Required Information for Essential Studies Approval

Following submission for Essential Studies approval, a course undergoes a review process involving GEAC and the Assessment Commission.

To submit a course, provide the following information:

  1. A CPC New Course Request or Course Change form, if needed. (Note: An existing course with no changes to course title, description, credits or prerequisites does not require submission to CPC; rather submit items 2-4 directly to GEAC, by emailing them to oae@oit.edu. If CPC changes are required, attached the documents below to your CPC submission.)
  2. An Essential Studies Course Approval Form (see link at right) with chair and dean signatures
  3. A detailed course syllabus that includes (a) course outcomes, (b) identification of appropriate ISLO pathway(s). (Note: Make sure that the activities of the course integrate the outcomes as listed in the syllabus.)
  4. An assignment requiring student work appropriate for proficiency assessment in the identified ISLO.

 

Notification of Approval or Request for Revision

Following review by GEAC, faculty will receive notification of approval or request for revision for courses they have submitted. In an effort to make the process timely, if a submission doesn't align with the criteria, the ISLO committee will reach out to the submitter and discuss what modifications might be needed to the documentation or the course to align with outcomes.

Deadlines for Course Submission

The General Education Advisory Council (GEAC) will review courses for Essential Studies approval each term. We commit that courses submitted by the end of week 2 of any academic term (Fall, Winter, Spring) will receive full review during that academic term.

FAQs

Yes; GEAC must approve all Essential Studies courses. While the prior general education lists placed heavy emphasis on course prefix, the Essential Studies model relies on a course’s alignment with the Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs), and needs to be reviewed based on the specific ISLO criteria.

The opportunity to submit courses for Essential Studies approval always exists. We commit that courses submitted by the end of week 2 of any academic term (Fall, Winter, Spring) will receive full review during that academic term.

Begin by looking at the one-page overview of Essential Studies criteria. Expanded versions of these criteria can be found on each ISLO webpage, and the criteria at the bottom of each ISLO webpage, and the developmental rubrics for each ISLO help you place your course at the Foundation, Essential Practice, or Capstone levels.

Yes. Any course can be tagged for up to two (“double-tagged”) Essential Studies outcomes. (However, note that, within the Essential Studies model, a student may only apply a course to one pathway at the foundational level. At the Essential Practice level, students may apply a “double-tagged” course to two pathways, so long as the total requirement of 15 credits of Essential Practice courses is met.)

No. Essential Studies approval is for courses – only one approval is needed for all instructors and sections. By signing off on the Essential Studies Course approval submission, the department chair is certifying that they will work to ensure that equivalent Essential Studies standards are implemented every time the course is taught, just as they ensure that course content is equivalent. All instructors should incorporate the same course outcomes and an assignment that can be used to assess proficiency in the identified ISLO(s).

Our goal is never to simply issue an outright rejection of a course -- GEAC and ISLO committees are fellow faculty with a passion for supporting our students, not heartless bureaucrats giddy with rubber stamps. If a course doesn’t align with the criteria, the ISLO committee will reach out to you and discuss what modifications might be needed to the documentation or the course to align with outcomes. If you're concerned about the alignment of a course with outcomes, please reach out to members of the relevant ISLO committee as you prepare your submission.

ISLO Pathways

Communication
Inquiry & Analysis
Ethical Reasoning
Teamwork
Quantitative Literacy
Diverse Perspectives

Approval Forms

Essential Studies Course Approval Form
Essential Studies Course Approval Form--Word Document

Sample

Sample Completed Essential Studies Course Approval Form

Approval Process

Essential Studies Course Approval Process

ISLO Criteria Summary

islo-criteria-summary-(green) (1).pdf

CPC Forms

New Course Request Form
Course Change Form