General Education

May 10, 2023 

Dear Colleagues, 

We are writing to provide an update on the implementation of the new general education curriculum. Our communication in October 2022 shared the components of the implementation plan and a timeline. At that time, we also recruited faculty to participate in creating learning outcomes, criteria, and rationale (LOCRs) for each new category. 

We are thrilled 89 faculty members were selected to develop LOCRs. Because of faculty dedication and commitment to general education and student learning, new LOCRs for 13 categories were created. The Faculty Senate voted to adopt all LOCRs on April 13, 2023. We want to thank the faculty involved in this critical work and the members of the LOCR Planning Committee and LOCR Workgroups for their time and service. 

The committees involved in implementation are working to ensure the successful launch of the new curriculum in summer 2025. The next steps in the implementation process include installing the curriculumover the next 18 months, providing pedagogical support and development to (re)design courses, and communicating the changes to our internal and external partners. 

Please visit the General Education Implementation website to learn more and stay current.  

Sincerely, 

Alix Gitelman                                                   
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Senior Vice Provost           

Kate MacTavish 
Faculty Senate President 

Dear Community College Partners,  

After a four-year process, the Faculty Senate of Oregon State University (OSU) enthusiastically approved the General Education curriculum proposed by the Baccalaureate Core Reform Committee. This action updates a 30-year-old curriculum, supports our transfer students, and recognizes the value of aligning with the state’s Core Transfer Map (CTM). OSU is excited to share the lower division requirements in our new curriculum can be completed through the CTM.

OSU has begun implementing this new curricular structure with an anticipated launch in summer 2025. Provost Edward Feser has appointed a steering committee, chaired by me, with leadership support from McKenzie Huber, Director of the Baccalaureate Core. Several additional support committees include:  

• Learning Outcomes, Criteria, and Rationale
• Internal Policy and Process through the Baccalaureate Core Committee
• Pedagogical Support and Development
• Operations
• Organizational Change Management (OCM) 

As we continue developing our new general education program, we are committed to supporting our shared transfer students. We recognize you as our valuable partners in this endeavor, and we will work to ensure a smooth transition to the new curriculum. The OCM committee will serve as the conduit for connecting withcommunity college partners during the implementation process, and we will provide timely communication as we proceed. Members of the OCM committee were selected for their expertise in supporting transfer students, working with students and advisors at community colleges, and knowledge of the articulation process. You will continue to hear from us, including invitations for stakeholder consultation and other relevant information we hope will be useful to you as we move through these next few years and beyond.

You can learn more about the reformed curriculum, implementation structure, and timelines on our website. We will also be in contact to unveil our new curricular program’s name, intended to define and promote the importance of general education in the twenty-first century. Please do not hesitate to contact McKenzie Huber, chair of the OCM committee and Director of the Baccalaureate Core, at anytime. We also invite you to share this communication widely throughout your organization.  

Sincerely,  

Alix Gitelman                                                              
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Senior Vice Provost                                     

McKenzie Huber
Director of the Baccalaureate Core

Organizational Change Management Committee Members: 

Erin Bird, Transfer Transitions Coordinator 

Mary Chuinard, Director, Undergraduate Student Services, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences 

Rick DeBellis, Associate Director for Transfer Admissions and Degree Partnership 

McKenzie Huber, Director of the Baccalaureate Core

Kerry Kincanon, Head Advisor, University Exploratory Studies 

Steve Wuhs, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, College of Liberal Arts 

17 October 2022

OSU Community Members,

Last Thursday, the Faculty Senate voted to approve the new General Education Curriculum proposed by the Baccalaureate Core Reform Committee. Among other things, this action updates a 30-year-old curriculum, reducing its size and improving its legibility for all students, introducing a new course category to support students’ transition to OSU, adding a sequence of touchpoints to incorporate career-readiness, and expanding instruction fostering understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion. This curriculum both recognizes the value of aligning with the state’s Core Transfer Map—which facilitates seamless transfer among Oregon higher education institutions—and creating a distinctive and high-quality foundation for OSU’s degree offerings.

I extend my sincere thanks to the Baccalaureate Core Reform Committee, led by John Edwards and Lori Kayes, for its extensive work to steward the development of a new model and bring it forward to the Senate. Alix Gitelman and McKenzie Huber in the Office of Academic Affairs provided steady support throughout the reform effort. I also thank John Dorbolo, Mina Carson, Dwaine Plaza, Selina Heppell, Erika McCalpine, and Kate McTavish for their leadership as Senate presidents during this process. Finally, I’m grateful to the Faculty Senate for approving an excellent new model.

