General Education at the University of Montana
The General Education Program provides a broad academic base designed to develop informed, ethical, and engaged citizens. To earn a degree, students must complete requirements across 11 distinct groups, including Writing, Mathematics, Modern and Classical Languages, and several "Perspectives" such as Expressive Arts, Historical Studies, and Natural Sciences. Most General Education (Gen Ed) courses are foundational and introductory, requiring at least three credits and no more than one prerequisite.
The Course Proposal Process
For a course to receive a General Education or Writing designation, it must follow a formal approval path:
- Initiation: Proposals are typically created by tenure-track faculty.
- Internal Approval: The proposal must first be approved by the faculty member's Department Chair and College Dean.
- Submission: All curriculum changes are routed through CourseLeaf (CIM), the university’s electronic curriculum management platform.
- Committee Review: Proposals are sent to the relevant standing committees—the General Education Committee or the Writing Committee—as well as the Academic Standards and Curriculum Committee (ASCRC).
- Faculty Senate Vote: Once vetted by committees to ensure they meet academic standards, proposals are voted on by the Faculty Senate.
- External Review: Certain curriculum changes (Level I and II) are coordinated by the Provost’s Office for submission to the Montana Board of Regents (BOR) for final approval.
Resources for Proposing a Course
- Review the General Education outcomes listed in the UM catalog.
- If you are thinking about proposing a Writing course, also review the Writing Course Guidelines, which specify curricular requirements beyond learning outcomes.
- If you would like to review current and past UM syllabi, you can find them in the Mansfield Library’s ScholarWorks repository.
- If you are interested in learning more about how to create a course proposal, you can visit this website on CourseLeaf, our curriculum management platform.
Review Committees and Their Differences
While both committees ensure academic rigor, their areas of focus differ:
- The General Education Committee: This body evaluates the appropriateness and effectiveness of the general education requirements. They ensure that requirements are feasible within campus constraints and Board of Regents policies.
- The Writing Committee: This committee specifically reviews proposals for writing designations (such as Writing Across the Curriculum or Writing in the Disciplines). They also monitor writing assessment programs and advocate for effective writing instruction across campus.
Student Petitions and Appeals
Students seeking exceptions to General Education rules have specific pathways for recourse:
- Graduation Appeals Committee (GAC): A subcommittee of the ASCRC, the GAC has the authority to grant exceptions for graduation requirements, including Gen Eds. Appeals are only granted for compelling reasons; they are not approved for simple student mistakes or inconvenience.
- Transfer Appeals: Students can petition the General Education and Writing Committees for credit for prior coursework. They can review the procedures on the Faculty Senate Procedures page (and select General Education).
Review Timeline and Cycles
The curriculum review process is ongoing and cyclical to maintain "evergreen" standards:
- Workflow Deadlines: The timing of new proposals is driven by the meeting schedules of the Faculty Senate and the Board of Regents. Proposals submitted via CourseLeaf record a "Workflow" path that tracks every stage of approval.
- Rolling Reviews: Both Gen Ed and Writing courses undergo Rolling Reviews on a multi-year schedule. Different "groups" of courses (e.g., Social Sciences one year, Natural Sciences the next) are evaluated periodically to ensure they continue to meet the required criteria.
- Lag Time: Faculty should account for "lag time" between initial submission and final approval.