USU General Education Changes

Understanding the Change

What exactly is changing with General Education at USU?

USU is transitioning away from the previous "distribution model" of General Education—where academic departments offered courses with GE designations based on disciplinary content areas. Going forward, the new USU Center for Civic Excellence (CCE) will house all General Education courses. These new CIVC-prefix courses are being designed collaboratively by faculty across disciplines and centered on shared civic, interdisciplinary, and durable skills learning outcomes.

Why is this change happening?

With Utah SB 334, Utah State University has the opportunity to be engaged in meaningful General Education reform to better meet student and state needs. The curricular reform is faculty driven and puts students as the primary stakeholder. This reform is shifting focus from disciplinary courses toward interdisciplinary, civic-focused, and durable skill learning outcomes across the General Education curriculum.

Impact on Current Courses

What happens to the course I currently teach?

If you currently teach a USU course with a General Education designation, that course may continue to be offered at USU and through Concurrent Enrollment. However, it's important to understand that the General Education designation (or attribute) is what determines which GE requirement a course fulfills—not the course itself. Over the next few years, most existing GE-designated courses will lose their GE designation and will be replaced by new CIVC General Education courses.

Can my course still be offered through Concurrent Enrollment if it loses its GE designation?

Yes, but only if it meets one of these criteria (as outlined in state statute):

• It retains a GE designation, OR
• It is required for a major or certificate

Additionally, to remain CE-eligible, courses must continue to align at least 80% with the USBE Core Code Strands and Standards.

The course must also continue to be offered by the academic department. Many departments are currently reviewing their course offerings to determine if existing or new Concurrent Enrollment courses could serve as pathways to majors—for example, as introduction to major courses. If the department chooses to continue offering a course you are teaching through Concurrent Enrollment and it meets the criteria above, it can remain part of the CE program.

Are any current courses keeping their GE designation?

Yes. The existing MATH 1050 and STAT 1040 courses will continue to count toward Quantitative Literacy (QL), retain the same course prefix and course numbers, and remain available through Concurrent Enrollment.

In addition, current General Education courses on the Concurrent Enrollment Master List will retain their General Education designations through the 2027-2028 academic year as new CIVC courses are gradually introduced. New CIVC courses will be added in phases beginning in 2026-2027.

Impact on Students

What about students who have already taken or are currently taking my course?

Any student who takes a CE course with a Gen Ed designation gets credit for that Gen Ed requirement—no matter when they took it (past, present, or future) and no matter if the course name or number changes later.

What this means:

• Past students: Their credits still count
• Current students: Their credits will count
• Future students: Their credits will count

The important part: It's the Gen Ed designation that matters, not the course name or number.

Example: If a student took your course and it had the CL1 (Communications Literacy 1) label, they have fulfilled CL1. It doesn't matter if the course was called ENGL 1010 or if it later becomes a CIVC course—the CL1 requirement is met.

For transfer: That Gen Ed label appears on the student's USU transcript and every Utah public college must accept it for the same Gen Ed requirement.

Transferability

Will a student's USU Concurrent Enrollment credits transfer to other colleges?

Yes! If the USU CE course has a General Education (Gen Ed) label, Utah law and USHE policy says it must transfer to other Utah public colleges and universities. It will count for the same Gen Ed requirement at the new school.

What this means:

• The credits will transfer to other Utah colleges
• They will count toward General Education requirements
• Students won't have to retake the class to fulfill General Education

Important to know: We can promise that the credits will transfer and count for Gen Ed within the Utah public colleges and universities. We cannot promise they will count for a specific major requirement. That depends on the college the student transfers to and what major they choose and how the receiving institution chooses to accept the course. But these are still college credits which would transfer, and the out-of-state or private university would know that our CIVC courses met GE requirements for USU. Whether they decide to honor the GE requirement is up to them.

Example: A student takes either USU ENGL 1010 (CL1) or a new CIVC course that fulfills the Communications Literacy 1 (CL1) Gen Ed requirement. Both courses will transfer to other Utah public colleges and count as the CL1 Gen Ed requirement. However, whether either course counts as a required course for a specific major (like English or Engineering) depends on the rules at the receiving college.

What about private or out-of-state schools?

Transfer policies vary by school. We recommend that students check the transfer guide for the specific college they are interested in (most schools have these online). Students should also contact the admissions office to ask how USU CE credits transfer.

Will a student ever have to retake a course they took through USU Concurrent Enrollment?

Best advice first: Check the transfer guide for the college you want to attend to see exactly how USU CE courses will count. It depends on what the course is used for at the new college.

