Month: February 2023

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Office of General Education

Automation of AP credit to satisfy specific graduation requirements

Students attend a lecture by Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Physics professor, Randy Scalise, Friday, March 13, 2020 in the Fondren Science Building on the SMU Campus.

Thanks to the Registrar’s Office, the Office of General Education has now automated Advanced Placement (AP) credit (of scores 4 or 5) to satisfy particular Proficiency and Experience graduation requirements. Specifically, AP credit will satisfy the following:

Civics and Individual Ethics (CIE)

  • AP Comparative Government and Politics
  • AP US Government and Politics

Quantitative Applications (QA)

  • AP Chemistry
  • AP Environmental Science
  • AP Macroeconomics
  • AP Microeconomics
  • AP Physics (Mechanics)
  • AP Physics (Electricity and Magnetism)

Therefore, students admitted after fall 2020 need not complete individual petitions to meet applicable graduation requirements. This credit will be reflected on their Degree Progress Report on or before March 20, 2023. Soon after, impacted students will be notified via their SMU email.

Retroactive updates will be made to affected students; future students will receive this credit automatically.

If faculty and academic advisors discover errors with an affected student’s DPR, please submit a DPR Issues/Requests to the Office of the Registrar.

Categories
Office of General Education

Revised Common Curriculum AP, IB, and Transfer Credit Policies for Fall 2023 Catalog

Students study before Spring Finals at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center, Tuesday, May 6, 2021 on the SMU Campus.

This post was updated on March 17 to reflect modifications to SLR rules for clarity. 

In response to an equity concern raised by the Lyle School of Engineering and supported by the Division of Enrollment Services, the Council on General Education modified Common Curriculum rules to become effective in Fall 2023.

The concern was that current rules privilege high-credit transfer students to the disadvantage of first-year and first-year transfer students. Modifications will be made in the Fall 2023 Catalog to regulations related to (a) Quantitative Reasoning, (b) Second Language, and (c) the ability to fulfill up to three Breath requirements using external credit.

In all cases where petitioning is required, no petition will be necessary if a direct equivalency has been established at SMU through the transfer process. The Council will monitor what percentage of undergraduate students use dual credit to satisfy requirements and what percentage of students satisfy requirements at SMU.

To that end, the following Common Curriculum rules will apply to the Fall 2023 Catalog and forward. These policies will be reflected on the Common Curriculum website on June 1, 2023.

  • All students are required to take one course in fulfillment of the Quantitative Reasoning Foundation; students may use AP, IB, dual, or transfer credit as well as SMU credit toward fulfillment of the requirement.  
    • One three-credit course is required to ensure that students possess these necessary skills. Students scoring a 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB, Calculus BC, or Statistics AP tests and those scoring 5, 6, or 7 on the IB Mathematics higher-level exam will satisfy this requirement.  
    • Students may petition to count qualifying Math or Statistics transfer or dual or concurrent enrollment courses toward this requirement. Math placement testing is also available through SMU’s Mathematics credit examinations.  
  • All students must take WRTR 1312 and WRTR 1313 (maintain current rules) 
    • FYR and FYT students must take WRTR 1312 and WRTR 1313 at SMU (current rules). 
    • TRN students may use transfer credit to satisfy these requirements (current rules). 
  • All students must demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a Second Language either by passing an approved proficiency exam or taking a course equivalent to the second-semester course at SMU.  
    • FYR, FYT, and TRN students may satisfy this requirement by with dual or concurrent credit equivalent to a 3rd (2401) or a higher-level course at SMU.  
    • FYR, FYT, and TRN students may use AP and IB credit to satisfy this requirement (with an appropriate score).
    • TRN students may satisfy the requirement by transferring two consecutive semesters for a minimum of six-credit hours of the same language taken post-high school (regardless of the transfer equivalency).
    • TRN students may satisfy this requirement with post-high school transfer credit equivalent to one of SMU’s second-semester language courses (e.g., 1402).  
  • All FYR and FYT students will be allowed to fulfill up to three Breadth requirements using external credit.  Students may use any combination of AP, IB, dual, or transfer credit courses to fulfill the Breadth requirements. Only approved AP and IB exams with appropriate scores may be used. 
  • TRN students may fulfill up to seven Breadth requirements using external credit. 
  • In all cases where petitioning is required, no petition will be necessary if a direct equivalency has been established at SMU through the transfer process. 

