Thank you for your interest in the general education reform process at UNO. This site includes important information about the process and includes additional resources to learn about general education reform locally and nationally. To the right are links to several important resources. In addition to the current proposal, there is an option to provide feedback and/or ask questions.
The General Education Committee plans to proceed with the process of general education reform in phases. As compared to making many major changes all at once, a phased approach enables incremental change while minimizing disruptions to students, faculty, and staff. This approach also provides increased opportunities for campus feedback and discussion. The full proposal/roadmap highlights the rationale for reform and outlines key elements of each phase. Thank you again for visiting the site and your interest in the process.
Campus Feedback and Committee Responses
Gen Ed Reform Summary
- Goals
- Increase relevance and coherence of general education while increasing academic flexibility for students by reducing the required credit hours and increasing open electives
- Opportunities associated with general education reform
- For general education to be an engine for faculty innovation, collaboration, and creativity
- For general education to be a vehicle for campus enrollment & student success
- For general education to help distinguish UNO from other institutions
- Actions taken to date
- Members of Gen Ed Committee participated in AAC&U workshop on gen ed revision
- Solicited feedback about Gen Ed through campus surveys, open forums
- Discussed reform initiative with Senate leadership and Academic & Curricular Affairs Committee
- Presented reform process at campus-wide strategic planning forum
- Benchmarked UNO against other institutions
- Participated in college leadership meetings
- Recent actions taken since Jan 1, 2023
- Completed Gen Ed focus group discussions, Jan 27th
- Drafted proposal – currently under review by Gen Ed Committee
- Anticipate proposal out of Committee in Feb/Mar
- Phases of reform
- Phase 1: Reduction of credit hours (proposed reduction to approximately 30-31)
- Phase 2: Modify gen ed outcomes, course expectations, and approval process
- Phase 3: Modify gen ed structure/model to increase coherence and relevance
- Timelines for Phase 1 (Credit Hour Reduction)
- Gen Ed Committee Finalize Draft Proposal and Outline of Reform Phases: Qtr 1 - 2023
- Campus Road Show to Communicate Proposed Changes / Feedback: Qtr 1/2 - 2023
- Gen Ed Committee Vote: Qtr 2 - 2023
- EPAC Approval: Qtr 2/3 - 2023
- Determine catalog template for academic programs and Gen Ed: Qtr 2 - 2023
- Colleges update programs using approved template (word or excel): Qtr 3 - 2023
- Acad Affairs manually update catalog pages: Qtr 4 - 2023
- Sign off/approval by college/program: Qtr 4 - 2023
- Final processing by administration: Qtr 1 - 2024
- Catalog goes live: Qtr 2 - 2024