If the course has a Gen Ed label:

• It will always transfer and count for Gen Ed at Utah public colleges and universities
• Students will not need to retake it for Gen Ed

If the course does NOT have a Gen Ed label/designation:

• It will count as elective credit but it may or may not count toward a specific major requirement at the new college

The bottom line: Students might need to retake a course only if their new college doesn't accept it for their major requirement. The credits always transfer, but they might count as electives instead.

What about AP test scores? How will they work with the new CIVC courses?

AP test scores work the same way they always have. The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) decides what Gen Ed credit students get for their AP scores—not individual colleges.

What this means:

• AP scores transfer the same as before
• The new CIVC courses don't change AP transfer rules
• Whether a student takes a USU course, a CIVC course, or passes an AP exam, they get credit for the same Gen Ed requirement at Utah public colleges

Example: A qualifying score on the AP English Language exam fulfills the same Communications Literacy 1 (CL1) requirement as taking USU ENGL 1010 or a new CIVC CL1 course.

Timeline and Next Steps

When are these changes happening?

The transition to CIVC courses is happening gradually. Current courses with General Education designations will continue to be available while new CIVC courses are added over the next several years.

Planned Rollout

• 2026–27: CIVC 1100: Flourishing and the Good Life (CL1), CIVC 1800: Disagree Better (BSS)
• 2027–28: CIVC 1010: Data and the Stories They Tell (QL) (Formerly STAT 1080)
• 2028–29: Additional CIVC Life Sciences (BLS) courses
• 2029–30: Additional CIVC Humanities (BHU), Creative Arts (BCA), and American Institutions (BAI) courses

Concurrent Enrollment courses that currently have a General Education designation will keep their General Education designations through the 2027-28 academic year.

Will I still be able to teach for Concurrent Enrollment?

Absolutely! We want the very best teachers for our students in concurrent enrollment. If you currently teach a USU course with a General Education designation, we still want you to teach. Instructors who have been approved by a USU department have already demonstrated their qualifications, and we expect the approval process through USU's Center for Civic Excellence to recognize that experience and expertise.

How can I teach the new CIVC courses?

We want excited and experienced Concurrent Enrollment instructors involved in teaching these new courses. If you'd like to teach a CIVC course, you will complete an approval process and participate in initial instructor training. You will also have opportunities to collaborate directly with USU faculty and fellow CE instructors as courses are introduced.

What to expect:

• Initial onboarding and training prior to teaching the course
• Direct collaboration with USU department faculty
• Clear guidance on curriculum transition and course approvals

We recognize the expertise of our current Concurrent Enrollment instructors and are committed to supporting and involving you throughout the implementation of new CIVC courses.

Support for CIVC CE Course Instructors

Instructors teaching CIVC courses will not be expected to build their courses from scratch.

Support may include:

• A Canvas course shell
• Suggested lesson materials and activities
• Signature assignments
• Course texts and teaching resources
• Faculty mentoring and support
• Professional development opportunities
• Compensation for initial training when applicable

While all CIVC courses share core learning outcomes and required signature assignments, instructors retain flexibility in their daily teaching style and classroom engagement strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions About CIVC CE Courses

• Will CIVC courses still satisfy General Education requirements?
  • Yes. CIVC courses carry approved General Education designations and transfer throughout the Utah System of Higher Education just like current General Education courses.
• Will students still earn transferable college credit?
  • Yes. Students who successfully complete a CIVC course earn USU credit. Those credits transfer throughout Utah's public colleges and universities according to USHE policy.
• Will I have flexibility in how I teach?
  • Yes. CIVC courses include common learning outcomes and signature assignments, but instructors can still use their own teaching style and classroom approaches.
• Will there be training for new instructors?
  • Yes. New CIVC instructors will participate in training before teaching the course and will continue to have access to support and professional development opportunities.

Communication and Support

How will I stay informed about changes?

We will continue to share updates and timelines with counselors, administrators, and instructors as course options evolve. Our goal is to keep communication clear, timely, and supportive throughout this transition.

What are the different communication channels?

You should continue working with your departmental liaison regarding discipline-specific questions about your current course. For questions regarding Concurrent Enrollment participation, General Education implementation, instructor approval, or new CIVC courses, please contact:

• Toni Gibbons - Concurrent Enrollment
• Matt Sanders - Center for Civic Excellence
• Jen Burbank - CIVC course curriculum and implementation

Where can I find the presentation materials mentioned in the email?

Your school district administration and counselors have the presentation slides from our recent meetings and can share them with you.