Each year, the IU Bloomington General Education Committee (GEC) reviews proposals to add new courses to the GenEd curriculum. The process begins in the fall, when a call for proposals is sent to the academic officer of each academic unit (i.e., the schools and the College). The academic officers then solicit proposals from their faculty. Faculty members who wish to propose a course for the GenEd curriculum should discuss their ideas with the chairperson of their department. With the approval of the chairperson and/or departmental curriculum committee (depending on departmental procedures), GenEd proposals are forwarded to the academic officer of the appropriate school or academic unit. Approval procedures vary by school, but GenEd proposals that receive school approval are forwarded by the school's academic officer to the GenEd Committee for consideration.
Evaluation of course proposals is delegated to the appropriate GenEd Common Ground subcommittee (English composition, Mathematical Modeling, Arts and Humanities, Social and Historical Studies, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and World Language and Cultures). Common Ground subcommittees evaluate the appropriate course proposals on the basis of the established learning outcomes and course characteristics for each GenEd category (and also on the basic principles of GenEd course eligibility).
A single course may be proposed for both World Cultures credit and Breadth of Inquiry credit. Such a course, if approved by both the World Languages and Cultures subcommittee and the appropriate Breadth of Inquiry subcommittee, may "double count" toward both requirements for students who take the course after its approval for the GenEd curriculum. Courses should not, however, be proposed for more than one Breadth of Inquiry category (i.e., Arts and Humanities, Social and Historical Studies, Natural and Mathematical Sciences). See the requirements for GenEd course eligibility.
Please note that course proposals may not be submitted directly to the GenEd Committee by individuals or departments. All course proposals must be approved by the appropriate school, who will then forward the proposals to the GenEd Committee.