Our Commitment to General Education
The general education curriculum is central to South Dakota State University’s mission to help students develop the competencies, principles and modes of thinking crucial for advanced study in their major and for meeting the obligations of an informed and engaged citizenship. These foundational courses promote scientific inquiry; quantitative reasoning; written and oral communication; an awareness of the historical, psychological, social, economic and political structures that inform our present moment; and an understanding of the contributions diverse cultures make to our common humanity.
General Education Faculty and Staff Resources
General Education Interviews and Testimonials
Short interviews with faculty teaching within each SGR to gain perspectives on what occurs with each goal and with faculty from some of SDSU's professional programs on how the general education core brings value to their programs.
Course Syllabus Requirements
All required elements from SDSU Policy 2:3 must be included in the course syllabus. In addition, faculty teaching general education courses must include the SGR goal and associated student learning outcomes in the course syllabus to help students make connections between the course content and the six general education goals.
Degree Audit/General Education Substitution Petitions
The Degree Audit: General Education (SGRs) Substitution Form may be used to request to substitute a general education requirement on a student's degree audit. A substitution may be approved if the course completed at another institution meets the intent of a SGR Goal and the student learning outcomes. To submit this request students are required to provide:
1. A syllabus with the student learning outcomes for the course they are requesting to serve as a substitution
2. Proof of completion of the course
3. Instructor information
General Education Course Review and Assessment Process
The General Education Sub-Committee is charged with managing the general education curriculum and review process at SDSU. This group is a sub-committee of the SDSU Academic Affairs Committee. In order to support the assessment rotation, the General Education Sub-committee has developed a plan for peer-review of all general education courses, to be carried out in a rotation so that each SGR course is peer-reviewed the year before the planned assessment for that SGR.
Course Review Rotation
| SGR | Year of Course Peer Review | Year of Assessment Review |
|---|---|---|
| No. 3 and No. 6 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 |
| No. 2 and No. 4 | 2024-2025 | 2025-2026 |
| No. 1 and No. 5 | 2025-2026 | 2023-2024; 2026-2027 |