These new rules above replaced the Fall 2022 Catalog and earlier Common Curriculum rules, which are as follows: 

  • All students are required to take one course in fulfillment of the Quantitative Reasoning Foundation; students may use AP, IB, dual or transfer credit as well as SMU credit toward fulfillment of the requirement. 
  • All students must take WRTR 1312 and WRTR 1313.   
    • All first-year and first-year transfer students are required to take both courses at SMU. 
    • TRN students (those with 24 hours of post-high school transfer credit) may satisfy one or both courses using post-high school transfer credit.   
    • AP and IB credit may not be used to satisfy this requirement. 
    • Dual credit may not be used to satisfy this requirement. 
  • All students must demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a Second Language either by passing an approved proficiency exam or taking a course, equivalent to the second semester course at SMU, after high school graduation.   
    • TRN students (those with 24 hours of post-high school transfer credit) may satisfy this requirement with two semesters of transfer credit, or transfer of a course equivalent to 1402 (or a high-level course).   
    • AP and IB credit can be used to satisfy this requirement. 
    • Dual credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. 
  • All first-year and first-year transfer students may use up to 3 AP, IB or transfer credit courses toward fulfillment of the Breadth requirements.   
    • These students may not use dual credit to satisfy Breadth requirements. 
  • All TRN students may use AP, IB or transfer credit courses toward fulfillment of the Breadth requirements.  Dual-credit courses that have been accepted and processed for credit by the institution from which the student transfers can be used to satisfy these requirements. 
Categories
Office of General Education

General Education recap and Graduation Requirement exemptions

Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development professor, Peter Carton, lectures for his class Sports Management Practicum, Thursday, October 14, 2021 in Prothro Hall on the SMU Campus.

February 15, 2023

Dear Faculty and Staff –

The Office of General Education would like to inform the campus community of updates and important reminders relating to the Common Curriculum, our solid foundation of a liberal arts education. Today’s reminders and updates fall into five categories: COVID-19 graduation requirement exemption, revised Common Curriculum rules, next steps related to Writing in the Major, AP credit automation, and Common Curriculum course proposal deadlines.

A one-time exception to two Common Curriculum Proficiencies & Experiences for COVID-19 cohorts

The Council on General Education reviewed a report on undergraduate student progress by admit cohort related to each Common Curriculum requirement. The report showed students are progressing well through general education requirements (Foundations and Breadths); however, the Council identified progress concerns within the Proficiency & Experience Graduation requirements.

Students who meet these requirements via course or individual activity by the conclusion of Spring 2023 will be documented as having satisfied the condition on their Degree Progress Report. If either CE or CIE is incomplete by the end of Spring 2023, it will appear waived for graduation. Learn more about this one-time exception.

The Council on General Education does not intend to make additional exceptions to the graduation requirements for future cohorts.

Revised Common Curriculum AP, IB, and Transfer Credit Policies for Fall 2023 Catalog

The concern was that current rules privilege high-credit transfer students to the disadvantage of first year and first-year transfer students. Modifications will be made in the Fall 2023 Catalog to regulations related to (a) Quantitative Reasoning, (b) Second Language, and (c) the ability to fulfill up to three Breadth requirements using external credit. Read more about the specific CC rule changes to the Fall 2023 Catalog.

In all cases where petitioning is required, no petition will be necessary if a direct equivalency has been established at SMU through the transfer process. The Council will monitor what percentage of undergraduate students use dual credit to satisfy requirements and what percentage of students satisfy requirements at SMU.

Reminder and next steps regarding Writing in the Major

Last semester, we shared that the Council on General Education changed how the Common Curriculum’s Writing in the Major (WiM) Proficiency and Experience was tracked on the Degree Progress Report (DPR) and replaced it with program-level Writing in the Major student learning outcome.

Instead of DPR level-tracking, each academic program will be required, via the Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness program evaluation process, to write and assess one learning outcome that best represents the conventions of writing in their discipline.  If an academic department already has, as part of its annual program assessment, an undergraduate learning outcome for writing, no additional actions are needed. If your department does not have an undergraduate learning outcome for writing for your current undergraduate major(s), the department will need to develop one and report it as part of annual program assessment, starting in Summer 2023.  Departments may deliver the instructional content to support the Writing in the Major learning outcome in a single course, or the content may be delivered across multiple courses.  Departments may assess writing in their major through course-based assessment, or through end-of-program assessment at the end of the degree.  More information about learning outcomes and assessment for Writing in the Major will be given during faculty training on Planning, the new system we will use to report program assessment results.  This training will take place in March.  More information will be coming soon.

In addition to developing a learning outcome for writing in the major, departments must develop their own, major-specific rubrics that reflect the learning goals for writing in their major or discipline. There is no standard WiM rubric for program-level assessment, but departments are asked to develop their own discipline-based writing outcome. Departments may consider using the former WiM rubric as a starting point when developing these rubrics.

If you need assistance as you work to develop Writing in the Major outcomes for your program, please reach out to Dayna Oscherwitz, Associate Provost for Institutional Planning and Effectiveness.

Automation of AP credit to satisfy specific graduation requirements

Thanks to the Registrar’s Office, the Office of General Education has now automated AP credit (of scores 4 or 5) to satisfy particular Proficiency and Experience graduation requirements. Therefore, students admitted after fall 2020 need not complete individual petitions to meet applicable graduation requirements. Retroactive updates will be made to affected students; future students admitted for Fall 2023 beyond will receive this credit automatically. Read more about which AP credit satisfies particular Proficiencies and Experiences.

Common Curriculum course and activity proposal deadlines

The Council on General Education invites course and approved activity proposals for Common Curriculum general education and graduation requirements. Submissions are accepted twice a semester. The remaining spring 2023 deadline is March 22, 2023 (for review on March 31). Literary Analysis and Interpretation (LAI) and Civics & Individual Ethics (CIE) are particularly interesting. Accepted proposals will be tagged at the course level and go into effect for summer 2023. Don’t hesitate to contact the Office of General Education for questions or proposal development support.

