Adding a new General Education (Gen Ed) designation to a course, or renewing an existing Gen Ed designation, provides valuable opportunities for faculty to revisit their pedagogical approaches. Through the Gen Ed proposal process, faculty and departments are asked to consider the requested designation’s hallmarks (and explanatory notes) and student learning objectives. Hallmarks and learning objectives are critical components, developed and revisited periodically by faculty, of how UH Mānoa and the UH System ensure that all of our undergraduate students progressively acquire core skills, are exposed to multiple ways of knowing, and develop the habits of mind of an engaged citizen of our community and the world.

Proposals to add or renew a Gen Ed designation are reviewed periodically by the members of six faculty Boards, and sometimes the General Education Committee (GEC). For more information about these important faculty committees, and their role in ensuring faculty ownership of our Gen Ed program, please visit Governance. Foundations and Focus Board members work to ensure that all courses granted Gen Ed designations adhere to the hallmarks and learning objectives adopted by the Mānoa Faculty Senate and its GEC. Occasionally, negotiations with faculty or departments submitting proposals are necessary during the review process. The goal of the Boards is always to foster the development of a richly diverse Gen Ed curriculum for our undergraduate students that achieves our shared learning goals. If faculty have any questions or would like assistance in preparing a proposal, please contact us.

For proposal deadlines and forms, please go to our Proposal Forms page.