Bylaws of the GEC

A.  Name

The name of this Faculty Senate Standing Committee is the General Education Committee

B.  Purpose

 

The purposes of the committee shall be
  1. to review, develop, and recommend policy and standards regarding general education to the Faculty Senate.
  2. to act on requests regarding the inclusion of courses in the list of general education courses.
  3. to participate constructively in assessment of education and advisement as they relate to general education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.        

C.   Membership

  1. The General Education Committee shall consist of thirteen (13) voting members as follows:

a.  Current or past (within last three years) faculty teachers of a general education course in the content areas listed below. Representatives shall be elected by faculty teachers of each content area. Faculty teachers of general education courses who teach in more than one content area shall designate the area they prefer to represent and they shall vote only in that area. Departments responsible for offering general education classes will be asked each year to provide the names of faculty teachers of general education courses to the Senate Office, and -if appropriate- which content area the faculty teacher will represent.

  • Communication Skills - 1 (CAHSS)
  • Analytic Reasoning Skills- 1 (STEM & CAHSS)
  • Natural Sciences - 1 (STEM)
  • Humanities and the Arts- 1 (CAHSS)
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences - 1 (CAHSS & CEHHS)
  • Technology - 1 (STEM, CAHSS, CEHHS, & CM)

b.  Current or past (within last three years) faculty or academic staff teachers of general education courses in the content area listed below. Representative shall be elected by faculty and academic staff instructors of general education health enhancement and physical well-being courses.

  • Health Enhancement and Physical Well-Being - 1 (CEHHS)

c.  Current program director - 1 (elected by current program directors)

d.  Student - 1 (to be recommended by the SSA)

e.  Advisement Center - 1 (elected by Advisement Center staff)

f.  Instructional academic staff member who is currently teaching a general education course - 1 (elected by instructional academic staff)

g.  College of Management faculty - 1 (elected by College of Management faculty)

h.  School of Education faculty - 1 (elected by School of Education faculty)

i.  Provost's Office (ex-officio) - 1

2.  Each voting member (except for the student member, whose length of term is to be determined by the SSA) is to be elected to a three year term, with one-third of the committee being selected each year.

3.  The General Education Committee will also have seven alternate members to be selected as follows:
  • The runners-up from the election of content area representatives shall serve as alternate for that content area.
  • When the elected representative from a content area cannot attend, one alternate from that area will serve as a voting member.
  • Alternates are encouraged to attend meetings when they do no serve. Since alternates cannot be presumed to know when they are needed to serve, any member who must miss a meeting should contact the alternate from his or her content area.


D.  Officers

  1. Each year at its organizational meeting the committee shall elect a chair and a vice chair from the members on the committee.
  2. The terms of office shall be one year in length with the possibility of re-election.
  3. The general duties of the officers are outlined in Robert's Rules of Order.
  4. The chair shall develop a schedule of activities for the year subject to approval by a majority vote of the members present.
  5. The vice chair shall preside in the chair's absence and shall consult with the chair on scheduling activities and other committee issues.

E.  Responsibilities of the Committee

           1.  Development of General Education standards

  • The committee leads the university in developing and maintaining a common general education standard for undergraduate programs in the university.
  • The committee recommends to the Faculty Senate concerning standards for general education including but not limited to definitions, distribution requirements, and total credit hours.
  • The committee passes to the Curriculum and Instruction Committee for review any proposals for substantive changes in the General Education curriculum, including any changes in category definitions and credit distribution. That committee may, according to its bylaws and practice, also make recommendations to the Faculty Senate.
  • The committee monitors and responds to UW System-level developments related to general education

           2.  Assessment & Review of General Education

  • The committee periodically reviews the condition of general education in the university.
  • The committee participates in and takes a leadership role in assessment and review of general education.
  • The committee coordinates and assembles reports related to periodic review of general education by the Planning and Review Committee.

           3.  Committee's Role in Education and Advisement

  • The committee advocates for general education as a vital component of education provided at UW-Stout.
  • The committee promotes campus-wide awareness regarding general education issues and requirements.
  • The committee serves as an advisory group to academic program committees regarding the general education component of degrees.
  • The committee works with the Provost's Office to maintain an official list of currently offered General Education Courses and Requirements.
  • The committee provides academic advisement information to faculty and students regarding general education.

          4.  Meetings

  • Regular meetings of the General Education Committee shall be held monthly during the academic year and as needed during the summer sessions.
  • Special meetings may be called by the chair.
  • The quorum shall consist of a majority of the voting members (i.e. seven members and alternates serving as voting members).
  • The meetings shall be open.