Following extensive research of general education curriculum and the collection of feedback from faculty and students, the Baccalaureate Core Ad Hoc Review Committee developed three examples of curricular templates.  The Revision Committee was retired at the end of Spring 2021. The Bacc Core Reform Committee, commissioned in Fall 2021, has been assessing the examples. You can learn more about the charge and the work of the Bacc Core Reform Committee by visiting the Phase II project site. 

The three template examples were a starting place for conversation. A final model will emerge based on input and iterative revisions to the templates once the Phase II Bacc Core Reform Committee has engaged in conversations with stakeholders. You can view General Themes from the proposed templates that were shared at Faculty Senate in March 2021, however, please be advised that the Phase II committee's work has progressed beyond what is seen on that page. 

The Revision Process: 

Listening Sessions

In Fall 2019, Faculty Senate Executive Committee (FSEC) and Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs (Alix Gitelman) hosted listening sessions. Four sessions were held for faculty on the Corvallis campus and one listening session at the Cascades Campus. One session was hosted for students and a student survey was administered.

Results of Listening Sessions and Student Survey

Several reoccurring themes arose from the listening sessions and student survey: 

  • Students were complimentary toward the synthesis courses. 
  • Students appreciated the opportunity to learn about other majors as well as interact with students from across campus.
  • Students felt that some of the categories were covered in high school (i.e. HHS 231/241 and WR 121) and requested categories that covered more skills. 
  • Faculty, advisors and students have a difficult time articulating and understanding the value and purpose of general education. 
  • OSU has largest Bacc Core out of all public institutions in the state in terms of categories, we also have nearly 1000 courses approved in the Bacc Core. 
  • Our current Bacc Core creates significant barriers for transfer students, leading to excess credits and student debt because it does not map well to transfer programs. 
  • Some Bacc Core categories have lost identity as learning outcomes overlap.
  • Course development is strongly driven by budget concerns but should be driven by Bacc Core Learning goals. As a result, more courses are added each year without strategic planning and units are competing for enrollment.
  • As courses are added to categories from all colleges, there are more incentives for students to take courses from their major which “double dip” with Bacc Core, so they are not gaining exposure to other subject matter or having an interdisciplinary educational experiences. 

Formation and Charge of Reform Committee

Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs convened and charged the Bacc Core Revision Committee.

Charge: Develop draft templates of Bacc Core/General Education

The revision committee was commissioned in Winter 2020 and met in Spring and Fall 2020. The sixteen-person committee was comprised of representatives from different campuses, modalities, functional administrative areas, all faculty ranks, and students. While solicited, not all colleges were represented. The Committee reviewed the Fall 2019 listening session comments and researched over 40 institutions nationally and internationally (including large R1, land grant, public, private), AACU general education models, and Oregon Transfer Compass in addition to the 2010 Baccalaureate Core Review Committee report.

Project Team: McKenzie Huber – Bacc Core Committee, Rorie Solberg – Bacc Core Committee, Heath Henry – Bacc Core Assessment; Erin Bird – Undergraduate Education; Rebeka Phelps – Ecampus; Ron Reuter – Cascades Campus; John Edwards, Kara Ritzheimer (v. Christopher Nichols) – Liberal Arts; Kate Lajtha – College of Agricultural Sciences; Lori McGraw – Public Health and Human Sciences; Bob Paasch – College of Engineering; Inara Scott – College of Business; Khawater Hussein and Safi Ahmad – Student Members; Mina Carson, Alix Gitelman, Selina Heppell and Dwaine Plaza – Ex-Officio