We are now in the fourth year of a multi-year effort to strengthen ODU’s General Education program. The current model, last revised in 2010, has remained largely the same since 1996. Over time, it has become large, confusing, and requires more credit hours than national standards call for.
Students have shared that the purpose and value of general education is not always clear. They want more flexibility, clearer pathways, and intentional learning experiences—feedback that aligns with national scholarship on general education.
Our goal is to create a curriculum that is easier to navigate and helps students see how general education contributes to their personal growth, professional preparation, and social identity.
Reform Timeline
Data Gathering and External Review
- Fall 2023: Deans, gen ed leaders, and assessment practitioners gathered data about the current general education model for a team of external reviewers.
- Spring 2024: External reviewers visited campus in January and the Provost convened a team to attend AAC&U Conference on General Education, Pedagogy, and Assessment.
Planning, Communicating, Building Community, Developing Learning Goals
- Fall 2024: The Provost convened an Executive Committee, who developed a communication plan, held open forums, called for volunteers to join a community of practice around general education, and led reading groups on various topics related to general education.
- Spring 2025: Steering Committee led working groups of faculty from across campus and developed new programmatic learning goals, then shared those learning goals with Faculty Senate for input.
- Summer 2025: Onboarded new faculty, staff, and administrators into a large Reform Steering Committee (Faculty Committee and Operations Committee) that used the learning goals and reports from reading and working groups to develop three potential new models for general education at ODU. The committees also worked to refine the communication plan and begin drafting student learning outcomes (SLOs) for the new program.
Developing and Proposing Frameworks, Drafting Student Learning Outcomes, Seeking Feedback
- Fall 2025: We shared three potential new models for general education at ODU and sought feedback from the campus community. Committee continued to develop guidelines for program elements and draft student learning outcomes based on the programmatic learning goals.
- Spring 2026: The committee refined proposed models based on fall campus input. Additional members of the campus community were brought in to inform drafting of first-year seminar, capstone, and experiential learning guidelines. In April, we held a Faculty Focus Group and provided an update on the full program proposal to Faculty Senate for feedback.
- Summer 2026: Through dedicated summer working groups and several retreats, the committee reviewed feedback to add a new learning goal, draft student learning outcomes for the program, finalize policy language, develop transition plans, and train faculty for a first-year seminar (FYS) pilot.
Piloting, Assessing, Refining, and Seeking Full Faculty Senate Approval
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Fall 2026: Launching pilot of first-year seminar (FYS) assignments and activities in 14 courses offered across five colleges, workshopping SLOs with all general education faculty, developing courses approval process and other transition plans, and presenting new Goals and SLOs for Faculty Senate approval.
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Spring 2026 Goal: Launch pilots of Capstone courses, lead course approval workshops, refine policies, and present full program package for Faculty Senate approval.
Goal: Developing Courses, Preparing Faculty, Schedule Planning, and Catalog Revising
We hope to launch the new general education program with the Fall 2028 catalog for all incoming undergraduate students.
Data Gathering and External Review
- Fall 2023: Deans, gen ed leaders, and assessment practitioners gathered data about the current general education model for a team of external reviewers.
- Spring 2024: External reviewers visited campus in January and the Provost convened a team to attend AAC&U Conference on General Education, Pedagogy, and Assessment.
Planning, Communicating, Building Community, Developing Learning Goals
- Fall 2024: The Provost convened an Executive Committee, who developed a communication plan, held open forums, called for volunteers to join a community of practice around general education, and led reading groups on various topics related to general education.
- Spring 2025: Steering Committee led working groups of faculty from across campus and developed new programmatic learning goals, then shared those learning goals with Faculty Senate for input.
- Summer 2025: Onboarded new faculty, staff, and administrators into a large Reform Steering Committee (Faculty Committee and Operations Committee) that used the learning goals and reports from reading and working groups to develop three potential new models for general education at ODU. The committees also worked to refine the communication plan and begin drafting student learning outcomes (SLOs) for the new program.
Developing and Proposing Frameworks, Drafting Student Learning Outcomes, Seeking Feedback
- Fall 2025: We shared three potential new models for general education at ODU and sought feedback from the campus community. Committee continued to develop guidelines for program elements and draft student learning outcomes based on the programmatic learning goals.
- Spring 2026: The committee refined proposed models based on fall campus input. Additional members of the campus community were brought in to inform drafting of first-year seminar, capstone, and experiential learning guidelines. In April, we held a Faculty Focus Group and provided an update on the full program proposal to Faculty Senate for feedback.
- Summer 2026: Through dedicated summer working groups and several retreats, the committee reviewed feedback to add a new learning goal, draft student learning outcomes for the program, finalize policy language, develop transition plans, and train faculty for a first-year seminar (FYS) pilot.
Piloting, Assessing, Refining, and Seeking Full Faculty Senate Approval
-
Fall 2026: Launching pilot of first-year seminar (FYS) assignments and activities in 14 courses offered across five colleges, workshopping SLOs with all general education faculty, developing courses approval process and other transition plans, and presenting new Goals and SLOs for Faculty Senate approval.
-
Spring 2026 Goal: Launch pilots of Capstone courses, lead course approval workshops, refine policies, and present full program package for Faculty Senate approval.
Goal: Developing Courses, Preparing Faculty, Schedule Planning, and Catalog Revising
We hope to launch the new general education program with the Fall 2028 catalog for all incoming undergraduate students.
