Scope of General Education: Summary of Changes from Previous Programs

As compiled by Dr. Mary Gartner, Assistant Provost

Students must have 31-32 credits in the Modes of Inquiry and a total of 40 credits in the General Education Program. There will be no exceptions to the 40-credit requirement because this is the minimum required under State law.

1. Nomenclature:

a. The former Basic Requirements have become Core Skills. They are numbered:
Core Skill 1 = Freshman Composition
Core Skill 2 = Advanced Writing
Core Skill 3 = Mathematics

b. The former Liberal Arts Component has become Modes of Inquiry. The Groups are identified by letter, just as previously.

c. Identification of GEP courses in the Courses of Study section of the catalog and in course descriptions uses this nomenclature (Core Skill 1, Core Skill 2, Core Skill 3; GEP Group A to F).

10. HEED 100 (Personal Wellness) no longer is a GEP requirement for students entering FSU under the 2005-2007 catalog and afterwards.

11. Core Skills require a minimum of 9 credits. Students cannot waive a requirement. They still are encouraged to earn credit by exam, but they must purchase the credits earned through FSU specialized departmental exams.

12. All special grading, withdrawal, and repetition policies that applied to the Basic Requirements still apply to the Core Skills (see catalog page 33).

13. In Modes of Inquiry, the rule about not counting more than one course or option where there are alternatives listed applies only to Groups A-E. Students may choose courses in the same discipline for Group F and one other course from A-E.

14. Group B: The Humanities:

a. GEP credit may be earned through foreign language study at the final intermediate course level (FREN 250 or SPAN 250). Students can no longer earn GEP credit for a foreign language minor.

b. ENGL 221 is now a three-credit hour course. However, students can buy credit for ENGL 101 if they meet the composition standards as well as receiving credit for Introduction to Literature.

7. Group C: The Natural Sciences:

a. Only 7 credits are required (one three-credit course and one four-credit “lab” course).

b. Approved three-credit science courses will not have a separate lab time, but they are required to have an application component (such as demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and field trips). The only three-credit science course approved for GEP credit for Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 is IDIS 160. There will be more three-credit options in the future after assessment of IDIS 160.

c. PHSC 100, (Cosmic Concepts) is NOT approved as a three-credit science. Students still must take the separate one-credit lab (PHSC 101) as well to receive GEP credit.

d. Students who want or need to take two four-credit lab science courses still may count both courses towards Group C.

8. Group E: The FSU Colloquia:
For the next two years, the Colloquia are not required. Students still may choose to select electives (from a different disciplinary area than used in Groups A-D). Beginning Fall 2007, the first-year FSU Colloquium will be required.

9. Group F: Identity and Difference

a. A wide range of courses is approved at all levels. Students may take the Group F course any time.

b. Some courses are listed in Groups A-D AND Group F. A student cannot use one course to meet more than one requirement.

IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS FOR ADVISING:

Encourage students to plan ahead in making GEP choices. Students may double count courses in the GEP and in the major or minor. They should check the requirements of majors or minors that interest them and take those GEP courses that will introduce them to possible fields of interest. Also, they should check prerequisites for required courses or courses of special interest and select GEP courses that will allow them to take the higher-level course. Since Group F includes upper-division courses, students who want to take a higher-level course might select the prerequisite to partially fulfill one of the other Groups. For example, a student could select SOCI 100 for Group D, thus meeting the prerequisite to take SOCI/SOWK 305 for Group F.