Choosing GenEd courses
Students can choose from a variety of classes to satisfy requirements in each of the breath areas of Temple GenEd. The current inventory of GenEd comprises over 140 classes. Their is even an online course search tool to help students find classes in each of the areas that focus on their interests.
For example, if student searches for GenEd courses that focus on law and justice, the search will return:
So classes with this theme can be found in four different GenEd areas: Human Behavior, Race & Diversity, World Society, and US Society.
Rationale for Limited Edition GenEd Classes
Despite this variety, most of the over 140 courses currently offered in GenEd were created shortly after the program launched in 2008. To stimulate new course offerings without swelling the GenEd inventory, the General Education Executive Committee (GEEC) has approved creation of a new category of “Limited Edition” GenEd classes. The goal is to streamline and accelerate approval of new GenEd courses that address current issues, to encourage innovation in pedagogy, and to accommodate special topics such as guest lecture series or classes involving community partnerships.
The “Limited” Part
Limited Edition courses may be taught in any three semesters within a period of three years after approval, after which the course will be retired from the GenEd inventory. If desired, instructors can propose to continue teaching the course, but must re-propose the course following the standard GenEd course approval process.
How will this play out?
Will faculty embrace the opportunity to try new pedagogies? Create new partnerships? Focus on current topics and trends? Will it encourage faculty members who have never taught a GenEd course to propose something new? Will students embrace these new choices, or just take the classes their friends took? My hope is that Limited Edition classes will be a crucible for innovation, but as with any new initiative only time will tell.