This checklist will help instructors of WSU General Education courses with Composition (COMP) and COMP/IL attributes to design a course syllabus that includes critical information about the General Education program.

 

Key Course Information

 Name of Course, with Gen Ed attributes specified (i.e., COMP, COMP & IL)
 Name of faculty member, meeting place and meeting time if F2F
 Contact info: office location, student hours, phone, email, faculty website link
 List of required texts   
 Provide the catalog course description
 Clearly outline the scope and focus of the class with course objectives
 Check with your department/program chair and the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning for additional information and policies to be included in your syllabus, including:

 Attendance policies
 Plagiarism, academic honesty, and AI policies
 ADA policies & statement
 Core beliefs statement
 Professionalism and Respect statement
 Inclusivity statement
 FERPA Rights
 Student Responsibilities
 Recording policies

Big Question and Signature Assignment:

 State the “Big Question” (BQ) of your Gen Ed course.
 Describe the Signature Assignment (SA) for your Gen Ed course. Examples can be found in the eWeber portal app titled, Signature Assignment samples.
Include and modify this language to inform students of the BQ and SA in your Gen Ed course.

This course is part of the WSU General Education program. GE courses introduce students to academic disciplines through important “big questions” (BQ). At their core, “big questions” provide students the opportunity to integrate and apply their knowledge of the discipline to address a significant, personal, social, or professional issue. GE courses also introduce students to underlying foundational knowledge and intellectual tools that run through all academic areas and are part of the ongoing preparation to address real world problems.

 

All WSU General Education courses have “signature assignments” (SA) that require you to integrate and apply course content to address a big question with, for instance, critical or creative thinking, problem solving, or analysis. Signature assignments 1) will address a specific audience, 2) will tackle personal, social, or a professional question or issue, and 3) will integrate and apply course content through the use of 4) intellectual tools. You are enrolled in the WSU General Education course _______________ which is designed to tackle the following big question (BQ)____________________________ through the signature assignment (SA)____________________________. Please see ______ for more detailed information about the signature assignment for this course.

 

 Name your SA in the Canvas Gradebook as “Signature Assignment”

The words “Signature Assignment” must be in the assignment title - not merely in the description of the SA, or on the syllabus. The actual assignment title should be something like “Signature Assignment,” “Final Paper (Signature Assignment)” or “Signature Assignment: Final Paper”. The General Education program cannot assess courses unless the Signature Assignment is labelled as such in the Canvas assignment title.

 

Composition (COMP) Area Learning Outcomes (LOs)

 Include the statement: " The General Education program is dedicated to preparing students to enter the discourse communities of the university and larger society. Students will meet the following Composition Learning Outcomes”.

 

 List the seven Composition Learning Outcomes (LOs):

1) Students will identify connections between and among texts and their ideas.

2) Students will compose writing that is structurally coherent and unified.

3) Students will compose writing assignments with a clear thesis or main idea.

4) Students will control such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

5) Students will paraphrase, summarize, and use sources appropriately.

6) Students will use MLA and/or APA, citation method correctly.

7) Students will make and support an effective argument.

 

 Write the relevant Composition (COMP) LO(s) next to the aligned course assignment(s).

 

Information Literacy (IL) Area Learning Outcomes (LOs)

 Include the statement: "The Weber State University Information Literacy requirement provides students with the ability to use the Internet and library resources. Specifically, it provides students with skills and knowledge to find, identify, retrieve, analyze, and evaluate information to support academic success and lifelong learning". 

 

 List the four IL Learning Outcomes (LOs):

1) RESEARCH AS AN EXPLORATORY PROCESS: Using tools and techniques to address information needs while understanding that the research process is often iterative and nonlinear.

2) SCHOLARSHIP AS COMMUNICATION: Scholarly communication is a conversation between creators of information with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

3) CRITICALLY EVALUATE INFORMATION: It is important to evaluate the quality of all information based on its context.

4) ETHICAL USE OF INFORMATION: Legal and ethical standards are important to the dissemination, retention, and study of information resources.

 

 Write the relevant IL LO(s) next to the aligned course assignment(s).