June 6, 7 

Finals Week (MTR): June 10, 11, 13

 

General Education Installation Planning FAQs

Q1: Why is there an installation plan?

There is an installation plan to manage multiple administrative proprieties, facilitate faculty development, and encourage thoughtful reflection. This model is intended to reduce uncertainty and allow reasonable unit and faculty access to the General Education program from across campus. This installation plan is intended to promote equity among colleges and units within colleges. 

Q2: How does the General Education Implementation timeline intersect with the Installation timeline?

Q3: What is Phase I of Installation?

Phase I of installation will take place from July 2023-June 2024. In Phase I, two (2) courses per designator/course code (i.e. WR, MTH, BI) per category can be submitted through the statement of intent. Additionally, we will also allow courses that are part of a series (i.e. BI 10x, 20x, 22x) to be submitted. Finally, any Z course from the Common Course Numbering project will be accepted.

Here are a few examples of how this may play out (go to the next FAQ to learn what will happen in Phase II): 

  • Natural Sciences: 
    • Biology (BI) - 2 BI courses that are not in a series + series courses + Z courses 
  • Writing Elevation: 
    • Writing (WR) - 2 WR courses + WR 327Z
  • Arts and Humanities General: 
    • History (HST) - 2 HST courses + Z courses
  • Communication, Media, and Society: 
    • Communication - COMM 218 and 211 + COMM 111Z and COMM 114Z

Q4: What is Phase II Installation?

(Read FAQ 3 first)

Phase II of installation will take place from July 2024 - January 31, 2025. In Phase II, three (3) more courses per designator/course code (i.e. WR, MTH, BI) per category can be submitted through the statement of intent. Additionally, we will continue to allow courses that are part of a series (i.e. BI 10x, 20x, 22x) to be submitted. Finally, any Z course from the Common Course Numbering project will be accepted.

Here are a few examples of how this may play out: 

  • Natural Sciences: 
    • Biology (BI) - 3 BI courses that are not in a series 
  • Writing Elevation: 
    • Writing (WR) - 3 WR courses 
  • Arts and Humanities General: 
    • History (HST) - 3 HST courses 
  • Communication, Media, and Society: 
    • Communication - 3 COMM courses

Grand total at the end of Phase I and II installation:

  • Natural Sciences: 
    • Biology (BI) - 5 BI courses that are not in a series + series courses + Z courses 
  • Writing Elevation: 
    • Writing (WR) - 5 WR courses + WR 327Z
  • Arts and Humanities General: 
    • History (HST) - 5 HST courses + Z courses
  • Communication, Media, and Society: 
    • Communication - 5 COMM  courses + COMM 111Z and COMM 114Z

Q5: Who makes the decisions about which courses migrate into the new curriculum?

The Bacc Core Committee recommends that collaboration between college leadership and unit faculty carefully and collectively decide which proposals will move forward. While the Bacc Core Committee and the Bacc Core Director have developed a new robust data tool to aid in data-driven decision making, we understand that faculty are responsible for the curriculum and decisions ultimately need to be made within the colleges. This may require a culture change in some schools or colleges about how decisions are made, and we understand this may take time, which is partially why rolling Statement of Intent dates were created to give colleges and their faculty time to deliberate (wondering what rolling dates and deadlines means!? See the next QA!).

If an exception or consultation is required, please work with the co-chairs of the Bacc Core Committee.

Q6: What is the process of submitting the Statement of Intent, how often can it be submitted, and are there deadlines?

College Designee: Each College has a College Designee who will be responsible for collecting the lists of courses their college's departments and schools intend to offer in the new General Education Curriculum. 

Rolling Submission Dates: We understand that not every unit within a college will know immediately which courses they want to migrate into or create for the new curriculum, while others may be ready to race out of the gates with this information the day the Statement of Intent letter goes live. Regardless of your college or unit's level of preparedness, the Bacc Core Committee and the Course Adaptation and Design Institute (CADI) have to work within their resources. With these factors in mind, College Designees will be permitted to submit a Statement of Intent on a rolling basis throughout both phases of the installation. 

**If you are a Corvallis based College Designee, please make sure your units have appropriately communicated and made plans to collaborate with Cascades faculty. Pat Ball is the Cascades College Designee and will serve as the point of contact for the Cascades Campus. 

Phase I Statement of Intent Submission Dates and Deadlines: 

  • July 1, 2023 (for September – 12, 21, and 27 CADIs (CADI dates, more to be added)
  • October 1, 2023 (for Winter 2024 CADI)
  • January 1, 2024 (for Spring 2024 CADI)
  • April 1, 2024 (for Summer 2024 CADI)

Phase II Statement of Intent Submission Dates and Deadlines:

  • July 1, 2024 (for September 2024 CADI)
  • October 1, 2024 (for Winter  2025 CADI for future catalog year additions to the curriculum)
  • January 1, 2025 (for Spring 2025 CADI for future catalog year additions to the curriculum)
  • April 1, 2025 (for Summer 2025 CADI for future catalog year additions to the curriculum)

Q7: Can I submit a course in the CIM system without my College Designee first submitting it through the Statement of Intent?