Thank you all for your investment and commitment to this shared responsibility of general education.

Sincerely,

Peter Kupfer

Chair, Council on General Education

 

Dustin Grabsch

Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education & Academic Success

Categories
Office of General Education SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success University Advising Center

SMU in Four announces 2nd-round winners of the Degree Planner completion raffle  

Forty winners were randomly selected from the one-hundred and eighty students who have fully completed Degree Planner.   

 In order for your Degree Planner to be considered complete, you must have:  

  2nd-Round Winners are:  

Amazon Gift Card  

($25 value)  

 SMU Flex Dollars 

($25 value)  

 Starbucks Gift Card  

($25 value)  

 Visa Gift Card 

($25 value)  
SEAN M.  RIA D.  DEAN L.  CAROLINE S. 
EDEN C.  KAYLEE D.  HANNAH S.  TREVOR B. 
GRANT M.  JEFFREY M.  AUDREY L.  JAYDIN B. 
TAYLOR C.  MARGARET G.  CONNOR M.  TRAJAN C. 
MACKENZIE T.  GRACE P.  AMBER F.  MATTHEW B. 
LILLIAN N.  ALEXA A.  MICHAEL Z.  ANTHONY L. 
GIANCARLOS D.  ZAKIYA C.  JOHN P.  HANNAH L. 
BENJAMIN J.  SILVIA V.  TAYLOR H.  JENNIFER S. 
MAKENNA K.  BIANCA H.  CHARLES G.  CAMPBELL S. 
PIPER J.  ISAIAH B.  SOPHIE E.  ANA M. 

Winners can come and pick up their prizes from the Office of General Education, Laura Lee Blanton Suite 100, from Tuesday, February 14th – Friday, February 17th.  

Still, working on your Degree Planner? No need for FOMO! You have one more chance to win some fantastic prizes! Prizes include $25-50 Starbucks, Amazon, Uber, Target, and Visa gift cards. You can also win Flex Dollars and SMU swag, such as baseball caps, sweatshirts, hoodies, and more!  

The deadline for the final raffle is March 10th at 11:59 pm! 

All undergraduate students on the Common Curriculum (CC) are required to complete Degree Planner by March 20.    

Visit smu.edu/degreeplanner for help getting started.   

Categories
Rotunda Scholars Student Academic Success Programs

Rotunda Scholar Kirk Ogunrinde selected for The Institute for Responsible Citizenship

Rotunda Scholar Kirk Ogunrinde selected for The Institute for Responsible Citizenship.

Read more from a recent Instagram post highlighting this achievement.

Categories
Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

Sign-ups open for 3/21 Poster Session

Research & Innovation Week undergraduate poster session

Research & Innovation Week is coming the week of March 20!

All undergraduate students are invited to present research posters on March 21, from 2-5pm in the Hughes-Trigg Ballroom.

Prizes will be awarded to the best posters!

Please visit the Research & Innovation Week site for guidelines, and sign up by Friday, March 10.

Dr. Adam Neal will be hosting drop-in workshops to work on poster design and your “elevator pitch.” These will be held in the Scholars’ Den (Clements basement) on Feb 22 & 23, 3-5pm and March 8 & 9, 3-5pm.

Categories
Office of General Education SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success

SMU in Four announces 1st-round winners of Degree Planner completion raffle

Thirty-five winners were selected randomly from the one hundred and thirty-one students who fully completed Degree Planner by the first incentive deadline.

For your Degree Planner to be considered complete, you must have:

 

1st Round Winner are:

Amazon Gift Card

($25 value)

 Target Gift Card

($25 value)

 Starbucks Gift Card

($25 value)

 SMU Swag Bag

($50 value)
Emma S. Victoria A. Hannah N. Jake E.
Mireya S. Grant B. Margaret G. Jonathan K.
Staten M. Jordan F. Pavle B. Hannah S.
Tanner H. Monet M. Sierra B. Madeline K.
Sarah B. Avery E. Jaron T. Ronisha T.
Trajan C. Ella B. Lucy M.  
Michael G. Sophie E. Tiffany D.  
Bahar N. Brittany H. Michelle H.  
Sarah N. Mary-Kate B. Xin Z.  
Jose H. Izabella D. Kaylee D.  

Winners can come and pick up their prizes from the Office of General Education, Laura Lee Blanton Suite 100, from Monday, February 6th– Friday, February 10th.

Still, working on your Degree Planner? No Problem! You still have a chance to win some fantastic prizes! The sooner you complete your degree plan, the more raffles you are entered into. Raffle prizes include $25-50 Starbucks, Amazon, Uber, and Visa gift cards. You can also win SMU swag such as baseball caps, sweatshirts, hoodies, and more! Students who complete Degree Planner by 11:59pm on:

  • February 10 (Friday) will be entered in two raffles.
  • March 10 (Friday) will be entered in one raffle.

All undergraduate students on the Common Curriculum (CC) are required to complete Degree Planner by March 20.

Visit smu.edu/degreeplanner for help getting started.