(Re)Imagining the Future Together
Our goal is to engage the campus community in a comprehensive general education review and reform process to envision and implement a program that considers these guiding principles.
- We envision a student-centered general education program that rejuvenates and inspires students, faculty, and the entire campus community
- We believe that general education must prepare ODU graduates for academic, professional, and civic life
- We assert that everyone at ODU has a stake in general education
- We know that inclusion, collaboration, and transparency are essential to the success of the reform initiative and ultimately of the program
- We maintain that this initiative is an opportunity to celebrate what we do, be creative about what is possible, and establish a distinctive identity for general education at ODU
Committee Members
Director Of Assessment & Accreditation
Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
Master Lecturer & Gen Ed Proc & Pol Spec
Biological Sciences
Director Of General Education
Center for Advising Administration and Academic Partnerships
Faculty Representatives
- Aaron Arndt (Professor of Marketing)
- Orlando Ayala (Professor of Engineering Technology)
- Brett Bebber (Associate Dean of the Graduate School)
- Liz Black (Associate Professor of French and Chair, World Languages & Cultures)
- Dooyoung Choi (Associate Professor of Fashion Merchandising)
- Martha Daas (Associate Dean, College of Arts & Letters and Committee Co-chair)
- Kyle Davis, (Teaching Associate Professor and UPD, Exercise Science)
- Peter T. Eudenbach (Professor of Art)
- Matt Grau (Assistant Professor of Physics)
- Travis Jones (Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Librarian)
- Barbara Kraj (Associate Dean, Elmer College of Health Sciences)
- Jeffrey LaCombe (Associate Dean, Batten College of Engineering and Technology)
- Tatyana Lobova (Teaching Professor of Biology and Faculty Senate Liaison)
- Suzanne Morrow (Teaching Professor and CDA, Psychology)
- Anders Nolan (Teaching Professor of English)
- Paige O'Shaughnessy (Teaching Professor of Accountancy)
- Jesse Richman (Associate Professor of Political Science & Geography)
- Jenn Sloggie (Teaching Professor of English and Director of General Education)
- Jim Van Dore (Associate Teaching Professor of Religious Studies)
- Joshua Wallach (Associate Dean, College of Sciences and Committee Co-chair)
- Lucinda “Lucy” Wittkower (Associate Dean, Libraries Research, Assessment, & Learning)
- Seongryeong Yu, (Assistant Professor, Teaching and Learning)
Operational Representatives
- Sommer Alexander (Undergraduate Curriculum Coordinator)
- Remica L. Bingham-Risher (Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence & Engagement)
- Tania B. Black (Director, Transfer Resources & Partnerships)
- Megan E. Corbett (Director, Assessment & Accreditation)
- Kellie Crawford-Sorey (Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Optimization)
- Jenn Grimm (Executive Director, Center for Career and Leadership Development)
- Janice Hawkins (Associate Professor of Nursing and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
- Michele Mitchell (Advising, Arts & Letters)
- Megan Mize (Director of ePortfolio and Digital Initiatives)
- Catherine Moss (Director of Academic Initiatives and Student Services, ODUGlobal)
- Angela Luettel, (Senior Associate Director of Transfer Admissions)
- Kelsey Orsini (Assessment Coordinator for Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment)
- Katie St. John (Director, Exploration and Student Success)
- Lanah Stafford (Director of Academic Strategic Initiatives)
Faculty Committee
- Aaron Arndt, Professor of Marketing
- Orlando Ayala, Professor of Engineering Technology
- Brett Bebber, Associate Professor of History
- Dooyoung Choi, Associate Professor of Fashion Merchandising
- Kyle Davis, Senior Lecturer of Exercise Science
- Peter Eudenbach, Professor of Art
- Matt Grau, Assistant Professor of Physics
- Janice Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Nursing
- Travis Jones, Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Librarian
- Barbara Kraj, Associate Dean, Elmer College of Health Sciences
- Jeff LaCombe, Associate Dean, Batten College of Engineering and Technology
- Suzanne Morrow, Master Lecturer of Psychology
- Anders Nolan, Senior Lecturer of English
- Paige O’SHaughnessy, Senior Lecturer of Accountancy
- Tony Perez, Associate Professor of STEM Education and Professional Studies
- Lucinda “Lucy” Wittkower, Head of Libraries Education and Assessment
- Jesse Richman, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies
Operations Committee
- Remica Bingham-Risher, Director Quality Enhancement Plan Initiatives
- Tania Black, Director of Transfer Initiatives and Transfer Center
- Kellie Crawford-Sorey, Assistant VP for Strategic Enrollment Management
- Annette Finley-Croswhite, Prof of History and Dir of Center for Faculty Development
- Kenyon Gannon, Executive Director of Digital Learning Programs
- Carrie John, Associate Vice Provost and University Registrar
- Susan Kenter, Chief of Staff and Associate VP for Strategic Initiatives
- Angela Luettel, Senior Associate Director of Transfer Admissions and University Partnerships
- Megan Mize, Director of ePortfolio and Digital Initiatives
- Catherine Moss, Director of Academic Initiatives and Student Services, ODUGlobal
- Kelsey Orsini, Assessment Coordinator, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
- Karen Sanzo, Executive Director, Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity
- Lanah Stafford, Director of High Impact Learning Initiatives
- Katie St. John, Director of Exploration & Student Success
- Leanne White, Director of Advising, Ellmer College of Health Sciences
How to Get Involved
Send us an email to invite us to speak with your office, program, or team and learn more about getting involved in the reform process.