Liberal Education at the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota and its faculty are committed to providing an education that invites students to investigate the world from new perspectives, learn new ways of thinking, and grow as an active citizen and lifelong learner. The University’s liberal education requirements provide an opportunity for students to gain multidisciplinary perspectives through the Diversified core and Designated Themes.
The diversified core guides students through the "why" and "how" of different academic disciplines. These classes equip students with a broad range of tools to approach problems in everyday life and work, and, ultimately, help make a positive difference within communities, society, and the world. Students are required to satisfy seven core requirements.
The designated themes are topics central to an understanding of contemporary life. Investigating these themes helps students prepare to become knowledgeable, ethical, and engaged public citizens. Students are required to satisfy four of the five themes.
Students must also complete four Writing Intensive (WI) courses. These courses help students understand what it means to write in various disciplines. Two of the four courses must be completed at the upper-division (3xxx or higher) level, and one of the two upper-division courses must be within a student's major field of study.
Council on Liberal Education
The Council on Liberal Education (CLE) is appointed by the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education. The CLE has oversight responsibilities for the University of Minnesota Liberal Education (LE) Curriculum for all undergraduate students on the Twin Cities campus. This includes review of all LE (Core, Theme, and Writing Intensive) proposals.
Courses certified for an LE are expected to meet the LE criteria for all terms following certification, regardless of modality or instructor. A course and its syllabus may evolve, but the LE must remain a central component. LE can not be activated or inactivated on a term by term basis. Any change proposed to a course’s LE certification should reflect the long-term intent for the course.
Submitting a Core or Theme LE Course Proposal
Liberal Education Core and/or Theme proposals (new and re-certification) must
- address the general characteristics common to Cores and/or Themes as well as the criteria specific to the proposed Core, Theme, and/or WI requirement. Guidelines that pertain to the specific LE or WI requirement, as well as the general characteristics that are common to Cores and/or Themes. Course syllabus developed as student-facing clearly evidence how the course content (assignments, discussion topics, readings, etc.) meets the proposed requirement criteria. It is not sufficient to simply state that a criterion is met.
- include introductory language about liberal education, a clear explanation of how the course fulfills the LE requirement, and a description of how student learning outcome(s) are met. As proposals are developed, please explicitly state course goals and do not assume they are obvious. Members of the Council on Liberal Education, like students in liberal education courses, come from units across the University. The council's aim is to ensure that liberal education courses meet the University's goals and that these goals are clear to students and to faculty members.
- briefly describe Student Learning Outcomes the course addresses, how it addresses these outcomes, and how the learning associated with the outcomes will be assessed.
Additional Syllabus Requirements
All syllabi must contain the following elements:
- For existing courses, the syllabus must be for a term within the past two years.
- For courses under development, the syllabus may be provisional but still must document how the course will meet the LE requirement(s), as indicated above. A list of lecture topics or discussion topics should be included, with the understanding that dates, schedules, and readings may be tentative.
- The syllabus needs to conform to the Syllabus Requirements Policy. It should be in English, or with an English translation provided.
- Attach a syllabus for each proposed modality in PDF and/or Word format.
Council on Liberal Education (CLE) Review
Submitted proposals, including both the Coursedog Proposal and Syllabus, will be reviewed by the Council on Liberal Education (CLE). To help ensure a smooth review process, proposers are encouraged to follow the below tips when preparing the proposal and syllabus.
Coursedog Proposal:
- Include information for the responsible faculty member as the Curriculum Contact. This is usually the person who teaches the course, DUS, or department chair.
- Ensure the LE questions are fully addressed for each proposed LE. Reviewers and students should be able to reference the proposal and discern by reading the syllabus how the LE is integral to the course.
Review Timeline and Decisions
The CLE meets monthly during the academic year and encourages course proposals to be submitted well in advance (meeting dates). The full review process typically takes 1-3 months from the date of submission.
Types of CLE decisions:
- Approval - Course is approved for the proposed LE/WI based on the effective term entered in Coursedog.
