FINISHING FOUNDATIONS
FACULTY TOOLKIT
The General Education committee approved the Finishing Foundations requirements (listed below) in spring 2019. With the approval of these requirements, the Finishing Foundations Committee, a subcommittee of the General Education Committee, launched a review of all Finishing Foundations courses at Boise State to bring them into alignment with the new requirements.
Since every program at Boise State has a Finishing Foundations course, the Committee divided the review process into a 3-year cycle that aligns with the PAR process. That means, if your program is up for PAR, then your Finishing Foundations must be reviewed by the FF Committee.
The Finishing Foundations Committee review is required in order to maintain your program's FF course designation.
Finishing Foundations Requirements
Each course with the Finishing Foundations designation must contain the following components:
As a capstone experience, Finishing Foundations courses include or incorporate a culminating project, such as a portfolio, research project, case study, community-based project, etc. For example, in a 3-credit course, the culminating project is often included; in a 1-credit course, the culminating project is referenced in the reflection work.
As the culmination of students’ University Foundations education, the FF Reflection component enables them to articulate how they envision themselves in the future, given the knowledge and skills they have acquired in college. Need ideas on how to design opportunities for reflection or the reflection assignment?
University Learning Outcomes (ULOs)
With respect to the ULOs, FF courses provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their achievement of
Written or Oral Communication, and
Critical Inquiry.
Rubrics outlining standards of achievement for each ULO can be found on the University Foundations website. Note that these university-wide rubrics provide high-level criteria meant for use in evaluating student progress over the length of their entire undergraduate career. The criteria listed under “Exemplary Work” establish the skills expected of a graduating senior.
Proposal Process
Ready to have your FF course reviewed?
Review questions 1-3 below to determine the type of proposal you are submitting and the timeline.
Fill out the FF Course Proposal Guidelines and Form
Make your Kuali submission and also email the completed FF proposal form to UniversityFoundations@BoiseState.edu .
Question 1: Does your course require approval by the University Curriculum Committee (UCC)?
All catalog changes for Finishing Foundations courses must be reviewed by both the UCC and FF Committees. These changes include:
new FF designation
new course number and/or course title
change in the number of credits
new course description
UCC & FF COMMITTEE COMBINED REVIEW
If your goal is to launch a brand new FF course that will appear in the catalog the following fall, submit your proposal to the FF Committee no later than October 1st.
If you are making an adjustment to an existing FF course (e.g., changing the number of credits or title), the FF Committee will determine if a full proposal review is necessary. Contact the Finishing Foundation Committee Chair, Beret Norman: BeretNorman@boisestate.edu
Question 2: Do you have an existing FF course that needs to be reviewed?
All existing FF courses must be reviewed to ensure alignment with the FF requirements. All programs going through the PAR process must also submit their FF proposal.
Spring 2024 Deadline: May 1
Curious about when your program will be up for PAR? Consult the information on this website.
Question 3: Is your FF course serving a single program or multiple programs?
The FF Committee accepts two forms of FF proposal:
Single Course, Single Program: Programs can submit a proposal for a single FF course that serves one program.
Single Course, Multiple Programs: Or, a program can submit a proposal for one FF course that serves multiple programs. See example.
Questions about the resources on this site?
Contact UniversityFoundations@BoiseState.edu.