3.4.10 General Education and Major Programs

Commission Standard: The institution defines and publishes general education and major program requirements for all its programs. These requirements conform to commonly accepted standards and practices for degree programs.

Status: In Compliance

Rationale:

General Education Program

General education requirements for baccalaureate degrees, published in Western's Undergraduate Catalog and in the Schedule Bulletin , total 44 credit hours, 18 involving required courses in English composition, history, public speaking, mathematics, and a second language. General education requirements are determined by the faculty and approved by college and university curriculum committees, the University Senate General Education Committee, and the University Senate.

Each baccalaureate degree at Western requires 44 hours of general education credit distributed across six categories: Organization and Communication of Ideas, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences/Mathematics, World Cultures and American Cultural Diversity, and Health and Wellness. In addition to 18 hours of required courses in English composition, history, public speaking, mathematics, and a second language, the catalog lists elective classes that qualify for general education credit in each category. A science course with a laboratory component is also required ( Gen Ed Homepage ).

General education requirements for associate degrees fall into four of the same categories and are reduced to a minimum of 15 hours. Students must take Freshman English (English 100) to satisfy the requirement in Organization and Communication of Ideas and then elective credits as follows: 3 hours in Humanities, 6 hours in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and 3 hours in Natural Sciences. Elective general education credits must be drawn from the same lists approved for baccalaureate programs.

Western ensures its general education requirements conform to accepted collegiate standards by program reviews, the most recent of which was completed in 2001, when 11 faculty and administrators spent three years examining the rationale of our program and comparing it to multiple benchmarks: Appalachian State, Ball State, East Carolina, Illinois State, Indiana State, Marshall, and Northern Iowa.

The task force shared drafts of its report with the university community and invited comments and suggestions. The resulting Report on General Education made a series of recommendations that were adopted by the University Senate in January, 2001. In addition to program reviews, the General Education Committee of the University Senate is responsible for reviewing individual general education courses to ensure that they contribute to the stated goals and objectives of the program.

Major Programs

Requirements for each major program leading to an associate, baccalaureate, graduate, or post-baccalaureate professional degree are published in the Undergraduate Catalog , in the Graduate Catalog , and on academic department websites.

Each degree requires completion of a minimum number of credit hours (see Standard 4.4 ).

Associate degree: 64 credit hours

Baccalaureate degree: 128 credit hours

Master's degree: 30 graduate credit hours

Specialist in Education: 30 graduate credit hours beyond the master's

Cooperative Ed.D.: 90 graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate (awarded by the University of Louisville)

Requirements for major programs are determined by the faculty in the discipline and then submitted for approval to college and university curriculum committees and the University Senate (see Standard 3.4.12 ). However, new major programs may require approval outside the institution as well.

Kentucky's state CPE requires proposed new major programs to be posted on the CPE website for comment by other institutions in the state. Following the review period, proposals for new major programs within the institution's program bands proceed through the institution's approval process (see Standard 3.4.12 ). Proposals for new majors outside the institution's program band require CPE approval and before being approved must be posted on the Web for comments from other Kentucky schools.

To ensure that new major programs conform to commonly accepted standards and practices in the discipline, proposals must include the following information:

Primary or secondary data from workforce, professional, scholarly, civic, or government groups, and student, alumni, or external advisory boards

Comparisons with similar programs offered at other state universities and benchmark institutions, and

Possibilities for program accreditation, certification, and/or licensure.

Departments are encouraged to seek external accreditation for programs if available, and program revisions must be justified by accrediting agency guidelines, employment surveys, or benchmark institution practices.