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General Education Implementation

Enhancing Foundational Learning at UHart

The University of Hartford is developing a new university-wide curriculum that leverages the diverse range of faculty expertise across our schools and colleges. This webpage provides updates to the academic community throughout the implementation process. 

What's Happening Now

Upcoming Deadlines

Colleges should provide lists of existing general education courses (open to all students without prerequisites) to the Implementation Committee as soon as possible.

Definitions 

Humanities

Definition: Courses in the humanities consider diverse human histories, cultures, and beliefs in order to understand the human experience.Students analyze human culture--in an historical or contemporary context--as expressed in a variety of sources, including texts,literature, music, visual and performing arts.

Social Sciences

Definition: Courses in the social sciences probe the social forces and structures that shape our experience as individuals, communities, and societies. Students explore patterns of social behavior and interaction to find out how they shape – and are shaped by –environments, institutions, and organizations.

Natural Science and Technology

Definition:  Courses in the natural sciences and technology investigate how the natural, physical, and/or technological world works. St udents may use the scientific method, technological tools, and/or other empirical methods as well as collaboration to explore and apply scientific and technological solutions to real-world problems.

Participatory Arts

Definition: Courses in the participatory creative arts teach the processes of creative and imaginative expression. Students build facility with artistic methods and skills and are encouraged to take risks to more effectively express themselves in any of a variety of media (e.g.visual art, music, dance, acting, film, or creative writing).

Interdisciplinary

Definition: Interdisciplinary courses employ multiple perspectives that enable students to understand complex problems by engaging with diverse sources and materials. Interdisciplinary courses guide students to connect knowledge, methods, and perspectives from multiple disciplines to develop integrative understandings and approaches.

Diversity/Cultural Competence

Definition: Courses that meet this requirement will introduce students to topics including, but not limited to, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, age, ability, religion, and/or class. These classes will explicitly link human diversity to questions of equity/inequity, justice/injustice or inclusion/exclusion. At least 50% of the course content must directly address diversity as defined above, and course syllabi must include one or more student-learning outcomes related to cultural competence/diversity.

Mini-Grant Awardees Announced

The General Education Implementation Committee is happy to announce the first round of mini-grant awardees. These faculty members will be revising existing courses or developing new courses that will be a part of the new general education curriculum, which goes into place starting in Fall 2026. Thanks to all who applied; look out for another round of mini-grants next Spring! 

  • Mehmet Dede (Hartt): Critical Analysis of Music and Culture Through Documentaries
  • Anna Hogg (A&S): Documentary Film & Climate Truths 
  • Andrew Jung (CETA): Computational Creativity and Interactive Technologies
  • Lillian Kamal (Barney): Innovative and Sustainable Business for the Future
  • Andrew Koob (A&S): The Imagination of Italy
  • Qisi Liu (CETA): Digital Life and Cybersecurity: Living in a Connected World 
  • Shreya Malholtra (Barney): Behavioral Economics: The Psychology of Decision-Making
  • Sarah Miner (A&S): Political Communication + Civil Discourse 
  • Dakota Nanton (A&S): Film Arts: Image, Sound, and Editing
  • Mari Skarp (Hartford Art School): Making Art / Art Making
  • Rhett Tock (Hartt): Introduction to Home Music Production 

Curriculum Development Grant Application

The New General Education Curriculum Development grant program is intended to support full-time, part-time faculty, or teaching staff to modify an existing course so that it will serve within the new General Education curriculum adopted in May 2025. The deadline for the first round of grant applications has passed, and awardees will be notified in late October. Another round of curriculum development grants will be offered in Spring, 2026.

View Application

Additional Information

The implementation committee will provide updates throughout the year and this webpage will be updated as progress is made. Faculty can view supplemental documents and resources about this change through the General Education SharePoint site. 

The new general education program will provide:

  • Flexibility to choose courses that allow students to explore their academic interests across colleges 
  • Opportunities to tackle relevant, real-world issues from a variety of perspectives and disciplines
  • Pathways to new or existing minors to complement students’ major fields of study 

Now that the proposal has been approved, implementation of the new curriculum is underway, intending to launch in Fall 2026 for the new incoming class. The implementation committee is chaired by Bryan Sinche, A&S, and Zee Onuf, HAS. The committee members include: 

  • Karen Braccialarghe, ENHP
  • Stephan Bullard, Hillyer
  • Tatum Krause, UIS
  • Lan (Vicky) Luo, Barney
  • Paul Slaboch, CETA
  • Julie Sochacki, Writing and A&S
  • Margaret Tarampi, UIS and A&S
  • Marcus Thomas, Hartt
  • Judy Wyman, UIS
  • Fei Xue, Math and A&S
Overall Credits (21-22 credits)* 
  • One Writing course (3 credits)  
  • One Math course (3 credits)
  • One Humanities course (3 credits) 
  • One Social Science course (3 credits) 
  • One Natural Science / Tech course (3-4 credits) 
  • One Participatory Arts course (3 credits)
  • One Interdisciplinary course (3 credits)  

The remainder of the required 40 overall credits in general education courses are still determined by each individual college.

Additional Changes
  • Courses will be housed and delivered within the seven schools and colleges across campus (including existing courses, modified versions of existing courses, or new courses).
  • Current UIS courses, which offer unique interdisciplinary approaches and teaching opportunities, will move into the colleges.
  • Distinctive course requirements: 1) participatory arts class and 2) interdisciplinary courses.
  • Updates to program requirements: 1) every student must take a course outside of their home college 2) every student must take a course designated to address cultural competency/diversity (D).
  • General Education courses can contribute to existing minors in departments, existing interdisciplinary minors (e.g. Africana Studies, Gender Studies, Complexity), and new theme-based general education tracks (themes TBD).

Changes have been proposed for the NECHE General Education standards. 

View Proposed Standards