Amendments to the General Education Attributes and General Education Curriculum Policy

By Lorie Anderson, Office of the Registrar
Nov. 17, 2023
To: University Employees
From: Office of the Registrar
Subject: Amendments to the General Education Attributes and General Education Curriculum Policy
Date: Nov 17, 2023

In Spring 2022, a new General Education curriculum was adopted, introducing Exploring Perspectives and Building Connections course requirements for students that matriculated in spring 2022 or after. At that time, additional general education attributes were planned as graduation requirements for students matriculating in fall 2024 or after.  

In the fall of 2023, the Office of General Education proposed that the inclusion of general education attributes as graduation requirements be postponed. The first cohort of students that will be required to complete the general education attribute requirements (as defined in the policy) will be students matriculating in Fall 2026. 

The attribute requirements remain unchanged; only the date of implementation is different. The attribute requirements, to be completed as part of the Exploring Perspectives and Building Connections course requirements, are as follows: 

  • Diversity and Equity – 2 courses 
  • Quantitative Reasoning – 2 courses 
  • World Cultures and Societies – 1 course 
  • Writing – 2 courses 

Justification/Rationale  

Postponing the general education attribute requirement will allow four (4) years for a full cohort of students to proceed from their first year to graduation in the Exploring Perspectives and Building Connections curriculum. This will allow the institution to better assess how well the curriculum supports the topic areas represented by the general education attributes prior to enforcing them as graduation requirements.  

The updated policy was approved by the University-Wide General Education Committee, Undergraduate Council, Undergraduate College Academic Administrators Council, and the Faculty Senate during the fall of 2023.  

The policy text has been updated in the 2023-24 academic catalog (although the change will not affect any requirements for current students) and can be read in full here:  General Education Attributes and General Education Curriculum.

Questions about the updates to the General Education Curriculum and General Education Attributes policies should be addressed to the Office of the Registrar at catalog@arizona.edu. 

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