- Provisional Approval - The LE/WI proposal has minor revisions that must be made prior to full approval. Once requested changes are made, the course will be approved for the proposed LE/WI designation based on the effective term entered in Coursedog.
- Revise and Resubmit - The CLE has concerns that must be addressed and reviewed prior to full approval. Revisions will be re-evaluated by the CLE.
Frequently Asked Questions
A list of frequently asked questions related to LE/WI proposals can assist with questions faculty or staff may have during the submission of an LE/WI proposal. For further questions, please contact Berne Christiansen at [email protected].
I’m thinking about proposing a course to meet LE, but I don’t know where to start:
- Consider how your course fits the LE guidelines.
- Talk with your department chair, director of undergraduate studies, and faculty colleagues about the course proposal process within your department.
- Reach out to curricular contacts in your college to learn what collegiate level review might be required.
Can I propose that my course meet more than one LE?
Yes. Courses can be certified to meet a Core, a Theme, and as Writing Intensive. A course may not meet two Cores nor two Themes.
Courses proposed to meet more than one LE need to fully evidence and integrate the criteria for each LE. If meeting multiple LE’s feels like a stretch for the course, you might want to choose one and focus on meeting the criteria fully.
Can I add LE to an existing course?
Yes, you can propose adding LE certification to both new and existing courses.
My course is not a regular offering; can it meet LE requirements?
- Learning Abroad course: can be proposed for all LE requirements. Most short term programs (May, Winter Break, Spring Break) meet either a Core or Theme. Careful consideration is encouraged to ensure full integration of all LE criteria in abbreviated-length courses.
- Topics course: cannot be proposed for LE.
- First Year Seminar (FSEM): can be proposed for Themes or as Writing Intensive; may not be proposed for Cores.
I don’t use Coursedog, what is it?
Coursedog is the University’s curriculum management tool, and holds the official records for all courses and academic programs we offer. Most departments have staff who are designated as Coursedog authors and can assist you with submitting your proposal.
Who will review my proposal?
In addition to any department or college curriculum committees, new courses are reviewed by the Campus Curriculum Committee (CCC). Courses proposed for LE are also reviewed by the Council on Liberal Education (CLE). CCC and CLE both include faculty from a variety of disciplines across UMNTC and receive staff support from the Office of Undergraduate Education.
The Coursedog proposal should be written for a faculty/staff audience. Syllabi should reflect what you intend to provide enrolled students and use student-facing language.
What kind of feedback will I get from the CLE?
It is not unexpected for a course proposal to receive feedback from the Council on Liberal Education (CLE). The committee members often have questions or thoughtful suggestions that proposers typically find helpful.
- If reviewers determine that your course meets the criteria of the proposed LE, but minor edits or clarification are needed to the proposal or syllabus, it will be Provisionally Approved. Courses receiving provisional approval are certified once updated materials are received.
- When more significant revisions are requested, such as if reviewers feel certain criteria for the proposed LE are not fully evidenced, the decision is Revise and Resubmit. When you submit updated materials for a course where Revise and Resubmit is requested, they will be considered at a subsequent CLE meeting.
If your course is provisionally approved or a resubmission is requested, you will receive a detailed response via email from OUE, on behalf of CLE, detailing what changes are necessary. You will generally hear back one week after the date on which the proposal is reviewed.
Once courses are fully approved are included in the approval memo sent after each meeting; you will receive a copy.
How early should I submit my proposal?
New courses should reach the Provost’s queue no later than two months prior to the start of the registration period for the term in which they are to be offered, i.e. February 15 for a Fall offering or September 15 for a Spring offering.
We encourage submission of LE proposals as early as possible, since more than one round of review may be required.
Final submission deadlines for each meeting are found on CLE's website.
When do LE courses need to be re-certified?
LE courses are certified for five years or until there is a change in course modality.
I have more questions–who do I contact?
Reach out to OUE ([email protected]), we’ll be happy to help!