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Core Curriculum Strategic Review and Alignment

Charge

The University of Toledo is undertaking a comprehensive review of its Core Curriculum and General Education Requirements to ensure they remain relevant, rigorous, and responsive to the needs of today’s students, tomorrow’s workforce, and the communities we serve.

This initiative will:

• Strengthen the distinctive value of a 51±¬ÁÏÍø undergraduate degree
• Prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing global environment
• Ensure compliance with state mandates and transfer requirements
• Align with accreditation expectations

The refresh process will consider required elements of:

Governance and Participants

The Faculty Senate Committee on the Core Curriculum serves as the primary body guiding this work to ensure robust faculty engagement.

Committee Representation by College

• Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Education – Sharon Barnes
• Neff College of Business and Innovation – Collin Gilstrap
• College of Education – Lisa Kovach
• College of Engineering – Matthew Franchetti
• College of Health and Human Services – Caroline Menezes
• University Libraries – Jennifer Joe
• College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics – David Krantz
• College of Nursing – Colleen Taylor
• College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences – Michelle Schroeder
• Office of Institutional Effectiveness – Alana Malik

Additional Participants

• Melissa Gregory, Dean, Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Education
• Barbara Ritter, Dean, Neff College of Business and Innovation
• Angela Paprocki, Vice Provost and Chief of Academic Operations
• Leon Cheng, Chair, AI Taskforce (Curriculum), Professor and Chair, Electrical Engineering
• Tia Tucker, Director of Academic Support Services and First-Year Experience

Proposed Timeline

• March,2026 – Initial benchmarking and needs analysis draft
• April 2026 – Draft framework completed
• Fall 2026 – Stakeholder consultation (faculty, students, employers)
• November 2026 – Required resolution presented to the Board of Trustees
• February 2027 – Framework presented to Faculty Senate
• April 2027 – Final recommendations submitted

Activities to Date

• In November, the Provost asked for creation of a taskforce to examine the 51±¬ÁÏÍø Core Curriculum/Gen Ed.
• In December, the university Committee on the Core Curriculum met to discuss charge and process.
• In January, surveys were sent to both students and faculty to get feedback about the core and perceptions of needed skills/competencies, knowledge areas, and High Impact Practices.
• In January, 40 participants (faculty and administrators) representing all colleges came together to brainstorm the university core. They discussed advantages and disadvantages of different types of modelsÌý
• Feedback from the retreat was shared with participants and the core curriculum committee following the event.
• In February, the Committee on the Core Curriculum met to discuss the data/feedback from differ sources.

Planned Activities

• Representatives from FYE, AI, and Advantage Toledo working groups were asked to join the discussion to enhance coordination with other groups across campus.ÌýÌý
• Student Focus groups are planned to follow up on the data and get feedback on the discussion as it advances.
• February and March meetings are scheduled with the university Core Curriculum Committee to continue the discussion.
• Open Town Halls for faculty and staff will be held this spring to discuss process and the data to date.Ìý More feedback will be obtained at these events.Ìý

Key Themes from Feedback (February 2026)

Feedback from surveys, retreat discussions, and committee review highlights several consistent priorities:

• Maintain breadth and exposure to multiple disciplines.Ìý Students note writing skills and quantitative reasoning as strengths.
• Clear purpose, coherence, and explanation of the core. Better articulate purpose and competencies, ensure students see the relevance to their future goals.
• Ensure flexibility in pathways and delivery.
• Scaffolded learning with intentional advising. Early courses should prepare students with knowledge and skills to succeed in majors. Intentional pathways are preferred over random selection based on convenience.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality instruction. Invest more in faculty development for core teaching.
• ³§³Ù°ù²¹³Ù±ð²µ¾±³¦Ìý³¦´Ç³Ü°ù²õ±ðÌý°ù±ð»å±ð²õ¾±²µ²ÔÌýto address not only the skills required by the ODHE but also someÌýadditionalÌýhuman and professionalÌýdomains and/orÌýskills. Reframe content to bridgeÌýexplicitlyÌýfrom concept to practice.
• Stronger connection between core knowledge and applied learning. Students want clear connections between core courses and real-world use.
• Faculty suggest embedding projects into the core, especially interdisciplinary and community-focused work. Projects are seen as a lever for engagement, skill development, and relevance.
• Focus heavily on the first-year experience required for all students.
• This is framed as a real problem worth solving. Hands-on learning, cohort models, mentored experiences, and community-based projects are repeatedly cited.

Provide Ongoing Feedback

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to share anonymous feedback throughout the process.

Submit feedback here:

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