March 2026
In this issue:
CAPC recently issued a revised INT Handbook and Criteria Checklist. The Goal and SLOs have not changed from the 2019 Program, rather, the intent was to bring the INT courses in line with current thinking about interdisciplinarity. One notable change is around the previous need to identify three disciplines, as this number was somewhat arbitrary. That said, by definition, at least two disciplines must be incorporated. Other changes support better articulation for students of what interdisciplinarity means and how it is incorporated in the course learning activities and assessments.
All INT faculty are strongly encouraged to take a look at the new Handbook, which clearly articulates what an INT course should be, why INT is important for our students, and best practices for how to develop your INT course. The Handbook also describes some common problems with INT submissions, and how to solve them. You are also strongly encouraged to use the new Criteria Checklist to ensure you are meeting current expectations for an INT course. There is also a sample syllabus.
With release of the new INT materials, CAPC is calling for a revalidation of all existing INT courses (regardless of when the course was last through a CAPC review for any purpose). Proposals should be submitted ASAP; revalidation is expected to be completed by May 2027. We also welcome at this time proposals adding the INT attribute to an existing course or new INT courses. We suggest checking with your dean before submitting a new INT course.
To support you as you prepare your INT course for submission, there will be an Open Lab with Interdisciplinary Director, Simon Ruchti, and Gen Ed Chair, Karen Mitchell: Tuesday March 24th 2:00-3:00pm and Wednesday March 25 2:00-3:00pm in Anderson 456. We're happy to help you understand the expectations and discuss how to address them in your Interdisciplinary course. Come and go as you find useful. If you have questions about the labs, please reach out to INT Director, Simon Ruchti (SRuchti@wcupa.edu).
If you have more general questions, please contact Gen Ed Committee Chair/Gen Ed Council Director, Karen Mitchell (kmitchell@wcupa.edu)
As announced at CAPC Assembly in December 2025, beginning with the Spring 2026 semester, any course that has an Academic Foundations, Distributed Disciplinary, and/or Additional Baccalaureate attribute removed, either by program choice or by CAPC administrative process, cannot propose to add the attribute back for 4 years after the implementation term of the removal as indicated in CIM. Rare exceptions for due cause will be considered on an individual basis, as needed.
This timeline requirement is necessary to reduce undue advising and administrative complications when a Gen Ed attribute is removed and then quickly added back. You can find more details here.
If you have questions, please contact Gen Ed Committee Chair/Gen Ed Council Director, Karen Mitchell (kmitchell@wcupa.edu).
The DIV revalidation process is coming to a close. All existing DIV courses must be in CIM workflow Spring 2026 or risk removal of the DIV attribute. If you have not yet submitted your DIV course for revalidation, please do so now. You can find more information in the DIV Handbook and Criteria Checklist.
If you have questions about preparing your revised DIV course to meet criteria, please reach out to the DIV subcommittee chair, Cris Cardemil-Krause, CCardemil-Krause@wcupa.edu or DIV Director, Justin Sprague, JSPRAGUE@wcupa.edu
If you have more general questions, please contact Gen Ed Committee Chair/Gen Ed Council Director, Karen Mitchell (kmitchell@wcupa.edu)
CAPC is receiving a non-trivial and unnecessary number of course substitution requests that are related to the use of outdated or inaccurate Gen Ed Program course syllabi (Academic Foundations, Distributed Disciplinary Requirements, Additional Baccalaureate Requirements). This raises issues of inequity as some students file substitutions and some do not. There are several issues that create this situation; each is easily avoided. The simple rule of thumb to keep in mind is that all courses must be taught as they are advertised when students register, regardless of when a proposal is approved by CAPC and the Provost.
We are seeing issues in the following areas:
The syllabus for a course is not updated when a course is approved for a new attribute (e.g., SPE is added) or an attribute is removed officially (e.g., SPE is removed). All faculty teaching any course related to Gen Ed/ABR requirements should check the course catalog/schedule each semester as they prepare their syllabi to ensure they know the current Gen Ed/ABR status of the course--how it was advertised to students when they registered. Syllabi should be adjusted accordingly, e.g., adding or removing Gen Ed goals/outcomes.
