Q: When will the new General Education (GE) requirements begin? A: The new general education requirements will take effect in the fall of 2010 with the new freshmen. The new freshmen MUST enroll under the new GE curriculum. Students enrolled before the fall of 2010 can choose either the new or old plan.
Q: Can I mix and match what I want from the new and old GE requirements? A: No, a student is either on the old plan or the new plan. There is no mixing and matching.
Q: How are the new and old GE plans different? A: There are many changes; let’s look at a few. Within the new GE, neither geography nor physical education is required. They are still presented as choices along with other classes. GE electives are no longer offered and have been replaced with a Global Perspectives category. Humanities credits must be chosen out of two categories. If a current student is considering switching from the old GE to the new GE, it is recommended that s/he visit with an adviser to see whether or not it will be to the student’s advantage.
Q: Do I have to take the classes in any special order? A: A student should take College Strategies his/her first semester and capstone after 45 hours. The computer proficiency credit should be completed within the first 30 hours.
Q: What if I want to take more than the required hours in a category? A: These extra hours can be counted as “free electives” in some majors.
Q: Who can tell me what my GE requirements are? A: New Student Advisement, Degree Plan, Adviser, website, First-Year Experience.
Q: I transferred to NSU. What are my GE requirements? A: Without an associate’s degree, a transfer student is required to complete NSU’s GE requirements. With an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from a state institution in Oklahoma or approved out-of-state institution, a transfer student does not need to take any of NSU’s GE requirements except for those that are specifically required for the major.
Q: I'm transferring to NSU in Fall 2010. Which GE requirements must I take? A: Students who transfer with fewer than 15 hours completed must meet the new GE requirements. Students who transfer with more than 15 hours completed will be expected to complete the former GE requirements unless they opt for the new requirements.
Q: I plan to transfer to another university. How does that affect my GE requirements? A: A student should check with the institution into which s/he plans to transfer in order to get a list of the school’s particular requirements.
Q: I am an Elementary Education major. What is the best way for me to accomplish my 4X12 within the new GE requirements? A: Review a copy of an Elementary Education degree plan or visit with an academic adviser in order to find the most efficient use of the hours.
Q: What if there is a class in my major that is also an option in the new GE requirements? Can it count in both? A: Yes. However, the hours earned will only count once. In other words, the student will get only 3 hours of credit for a 3-hour course and not 6 hours. The hours will not be counted twice.
Q: What office interprets/approves substitutions related to humanities for transfer students? A: Those determinations are made by the chair of the Department of Performing Arts.
Q: If I already took Zoology, do I need to take the new BIOL 1123 class? A: No, zoology will also meet the biological sciences requirement and the pre-requisite for more advanced courses.
Q: How do I know which math class I should take for my major? A: Applied math or college algebra will work for most majors, with the exception of the few majors that require calculus. A student is encouraged to visit with his/her adviser if not certain about what math class to take.
Q: How do I find out if I am computer-proficient because of a class I took in high school? A: A student’s high school transcript can be evaluated by Admissions & Records to determine if the student is considered computer-proficient. If s/he is not, s/he will have to take a college computer course or the proficiency test.
Q: How/where do I sign up to take the computer proficiency test? A: Sign up for the computer proficiency test with the testing specialist in the First-Year Experience Center in the CASE Building.
Q: Can I still graduate in four years by taking the new GE requirements? A: Yes, the new requirements still allow a student to graduate with 124 hours.
Q: What if I took a second language at another university or college that is not on the GE list? A: Those determinations are made by the chair of the Department of Languages & Literature.
Q: Who has to take the Capstone course? A: Every student under the new general education plan needs to take the General Education capstone. The capstone course will begin to be offered in the Spring of 2011.
Q: What is the Capstone? A: The capstone course is a 1–hour credit that allows a student to synthesize what s/he has learned from his/her general education experience.
Q: When do I take the Capstone? A: The capstone course should be taken after a student has completed 45 credit hours but before s/he has completed 70 hours of credit.
Q: I craft degree plans. Who decides which GE curriculum is incorporated into each degree plan? How is that communicated to me? A: College deans’ offices will help advisers determine which plan to incorporate into the student’s degree plan.
Q: Where/how can I learn more about the new GE requirements so I can better advise my students? A: Plan to attend one of the upcoming adviser training sessions, visit the link on the NSU website, or ask for assistance in your college dean’s office.
Q: I teach lower division courses. How will the changes in the new requirements affect my job and my teaching responsibilities? A: The new requirements may cause a shift in demand for what have been traditional GE courses. Professors should visit with their college deans and department chairs for how this will affect teaching assignments as well as opportunities to teach new courses.
Q: I teach/advise at the Broken Arrow campus. How do the changes affect the transfer students that I advise? A: If the advisee has not completed an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from a state institution in Oklahoma or approved out-of-state institution and/or still needs additional lower division courses, s/he may take those remaining courses through TCC either at the BA campus or one of TCC’s four other sites. It is possible for the student to receive financial aid as a dually enrolled student. TCC has an academic adviser on the NSU-BA campus. Office A - 216 can help the advisee with this and other related issues.
Still have questions? Contact Jeff Walker or Dr. Amy Aldridge Sanford.