New Course Development

An engaging Common Core journey for our students relies on your dedicated support in developing and teaching common core courses. We invite all faculty members and staff, whether working individually or in teams, to bring your creativity and expertise to develop courses for the 30-credit Common Core Program. If you’re not currently affiliated with an academic unit but are eager to teach a common core course, you can partner with an academic unit to collaborate on course development and delivery.

To get started, we recommend you review these broad guiding principles:

General Criteria for Common Core Courses

Common core courses should contribute to the Common Core goals [link to the “Goals” section of “The Program” in Section E] in complementing studies in specialist disciplines and providing a whole-person learning and developmental experience for students.

To ensure alignment with these objectives, your course should generally:

  • Broaden students’ horizons;
  • Be open to all students, with an understanding that courses in the Broadening group should primarily target non-major students while remaining accessible to all; 
  • Have no prerequisites, except in specific categories in the Foundations and Experiencing groups, where prerequisites are necessary due to the inherent nature of the courses and their relationship with other common core categories; 
  • Enhance students’ competencies; and
  • Challenge students to consider social, cultural, or philosophical issues.

In addition to these general criteria, you are advised to observe the following guidelines and requirements.

  • Course Offering Eligibility
  • Course Level & Code Assignment
  • Cross-listing of Common Core Areas
  • Competency Education
  • Teaching & Learning
  • Grading & Assessment
  • Medium of Instruction
  • HAIC Specific Guidelines
  • UxOP Specific Guidelines

Now that you are familiar with the criteria and requirements, you’re ready to submit your Approval of UG Course form for your common core course. This form should be submitted to the Committee on Undergraduate Core Education (CUCE) [link to “Committee (CUCE)” in Section I] via your School. Ensure that all approvals and concurrences at the department and school levels are obtained before submission.

Remember to adhere to the submission schedule [link to “Proposal Submission Schedule” in Section AS] to ensure the timely approval of your course. For any assistance, don’t hesitate to email the Common Corers.