Core Curriculum FAQs
Is the Core Curriculum being abandoned? No, it is not. The current Core Curriculum is still in place, but a university-wide retreat is being held to discuss its evolution and goals. See the “core initiatives” discussion in this section for Dr. Mark McNamee’s remarks regarding the Core Curriculum review.
What does the temporary freeze on Core Curriculum proposals mean? Due to the realignment of colleges and departments in the summer 2003, as well as a reassessment of the structure of the core, the University Core Curriculum Committee proposed a resolution to establish a temporary freeze on course proposals to the core curriculum. This freeze was approved by University Council in April 2003 for implementation until July 2004 (CUSP Resolution 2002-03B), and it was recently extended to July 2005. The freeze says the following: Effective November 1, 2002 no new courses will be added to the Virginia Tech University Core Curriculum, nor will courses be considered for removal from the Core Curriculum except as described below. Exceptions to this freeze will be:
- Courses submitted for writing intensive designation;
- Courses submitted in support of Critical Issues in a Global Context (Area 7);
- Courses submitted as part of a package that realigns a departmental or program curriculum; or
- Other selected courses as justified by a college curriculum committee.
Is the writing intensive requirement still in effect? Yes. Students still are required to meet the writing intensive requirement as described in the Core Curriculum guidelines. However, a resolution is currently making its way through the governance system that would evolve the current WI requirements into opportunities that recognize each discipline’s different needs for student skills in speaking, visualizing, and writing. If the resolution passes, a campus announcement will be made of the change.
Why are the changes in the assessment of the writing intensive requirement taking place now? There has been an assessment reporting requirement in place from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) since 1987. General education has been a part of that requirement from the beginning. Once writing intensive courses were added to the Core Curriculum, as our general education courses are known, they were automatically added to the assessment cycle for Core Curriculum courses. Two years ago the assessment of the WI courses was completed after an exhausting amount of work by the Core Curriculum Committee. Several things were apparent: the focus of assessment, by necessity, was more on process than written product; the approach used to assess the other core courses was too time consuming for all involved to continue in the same manner; assessing WI courses, which are based in the major, is fundamentally different from assessing core courses meeting general education requirements; and the programs often have writing scattered throughout the major rather than restricting the writing to the identified WI courses. The resolution referenced above recognizes these findings and incorporates the WI reporting into that done for the major on the existing five-year cycle.
Can I remove currently offered courses from the Core Curriculum? Generally, you cannot remove currently offered courses from the Core Curriculum, unless you are realigning your departmental or program curriculum. In this case, if a course is being significantly changed or withdrawn from being offered, then the UCCC would consider the removal. See the resolution discussed in question two above for details.
Can I place a new course into the Core Curriculum? Generally, new courses should not be submitted for consideration into the core curriculum, with exceptions being:
- Courses submitted for writing intensive designation;
- Courses submitted in support of Critical Issues in a Global Context (Area 7);
- Courses submitted as part of a package that realigns a departmental or program curriculum; or
- Other selected courses as justified by a college curriculum committee.
What do I need to do if I have revised my Core Curriculum course? As stated on page 15 of the Core Curriculum Faculty and Advisors' on-line guide: If the course is a new one, or if it entails a more than 20% revision of an existing course, the proposal must be submitted in the standard format, and proceed through the normal course approval channels. Forms for this purpose may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office or copied on the website.