General Education Council

Overview

In August 2024, the UG Catalog cycle opened for the 2026-2027 catalog, and there will be a moratorium on new courses and degree programs for the 2025-2026 cycle. For more information, please visit our Calendar and Deadlines website.

The General Education Council (GEC) was formed as an independent standing committee of the Faculty Senate. The GEC has direct lines of communication and coordination with the Undergraduate Council and is composed mainly of faculty, with appropriate administrative support from the areas of Undergraduate Studies, Academic Assessment, and Institutional Effectiveness. The GEC reviews and approves general education courses, promotes and distributes assessment data from the program to the University community as formative feedback, and oversees the continuing curriculum improvement process.

Auspices

The General Education Council is a standing council of the USF Faculty Senate and receives authority for its actions through that body.

Charge

The General Education Council is responsible for the ongoing development, implementation, and assessment of an effective general education program. Responsibilities include the evaluation and approval of courses for the liberal arts curriculum, as well as the periodic evaluation of the general education policy. The council shall advise the Provost and Executive Vice President or their designees, and the Executive Vice President for USF Health or their designees on the development of future general education programs at the university and provide continuous assessment of the general education.

Responsibilities

The council shall develop its own operating procedures, subject to approval by the Senate Executive Committee, which shall include:

  1. Provision for establishment of a collegial process that encourages the widest possible faculty participation in the development and delivery of general education courses;
  2. Provision for approval (certification) of courses following the criteria established in the Enhanced General Education Program;
  3. Provision for the development of additional general education courses, especially in areas where options for students are limited;
  4. Provision for review of approved courses on a periodic basis (e.g., every three years) to ensure that the courses continue to satisfy the established criteria;
  5. Provision for continuous assessment of the general education to ensure that the expectations established by the Enhanced General Education Program are met.

Membership

  1. With the exception of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the Honor’s College, membership shall consist of two (2) faculty representatives from each college offering an undergraduate program and two (2) members from USF Libraries. The Honor’s college shall have one representative. Due to the nature of the general education program, CAS shall have eight (8) representatives, distributed such that (a) each of the three schools in CAS has two (2) representatives and (b) each campus has at least one representative. There shall be two (2) at-large representatives from the St. Petersburg campus and one (1) at-large member from the Sarasota-Manatee campus. There shall be one voting representative from Undergraduate Studies assigned to a
    fully credentialed instructor in the department who teaches one of the EGE-approved courses.
    Faculty members of the council will be appointed for staggered three-year terms, with one-third retiring each year. Members may serve two consecutive terms, after which they must retire from the council for one full year before seeking reappointment.
  2. Three undergraduate students to be appointed for one-year terms; may be reappointed. Students are full members of the council with voting privileges.
  3. Registrar or designee (ex officio and nonvoting)
  4. Chair of the General Education Council from the preceding year (ex officio and nonvoting)
  5. Dean of Undergraduate Studies or designee (ex officio and nonvoting)
  6. Chair of the Undergraduate Council (ex officio and nonvoting)
  7. Director of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (ex officio and nonvoting)
  8. Each campus Regional Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs or designee (ex officio and nonvoting)
  9. Faculty Representative from USF Health Libraries (ex offico and nonvoting)

If a member of the General Education Council accumulates three unexcused absences per year from regularly scheduled meetings, that person shall automatically cease to be a member of the council and shall be replaced promptly according to the standard procedures for nomination and appointment. Excused absences may be granted by the Chair/Coordinator or Vice Chair/Coordinator of the General Education Council and shall not exceed four in number per year.

Standing Subcommittees and Ad Hoc Committees

All subcommittees and ad hoc committees shall report to the full membership of the General Education Council and may only make recommendations to the council.  Such recommendations will be voted upon by the full membership of the General Education Council.  The members from each branch campus may form a standing subcommittee comprised of the GEC members representing the branch campus as well as others (nonmembers) who are deemed appropriate to consider general education matters that are specific to their branch campus.

Appointment

Nominees will submit nomination forms to the Committee on Committees of the Faculty Senate which will review each nominee. The Faculty Senate President will appoint the members of this council upon the recommendation of the Faculty Senate.

Chair

The Chair shall be elected by the Council from among its members. The Chair shall be a voting member of the Council.

Date of Adoption: 02/16/05

Revised: 03/21/07; 07/11 (new appointment process); 11/11 (membership section for consistency; removed regional campuses representation); 10/12 Director of ATLE added; 04/14 change in selection of council chair; 05/18 (membership/term limits); 07/20 (changes made due to consolidation, revised membership, RVC for AA from branch campus as ex officio, and standing subcommittees for branch campuses, revised for consolidation); 01/23 revised membership and titles; 07/23 charge update.

Update: CF, 8/16/24