Sure – you can do that, but the Bacc Core Committee will not review the course unless it has gone through the formal installation process (1. Statement of Intent through CIM form; 2. Faculty participation in a CADI; 3. CIM course submission). The committee ultimately discourages faculty from doing this out of respect for faculty time and the formal process everyone follows. 

Q8: Is the Bacc Core Committee prioritizing courses for review once submitted in CIM?

Phase I – 23-24 academic year: The Bacc Core Committee will evaluate course proposals in order of the following institutional priorities:

  • A. Courses with mandatory state changes (CCN or so called ‘Z courses’)
  • B. Courses with a history, or a reasonable assumption of heavy rotation (offered every quarter, such as GenEd Psych), especially those serving the Cascades Campus and distance students.
  • C. Courses that involve collaboration between colleges.
  • D. First submissions by units (as noted by their designator)
  • E. Courses which do not require Ecampus redevelopment 
  • F.  All other courses as per phase I of the installation plan:
    • Z and Series courses plus up to two (2) additional courses per designator during the 23-24 academic year.
  • G. DPO2 courses with an established MOU will always be considered.

(Keep in mind that these are assignment priorities. The actual speed with which the GenEd committee completes its reviews may vary. If a review requires multiple rounds of revision, it is not unusual for the committee to defer discussion of those revisions in favor of first-hearings for others. If revisions are needed, it is good practice to take a breath and consult with Academic Affairs or the co-chairs before resubmitting.)

Phase II – 24-25 academic year: The priorities listed in Phase I apply to Phase II; however, units can add up to three (3) additional courses per designator in the 24-25 academic year, plus Z and Series courses. 

 

**It is understood that designators do not always map cleanly onto academic units (there are designators without units, units with multiple designators, non-operative designators, etc.). While there is some risk of inequity, we believe that this is a reasonable method.**

Q9: When will the Bacc Core Committee begin reviewing courses?

The earliest the Bacc Core Committee can begin reviewing courses submitted to the CIM system for the new General Education Curriculum is Fall 2023; after the Statement of Intent has been submitted, the faculty have gone through the CADI, and submitted the course in CIM. 

Q10: How do cross-listed courses factor into this plan? ** Updated answer

Revised plan from the Baccalaureate Core Committee, effective June 5, 2023. 

  • If a course is currently (AY 2023) cross-listed, moving that course to the new Core Education program will count against only one of its designators/course codes. Newly cross-listed courses will count against all designators/course codes included in the cross-listing. 

Q11: Will the Bacc Core Committee ever expand the number of course offerings per designator?

At least one year after full installation and once assessment workflows are set to resume, the Bacc Core Committee will consider removing the limit, if appropriate. The earliest appropriate time for this would be Fall 2026.

Q12: Are Faculty required to go through a CADI or other forms of professional development?

Yes.

Faculty Development Requirements:

  • Due to the positive impact of professional development on the quality of teaching and student satisfaction, all General Education instructors should enroll in professional development, to be renewed on a periodic basis. 
  • Some areas may require additional, and ongoing, professional development as is described in the category criteria and/or other General Education policies. 
  • General Education professional development will be provided on an institutional (OSU-wide) basis and will be provisioned to meet campus demand.

Professional development takes on two forms, which are designed to accommodate differences in the complexity and novelty of courses, types, outcomes, expertise, and experience. 

  1. To develop an on-campus General Education course, the developer(s) will complete the Course Adaptation Design Institute (CADI) experience, for which compensation may be available. E-campus development support will continue to be provided by Ecampus. 
     
  2. To teach an approved General Education course, an instructor will complete OSU's General Education Pedagogical Support and Development program.

In the event that professional development is inadequately provisioned, with the awareness of Academic Affairs, temporary waivers may be granted. 

  • Emergency circumstances which require a temporary waiver may exist but are exceedingly rare (such as the sudden unavailability of an instructor, failure to hire faculty, or loss of situational awareness by a unit are not included in these). 
  • In these circumstances, the Director of General Education (the responsible party for the waiver) and the Coordinator of Faculty Development will actively work with faculty across units to find a solution, which may include a temporary waiver, an MOU for support from a different unit, or some other solution.

Q13: This all sounds great, but what about Cascades campus!?

The Bacc Core Committee, Steering Committee, Core Team Committee, and Bacc Core Director are mindful of the Cascades campus and your unique needs and issues. We are committed to working with the leadership and faculty at Cascades to adapt the installation plan as needed. The Statement of Intent includes a set of questions asking Corvallis units if their intended course(s) are offered at Cascades and if they have connected with Cascade's Designee, Pat Ball, to ensure collaboration is occurring. 

Please reach out to Pat Ball from Cascades or McKenzie Huber, Bacc Core Director, if you have questions or concerns. 

Q13: What about Honors sections?

Colleges will submit their SoI as outlined in the process above. Once the SoI is processed, a report will be sent to Susan Rodgers, Associate Dean of the Honors College, and Susan will work with departments to update MOUs.