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(Re)Imagining the Future of General Education Together
Our goal is to engage the campus community in a comprehensive general education review and reform process to envision and implement a program that considers these guiding principles:
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- We envision a student-centered general education program that rejuvenates and inspires students, faculty, and the entire campus community
- We believe that general education must prepare ODU graduates for academic, professional, and civic life
- We assert that everyone at ODU has a stake in general education
- We know that inclusion, collaboration, and transparency are essential to the success of the reform initiative and ultimately of the program
- We maintain that this initiative is an opportunity to celebrate what we do, be creative about what is possible, and establish a distinctive identity for general education at ODU
Program Name
We are seeking ideas from the community to name the new General Education program at Old à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã. For example, GMU has theÌýMason CoreÌýand Virginia Tech hasÌýPathways. We are looking for ideas that connect with the unique ODU experience while helping to highlight the value of general education. We plan to hold a campus vote to help choose the new program name in early fall 2025. Share your ideas via !
Additional Information
- The current general education program is a distributive model foregrounding disciplines/classes. It requires 50 credits and an upper-level Option outside the major.Ìý
- The last revisions to general education were made in 2010
- General education curriculum must meet SCHEV and SACSCOC requirements
- SCHEV: 4 Core Competencies - Critical thinking, Written communication, Quantitative reasoning, and Civic engagement, plus 2 of the institution's choice
- SACSCOC: Be based on a "coherent rationale," be "a substantial component of each undergraduate degree with min 30 credit hours," and "ensure breadth of knowledge"
- The decision to reform general education is based on:
- Assessments of student learning – General Education Assessment Committee (GEAC)
- Feedback from faculty via GEAC, Faculty Senate
- Feedback from students via Senior Student Satisfaction Survey (SSSS) and National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
- External review – Jan-Feb. 2024
- General education is a field of study similar to other disciplines with a long historiography, best practices, and peer-reviewed scholarshipÌý
Director Of Assessment & Accreditation
Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
Asst Vp For Academic Success
Center for Advising Administration and Academic Partnerships
Master Lecturer & Gen Ed Proc & Pol Spec
Biological Sciences
- Aaron Arndt, Professor of Marketing
- Orlando Ayala, Professor of Engineering Technology
- Brett Bebber, Associate Professor of History
- Dooyoung Choi, Associate Professor of Fashion Merchandising​
- Kyle Davis, Senior Lecturer of Exercise Science
- Peter Eudenbach, Professor of Art
- Matt Grau, Assistant Professor of Physics
- Janice Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Nursing
- Travis Jones, Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Librarian
- Barbara Kraj, Associate Dean, Elmer College of Health Sciences ​
- Jeff LaCombe, Associate Dean, Batten College of Engineering and Technology
- Benjamin Melusky, Associate Professor of Political Science
- Suzanne Morrow, Master Lecturer of Psychology
- Anders Nolan, Senior Lecturer of English
- Paige O’SHaughnessy, Senior Lecturer of Accountancy
- Tony Perez, Associate Professor of STEM Education and Professional Studies
- Lucinda “Lucy†Wittkower, Head of Libraries Education and Assessment
- Remica Bingham-Risher, Director Quality Enhancement Plan Initiatives
- Tania Black, Director of Transfer Initiatives and Transfer Center
- Kellie Crawford-Sorey, Assistant VP for Strategic Enrollment Management
- Annette Finley-Croswhite, Prof of History and Dir of Center for Faculty Development
- Kenyon Gannon, Executive Director of Digital Learning Programs
- Carrie John, Associate Vice Provost and University Registrar
- Susan Kenter, Chief of Staff and Associate VP for Strategic Initiatives
- Megan Mize, Director of ePortfolio and Digital Initiatives
- Catherine Moss, Director of Retention and Special Populations, ODUGlobal
- Julie Perez, Director of Undergraduate Admissions
- Kala Perkins-Holtsclaw, Vice Dean, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences
- Karen Sanzo, Executive Director, Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity
- Lanah Stafford, Director of High Impact Learning Initiatives
- Leanne White, Director of Advising, Ellmer College of Health Sciences
Visit theÌýÌýfor more information about the reform initiative, including committee agendas, reports, and collected readings on general education.
- Abigail Berardi
- Naven R. B. Ershen
- Maverick Frost
- Emma Hernandez
- Cassandra Kelly-ConnÌý
- Daniel Letter
- Kristy McGinnis
- Spencer Peloquin
- Joshua Pickett
- Epiphany Smith
- Evan Stubblefield
- Ash Floren Jay Thomas
- Hannah Vanlandingham
2025 Events
- Student Committee Info Session: January 16, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. via Zoom
- Reform Team Retreat: January 31, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Webb Center
- Campus Forum March 5, 11:00-12:00 in North Café
