Will the renewed General Studies program transfer to community colleges and other four-year institutions?
Transferability was a major consideration in designing a new program, since UNK has many feeder institutions that send us students. The General Studies Council is working to ensure that a renewed program allows for ease of transfer both into and out of UNK.
How will UNK cover the extra sections of Portal courses that focus intensively on writing?
Until three years ago, UNK required six more hours of writing intensive coursework than it does now. Departments were able to provide that level of offerings then, and should be able to do so now. Also, the Portal and Capstone course will both allow departments with lower enrollments to have increased participation in General Studies, since Portal and Capstone courses may be taken in any discipline.
Why do some of the colleges teach more courses in General Studies than others?
Because general education is based in traditional liberal arts, some colleges have courses that lend themselves more readily to participation in the General Studies program than others. However, in the proposed new program, departments and programs with little or no participation would have increased opportunities to be involved – particularly by designing and teaching Portal and Capstone courses.
Why can’t each college at UNK have its own General Studies program?
Universities with multiple general education programs have experienced problems. Having multiple programs requires multiple administrative systems to oversee them, multiple academic program reviews, multiple assessment programs, and multiple evaluations by NCA. On a broader level, if a university says that their general education represents what every graduate should know, how can there be a different program required of students depending on what their major is? In light of best practices and assessment data, many institutions (such as UNL) are abandoning their multiple program system in favor of a single general education program.