I’m now appointing an Implementation Steering Committee (see attached), led by Alix Gitelman, vice provost for academic affairs and senior vice provost, to guide the important work of implementing the new curriculum. Next week, Alix will share more details about implementation, and importantly, information about how you may be involved.

To learn more about the reform project, please visit the General Education Reform website.

Sincerely,

Edward Feser

Provost and Executive Vice President

As we start the academic year 2022-23, we look forward to continuing the important work of reforming the Baccalaureate Core. On October 13, 2022, the Faculty Senate will resume the conversation and vote for the motion on the floor for "The Faculty Senate of Oregon State University to ratify the revised Baccalaureate Core structure as presented in the Baccalaureate Core Reform Committee Report and Proposal." 

In hopes of refreshing ourselves on the multi-year effort, process, and proposed curriculum, we are sharing the Baccalaureate Core Reform Report. This is a lengthy document, and while all aspects of the report are contextually important, you may want to look particularly at pages 10-17 to learn about the structure and descriptions of the proposed General Education Curriculum.

Baccalaureate Core Reform Report

Refresher Meeting

October 7, 2022, 3-4 PM
Kidder 202 and Zoom (link forthcoming)

BCRC and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee invite you to a Bacc Core Reform Refresher Meeting. This meeting is intended for new senators who have not had the opportunity to learn about the proposed new curriculum during Faculty Senate meetings over the 2021-2022 academic year and for returning senators who would benefit from a reminder of the proposed curricular structure, process, and proposal.

Given the motion on the floor, the current Reform Proposal cannot be edited during the refresher meeting, and this meeting cannot be used to propose amendments or debate. We offer an opportunity to educate yourselves on the proposal in preparation for the vote on October 13, and we will respond to questions/clarifications on the proposal's details as it is.

Please note that this refresher meeting is not a special session, forum, or regular senate meeting, and attendance by senators is not required. If you are unable to attend this refresher, prior senate meetings have been recorded (May 12; May 20 – Special Session; June 9).

The reform committee meets weekly as a group to develop a final model based on feedback and data from the roadshows and recommendations from the sub-committee reports. 

Post-Roadshow

The Baccalaureate Core Reform Committee (BCRC) concluded our Baccalaureate Core Reform Roadshows March 15th and went through the process of analyzing the data and feedback to present to the BCRC. An executive summary of the feedback will be made available once the committee has reviewed it. This was an interactive opportunity for the BCRC to share the curricular templates, engage in questions, and collect feedback and we thank all our stakeholders for their investment in the process. 

Under the leadership of Faculty Senate President, Selina Heppell, the Baccalaureate Core Reform Committee was created and charged with reforming the Bacc Core. Co-Chairing the committee are Dr. John Edwards of the College of Liberal Arts and Dr. Lori Kayes of the College of Science. 

The committee convened on November 12th for a half-day retreat and will continue to meet throughout the 2021-22 academic year. 

To: OSU faculty (academic & professional)
From: Alix Gitelman, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Re: McKenzie Huber appointed as Baccalaureate Core Director
June 24th, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of McKenzie Huber to the Baccalaureate Core Director position effective August 2nd, 2021.

McKenzie has served at Oregon State University since 2012 in advising roles for several colleges. In 2019, the Oregon Academic Advising Association presented her with the Advisor of the Year award. The same year, the College of Forestry, presented her with the Dean’s award for fostering Undergraduate Student Success. McKenzie has been active in Faculty Senate, serving on the Senate’s Baccalaureate Core Committee since 2013 and co-chair of that committee in academic years 2017, 2020, and 2021. She also served as co-chair of the Senate’s Baccalaureate Core Revision committee (Bacc Care 2.0) in the last academic year.

Creation of the Bacc Core Director (BCD) position emerged as a recommendation from the Undergraduate Student Success Initiative. While positioned in Academic Affairs, the BCD will work in service to Faculty Senate as an ex officio, non-voting committee member of both the Bacc Core Committee and the Bacc Core 2.1 committee, soon-to-be charged by Senate leadership. Since all curriculum-related decisions are made by Faculty Senate, the BCD will play a supporting role to coordinate strategy and operations related to the Bacc Core and Bacc Core reform through shared governance. The BCD will be a champion for the Bacc Core, maintaining up-to-date website information and translating statewide transfer efforts such as common course numbering and major transfer maps that will impact OSU.

McKenzie brings enthusiasm for, and commitment to the BCD role. In addition, her strong background in student service will help maintain our institutional focus on transformative education and equitable access.

My thanks to the search committee and those who participated in campus forums and provided feedback. This search concluded at the end of a remarkably challenging academic year, and I do appreciate your engagement.

Please join me in welcoming McKenzie to this role.

Best,

Alix

Alix Gitelman

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs