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The 91¹ú²ú¾«Æ· Faculty Senate voted unanimously to approve a new in February 2024. The new program will take effect for students in Fall 2025. In the interim, the Office of Instructional Excellence will support faculty in the revision and development of core curriculum courses and other aspects of the new program.

The Core Curriculum Handbook

The is a dynamic web-based resource aimed at assisting faculty in the development of courses for the core curriculum. It is maintained by the Core Curriculum Director. If you are just beginning your process of designing or redesigning a course for the core curriculum, you may find these pages especially helpful:

• : A High level overview of the new program along with guidance on designing a course for the program. This page is a great starting point for faculty looking to participate in the core curriculum.
• : A tabular visualization of the new program requirements.
• : A guide, with examples and tips, to completing the Core Curriculum Approval Documents
• : A guide, with examples and tips, to completing the updated Writing Across the Curriculum document

Highlights of the new Core Curriculum

The new 91¹ú²ú¾«Æ· Core Curriculum is designed to spark student curiosity, develop durable skills, and promote a sense of belonging at 91¹ú²ú¾«Æ·. Key to this mission are the following special features of the program:

• Inquiry Orientation. Core Curriculum courses will be designed to invite students into the intellectual inquiry process. Students will not just learn information, but will learn how to investigate big questions and problems, deploy methods and techniques, and present new knowledge.
• Signature Assignments. To promote authenticity of coursework and help students make meaning of their learning, all core curricular courses will include at least one Signature Assignment. Such assignments engage students in authentic work, deploying the key skills and knowledge of the course, and then prompt them to reflect on their learning through the assignment and the course. Signature Assignments, and reflection in particular, have been shown to enhance student learning and sense of the meaningfulness of the course.
• Inquiry Pathways. To further promote a sense of integration and meaningfulness of education, students may choose to complete some of their core curricular courses within an Inquiry Pathway. These pathways are designed around important social issues, such as Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice, and allow students to investgate these issues from the perspective of multiple disciplines. Any student completing at least three courses in a pathway will earn a certificate for that pathway, and students may complete multiple pathways.

Why Revise General Education?

The current General Education requirements were established in 2008/2009, which overhauled a previous general education curriculum establish in 1998. We now have nearly 15 years of experience with the current program.  With drastic shifts in demographics, technology, and society at large during this period, it is time to update this curriculum. 

Across the United States, there has been a 3.4% decline in 4-year public institution enrollment. And, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many incoming students will need greater support than prior classes. This is especially true of much of Cleveland State's traditional student population, especially those from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and the inner ring suburbs. A Core Curriculum often functions as the first engagement students have with a university's education and it is aimed at providing foundational knowledge and skills. Thus, while all parts of the university should be responding to these changes, the Core Curriculum especially deserves our attention.

The GenEd08 report noted several perceptions of the previous general education program, which it aimed to remedy. This included faculty, administrators, and students seeing the program "not as a positive, formative experience, but as a hurdle over which each student must jump." Unfortunately, feedback from students suggests that perception remains. Relatedly, they suggested the need to improve advising, staff more general education courses with full-time faculty, and simplify the program requirements.