General Education

This page provides information about the General Education (GE) program for department chairs, program directors, faculty, and staff.

Updates & Reminders

GE Program Description

General Education (GE) is integral to UWL’s mission to provide a challenging, dynamic, and diverse learning environment in which the entire university community is fully engaged in supporting student success.

GE is uniquely concerned with the broad education of the whole person and plays a vital role in preparing students for life beyond the university. The program fosters personal growth and curiosity while equipping students for professional success, active citizenship, and global stewardship.

By taking courses outside their majors, students gain knowledge, skills, and perspectives required to address complex problems in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. As they work through the program, students become more adaptable and ready to meet the future.

GE has three core components:

First College Courses develop foundational learning skills, written and spoken literacy, and quantitative reasoning; these skills are essential in all fields of study and should be refined throughout the college years.
The University Core courses place foundational knowledge in larger disciplinary and social contexts, promoting intercultural knowledge, teamwork, creative thinking, inquiry and analysis, and problem-solving.
Integrative Perspectives courses use tools of inquiry to investigate questions from multiple perspectives through reading, critical thinking, civic engagement, and global learning.

By engaging with peers and instructors in different disciplines, students develop essential career competencies in the areas listed above. This cross-disciplinary learning environment prepares students for a workforce that values collaborative decision-making and equips them to contribute meaningfully to local, regional, national, and international communities.

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog Description

GE-Related Course Proposals

Please visit the General Education Committee (GEC) website for the following information:

Course CIM form questions related to GE
Criteria used by GEC to review courses proposed for inclusion in the GE program

GE Assessment

Please visit the General Education Assessment Committee (GEAC) website for information about the following:

Assessment timeline
New assessment process
Scoring guides and rubrics
Next steps

My GenEd Story

A small (non-representative) group of students, and one alum, was interviewed during the Spring 2025 semester about their GE experiences at UWL. Faculty are invited to share these videos--or excerpts from them--with their students. The purpose is to encourage students to reflect on their own GE pathways to success.