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General Education Syllabi

Syllabus Checklist

As a provision of SB 7044 (2022), all General Education syllabi must be posted at a specific date before the start of the semester and contain certain elements. Please check the Create Your Syllabus page in Confluence for current guidance regarding required core elements for all syllabi. The General Education Director will share semester deadlines with department chairs and review all General Education syllabi for compliance.

General Education CORE course description

As of Fall 2024 The Board of Governors updated Regulation 8.005 General Course Options and any core course must follow the statewide course description provided by the Statewide Course Numbering System.

General Ed Course Description and Outcomes

General Education Student Learning Outcomes

Departments offering General Education courses are required to report on student learning outcomes from the General Education Student Learning Outcomes. These General Education SLOs must be listed on the syllabi of all sections of General Education courses.

  • The distribution area (Communication, Mathematics, Humanities, Social Science, or Natural Science) of the course determines which SLO(s) must be utilized.
  • List the General Education SLO(s) with your course outcomes in addition to including the General Education Student Learning Outcome Statement outlined below.
  • Syllabi must include descriptions of assignments serving as embedded assessments for General Education SLOs.

You can view an alphabetized list of all courses and their associated distribution area and SLOs. Remember that all courses (other than those in Natural Science) have two SLOs, and Gordon Rule classes should choose one of the communication SLOs to assess.

[Course Name] is designated as a General Education course. The General Education curriculum at the University of West Florida is designed to provide a cohesive program of study that promotes the development of a broadly educated person and provides the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in university studies. This course has been approved as meeting your requirement in the [Distribution area]. The major General Education learning outcomes for this course are [Learning Outcome 1] and [Learning Outcome 2]*.

Students will learn and practice [Learning Outcome 1] through a [quiz, exam, etc.] and [Learning Outcome 2]* through a [quiz, exam, etc.], which will be used to assess the General Education curriculum. If you are interested in a major in [your academic program] you should contact the [your academic department] at [department main phone number]. If you are undecided about your major, you should contact your academic advisor or Career Services at 850.474.2254.

*Natural Science courses report on only one Critical Thinking learning outcome.

Human Development Across the Lifespan is designated as a General Education course. The General Education curriculum at the University of West Florida is designed to provide a cohesive program of study that promotes the development of a broadly educated person and provides the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in university studies. This course has been approved as meeting your requirement in Social Sciences. The major General Education learning outcomes for this course are

Critical Thinking: Solve problems using social science methods.

Integrity/Values: Reason ethically in an appropriate disciplinary context.

Students will learn and practice Critical Thinking through a quiz and final exam and Integrity/Values through a quiz administered during the first two weeks of class, which will be used to assess the General Education curriculum. If you are interested in a major in Psychology, you should contact the Psychology Department at 850.474.2364. If you are undecided about your major, you should contact your academic advisor or Career Services at 850.474.2254.

General Education FTIC Attendance Policy

Each General Education course syllabus should include an attendance policy, which should include each of the following elements:

  • a statement that attendance is mandatory
  • the method by which the instructor will document attendance
  • criteria by which the instructor defines an excused or unexcused absence (with a link to the university attendance policy)
  • an explanation of how attendance affects a student’s grade and, if applicable, quantifiable consequences of absences
  • a statement about attendance for financial aid purposes

Please see suggested attendance policy language. Online sections should also include an attendance policy. Please view the online course attendance policy exemplar.

For assistance with the FTIC Attendance Policy, please contact the Director of General Education, Dr. Eric Kollar, at 850.474.2312 or ekollar1@uwf.edu.

The General Education Course Attendance Policy for First Time in College (FTIC) Students is designed to encourage engagement and supports efforts to improve student retention at UWF.  This Policy is a subset of and acts in concert with the Class Attendance policy. This policy requires:

  • Regular attendance for FTIC students in General Education Courses is expected and will be documented.
  • Each General Education class to have a written attendance policy and requires the attendance policy to be included in the course syllabus.
  • The faculty member teaching a General Education Course is to record the last day of class attendance for all FTIC students enrolled in the course.