THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 1791S Date of Senate Approval 1/17/91 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Statement of Faculty Senate Action: APC Document #15: General Education Review Policy (as per Senate Document #36, 1984) Senate Document # 36 of 1984 - 85 charged the Academic Policies Committee with the task of reviewing the courses in general education. The purpose of this document is to define the reasons, scope, and procedures for this review. Two principles were adopted by the Senate in its deliberations regarding general education. One was that courses in general education had to be designed with the needs of general education in mind. The second was that general education was the responsibility of the entire faculty and not just the Department offering the course. The purpose of this review as envisioned by the Senate Document was not to revise general education but to monitor the courses in general education on a continuing and orderly basis to confirm that they are continuing to fulfill their purposes. APC will begin a review of courses in general education in accordance with the following protocol: 1. A schedule for review is to be developed during 1990/91 for review to begin during 1991/92. It is anticipated that the review cycle will extend over a period of years. Where possible, the scheduling is to be coordinated with the review of programs by Planning Council to avoid duplication of effort. 2. Courses are to be reviewed in the context of the Senate Document describing general education as well as the Senate Documents authorizing the particular courses. Each review will focus on all courses within a specific general education requirement, e.g., natural science, social science, humanities. 3. The Chair of APC will give timely notice to Department Chairs and Program Directors that their general education courses are scheduled for review and will provide them with copies of the appropriate Senate documents. 4. The Department Chair(s)/Director(s) in consultation with the participating faculty will prepare a report for APC explaining how the course attempts to meet the goals set forth in the Senate Documents. APC will be interested in viewing texts used, syllabi, tests, assignments, and other materials which can provide evidence for the actual content of the course. Where there has been change in the course, APC will be interested in the evolution of the course. 5. The Department Chair(s)/Director(s) together with the appropriate faculty will meet with APC to present the report and to answer questions from the Committee. 6. Because UNCA must attempt to show effectiveness in its academic programs, Chair(s)/Director(s) will provide such evidence as they have that the course is effective or is evolving in ways to make the course more effective. APC does not intend to impose any University wide standard, but instead requests each component of general education to address its own effectiveness in terms best suited to its content. 7. Because general education is of concern to the entire University, opportunity will be provided for general faculty input during each review. 8. APC will assess the evidence presented and issue a written evaluation of how well the program of study seems to be meeting the goals of general education, indicating both strengths and weaknesses. APC may make recommendations for changes or modifications, or when appropriate, may recommend outside review. The final APC report will be delivered to the Senate. Copies of the report shall be provided to the appropriate Chair(s)/Director(s) and to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.