A revised syllabus is used before the change shows up in the catalog/schedule. Regardless of when a proposal is submitted to CAPC, which semester the change is requested to start, or when it goes through CAPC Assembly and is approved by the Provost, the new syllabus should not be used for class until approval is final and the change shows in the course catalog/schedule. Preparers and their chairs are encouraged to check the "Starting Session" in CIM for possible edits after submission, in accord with the CAPC proposal timeline.
A syllabus includes Gen Ed goals/student learning outcomes for attributes not approved. For example, a course approved as a Speaking Emphasis course (and no other attributes) should include only Gen Ed Goals/SLOs #1 and #2, not any others. If the course also happens to address competencies related to other Gen Ed goals (e.g., Demonstrate the ability to think across disciplinary boundaries; Make ethical choices), those should be developed and identified as course goals/outcomes and not listed as Gen Ed. Otherwise, it gives the impression the course is meeting Gen Ed goals and students expect credit for that attribute.
In short, courses must be taught as described in the current catalog and the course schedule that was in place when students were enrolled. We are requesting help from deans, department chairs, and faculty to improve our "truth in advertising" by teaching each course only as currently listed using an appropriate syllabus. For example, deans and chairs can watch for "extra" Gen Ed goals/SLOs in syllabi submitted to CIM. Chairs can ensure that temporary faculty or faculty assigned last minute to a Gen Ed/ABR course are explicitly informed of the requirements. If a sample syllabus is provided it should be "up-to-date." Faculty can stay informed about the current status of their courses by checking the course schedule for the semester they are teaching the course, not the CIM proposal page.
We appreciate your help. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Gen Ed Committee Chair/Gen Ed Council Director, Karen Mitchell (kmitchell@wcupa.edu).
At the CAPC Assembly meeting in March 2025 it was announced that, effective Fall 2025, the Gen Ed Google Sites ePortfolio is no longer required. Please remove that language from your Gen Ed syllabi effective immediately.
The Gen Ed Capstone Reflection is still required. You can have students submit it to you in whatever format you wish, but they must complete it as part of the Capstone Course required for graduation.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Gen Ed Chair, Karen Mitchell (kmitchell@wcupa.edu).
The CIM shell has been changed such that you cannot submit a proposal for a course in any of the following categories without the Gen Ed Narrative Form. The form is required for any new or revised course that checks any of the following boxes in the CIM shell, regardless of why the course is being submitted:
· Additional Baccalaureate Requirement 2019+
· General Education 2019+
· General Education Pathways
The form can be found linked to the CIM page at submission or here (please be sure to download the file and save to your own computer to complete and then upload to the CIM proposal as an additional file--do not complete the form in Google Drive or Sharepoint).
The form provides useful information for reviewers at every level as they consider course proposals and the role the course may play in the WCU Gen Ed curriculum.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Gen Ed Chair, Karen Mitchell (kmitchell@wcupa.edu).
With the implementation of Banner/RamPortal, the abbreviations for many Academic Foundations, Distributed Disciplinary, and Additional Baccalaureate attributes have been changed to 3 letters. These new abbreviations are already implemented in the online platforms; documentation (e.g., Handbooks, Criteria Checklists, CAPC website) will be edited over time as the opportunity arises. Using the new abbreviations in your syllabi and departmental advising sheet will help students. The new abbreviations are:
Academic Foundations
Mathematics (MAT)
Interdisciplinary (INT)
Diverse Communities (DIV)
Ethics (ETH)
Distributed Disciplinary Requirements
Arts (ART)
Behavioral And Social Science (BSS)
Humanities (HUM)
Science (SCI)
Additional Baccalaureate Requirements
Speaking Emphasis (SPE)
Writing Emphasis (WRT)
Capstone (CAP)
First Year Writing (120/123 and 200) are transitioning to the FYW prefix.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the system transition team.