Focus Proposals

Effective Fall 2022, only COURSE-Based Focus Proposals will be accepted to designate new Focus courses.  The only exceptions are Focus designations for variable topics courses and 399/499 courses, which will continue to be instructor-based.  Other courses with existing instructor-based approval will continue to be designated through the end of the current approval period, but must then be submitted for a course-based designation to continue the Focus.

COURSE-Based proposals should be submitted by the Department Chair or Faculty Course Coordinator to request or renew a Focus designation(s) for a course that inherently meets the Focus hallmarks, either because course content or department policy dictates it.  Upon approval, all sections of the course will be designated with the approved Focus for the duration of the approval period (3 years for new requests, 5 years for renewals), regardless of who the instructor is.  Approved course-based Focus designations cannot be removed for individual sections or terms.

SUMMER 2023 COURSE-Based Focus Proposal Form Deadline:  FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023

• Summer 2023 COURSE-Based Focus Proposal Form (form-fillable PDF version): download to your computer first
  • Mac users: Please use Adobe Acrobat (not Preview) to complete the form-fillable PDF. Our office has received some forms with fields that appear blank, and we believe this may be due to an incompatibility issue between software. If you are having any difficulty with the PDF version, please use the MS Word version instead.
  • Click here for a quick tutorial video on how to sign documents with Adobe Acrobat reader (note this works only with the PDF version of the form).
• Summer 2023 COURSE-Based Focus Proposal Form (MS Word version): download to your computer first

For Summer 2023, instructors who would like to add a Focus to their section of a variable topics course may use this MS Word document or form-fillable PDF (please refer to the technical instructions above).  Instructors who would like to add a Focus to one of their 399 or 499 sections should use this MS Word document or form-fillable PDF (again, please refer to the technical instructions above).  Deadlines and other important details about these two exceptions may be found on the forms.  

FALL 2023 COURSE-Based Focus Proposal Form Deadline:  FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2023

• Fall 2023 COURSE-Based Focus Proposal Form (form-fillable PDF version): download to your computer first
  • Mac users: Please use Adobe Acrobat (not Preview) to complete the form-fillable PDF. Our office has received some forms with fields that appear blank, and we believe this may be due to an incompatibility issue between software. If you are having any difficulty with the PDF version, please use the MS Word version instead.
  • Click here for a quick tutorial video on how to sign documents with Adobe Acrobat reader (note this works only with the PDF version of the form).
• Fall 2023 COURSE-Based Focus Proposal Form (MS Word version): download to your computer first

For Fall 2023, instructors who would like to add a Focus to their section of a variable topics course may use this MS Word document or form-fillable PDF (please refer to the technical instructions above).  Instructors who would like to add a Focus to one of their 399 or 499 sections should use this MS Word document or form-fillable PDF (again, please refer to the technical instructions above).  Deadlines and other important details about these two exceptions may be found on the forms.  

To submit a Focus request:

1. Download the form-fillable PDF or MS Word Doc version of the appropriate proposal form.  Do NOT fill it out in your browser.
2. Complete all sections relevant to the Focus designation(s) you are seeking.
3. Attach one or more syllabi as appropriate, and save as one file (preferably a PDF).
4. Submit completed forms to gened@hawaii.edu.

The hallmarks, explanatory notes, and student learning outcomes for each of the four Focus areas can be found on our Teaching Focus Courses page. For the hybrid/online checkbox, please check the appropriate box if you are currently planning to teach the course in this modality, regardless of the possibility that the course may revert to all in-person instruction at some point in the approval period. Please refer to this link for more information about online and hybrid course modalities.

We also encourage you to take a look at exemplary proposals identified by the Boards and to explore the Teaching Resources available on our website for pedagogical resources relevant to many areas of the undergraduate curriculum, as well as distance education/online, hybrid, and classroom instructional modes. More information is available in our Faculty FAQs on specific proposal form-related questions.