Submitting Your Course for GPAC Designation

GW’s General Education Curriculum (GPAC) engages students in active intellectual inquiry by developing diverse Perspectives, Analytical skills, and Communications skills.

We offer GPAC courses across a range of disciplines. If you are a GW faculty member and would like to submit a course for GPAC approval, please follow all of the directions listed below. Our committee encourages faculty to develop new GPAC courses, and we are here to help you get your course approved. If at any point during this process you have questions, please reach out to us at: [email protected].

Once submitted, the course will be reviewed by the GPAC Committee. Submission deadlines are November 15 for the fall semester and March 15 for the spring semester. Please allow three weeks for the committee to review your course; after that time, you will receive feedback from a committee member.

Your course will either be approved or a committee member will work with you to revise your submission so that your course will meet all GPAC requirements. Again, our goal is to work together to increase the number of approved GPAC courses.

Note: courses approved in the fall will start their GPAC designation the following fall; courses approved in the spring will start their GPAC designation the following spring.

Important Links:

CCAS - Criteria for GPAC Designation

• Google submission form

Proposing a General Education Course (GPAC)

• Course and General Education (GPAC) Assessment
• Google submission form

GPAC Course List

• View courses that currently count for GPACs

Visual Representation of GPAC Requirements

• View the breakdown of GPAC requirements for students (Tier 1 and Tier 2)

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Here are the steps to create and submit your course for GPAC(s).

Review Proposing a General Education Course (GPAC)

Choose GPAC attribute(s) - your course may fit one or more. Each attribute has required learning outcomes that you will assess during the semester.

Attribute 1: Analysis

ANALYSIS: choose one of the following four attributes (based on which learning outcomes are associated with your course). For example, ANTH 1000 Cities and Societies counts for GPAC: Social Sciences in Critical Thinking.

1. Critical Thinking: [Humanities, Social Sciences, or Arts]
   • Analyze and evaluate complex information.
   • Analyze scholarly literature, in particular its theoretical orientation and sources of support.
   • Formulate an argument based on the analysis of that scholarly literature and/or data.
2. Creative Thinking:
   • Create an artistic work based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of contemporary context OR
   • Create a new scientific work based on a set of findings OR
   • Create a new scholarly argument based on a set of findings.
3. Quantitative Reasoning: [MATH or STAT courses only]
   • Represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically, and verbally.
   • Articulate precise mathematical definitions and propositions and draw inferences from them.
   • Use algebraic, geometric, or statistical calculations to solve problems.
   • Interpret and explain information represented in mathematical forms (e.g., graphs, equations, diagrams, tables).
4. Scientific Reasoning: [must include a lab]
   • Represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically, and verbally.
   • Articulate precise mathematical definitions and propositions and draw inferences from them
   • Use algebraic, geometric, or statistical calculations to solve problems.
   • Interpret and explain information represented in mathematical forms (e.g., graphs, equations, diagrams, tables).

Attribute 2: Perspective

PERSPECTIVE: choose one of the following three attributes an an optional add-on to the analysis attribute. For example, CIAR 1000 Modern Architecture & Design counts for GPAC: Arts in Creative Thinking with Cross-Cultural Perspective.

1. Global Perspective
   • Analyze an issues in terms of its global implications.
   • Frame questions, gather evidence, analyze evidence, and draw conclusions about an issue in terms of its global implications.
2. Cross-Cultural Perspective
   • Identify and analyze the impact of diverse experiences and/or cultures upon human behavior, thought, and expression.
   • Use cultural comparison as a tool for understanding how social, cultural, or economic contexts shape understandings and behaviors.
3. Local/Civic Engagement
   • Analyze a social issue or civic concern.
   • Propose an intervention or solution based on broader theoretical knowledge.
   • Balance diverse perspectives in deciding whether to act.
   • Distinguish the multiple consequences and implications of their actions.

Attribute 3: Oral Communication

ORAL COMMUNICATION: this can be stand alone attribute or it can be in addition to an analysis attribute. For example, HONR 1034 counts for GPAC: Scientific Reasoning and Oral Communication.

1. Take responsibility for a significant topic with a clear thesis and persuasive argument
2. Demonstrate facility with topical and disciplinary knowledge via well-crafted, audience appropriate language
3. Demonstrate vocal qualities and physical behaviors that augment content and maintain audience interest

Draft Your Syllabus

Refer to the Proposing a General Education Course page when writing your syllabus. On your syllabus, list the GPAC attributes that your course meets. In addition to your own general learning outcomes for the course, you will need to include specific learning outcomes for the GPAC attribute(s) you are meeting. Hint: the GPAC learning outcomes are listed above and are on the Google form - you can simply copy/paste them into your syllabus. 

• Review an example syllabi for your intended attribute.This may help you in creating your syllabus.

Draft your GPAC-related assignment(s)

The specific assignment(s) are the direct measures that satisfy the learning outcome(s) of your GPAC designation. On your assignment, list the GPAC attributes that it meets. In addition to your own general learning outcomes for the assignment, you will need to include specific learning outcomes for the GPAC attribute(s) you are meeting. Hint: the GPAC learning outcomes are listed above and are on the Google form. You can use a single assignment to measure multiple learning outcomes but typically you will want at least one separate assignment for each attribute (e.g. if you course is Critical Thinking and Oral Communication consider developing one assignment to measure the critical thinking outcomes and a separate assignment to measure the oral communication outcomes, as trying to measure all 6 outcomes with one assignment will be challenging.)

Review an example assignment for your intended attribute. This may help you in creating your assignments.

Submit the GW CCAS GPAC Submission form

Submittal deadlines are November 15 for the fall semester and March 15 for the spring semester. Here's a breakdown of the Google form:

• Fill out your information (including course name)
• Select the GPAC attributes
• Develop your GPAC assessment plan. Your assessment plan should be based on your GPAC-related assignments and should use the GPAC rubrics. For each learning outcome, list (1) which assignment will be used to measure the outcome and (2) which rubric/rubric row will be used to measure the outcome. You only need one direct measure of each learning outcome.
  • [Note that perspectives learning outcomes do not require a written assessment plan but do require an associated assignment.]
• Attach your syllabus. Double-check before submitting; does it list all the GPAC attributes you have selected and all the associated learning outcomes specific to those GPAC attributes? You can copy/paste the learning outcomes from the Google form! Attach your assignments that will be used to assess the GPAC learning outcomes. Double-check before submitting: do your assignment instructions for students include a list of all the GPAC attributes that the assignment will be used to assess -- including all the associated learning outcomes? You can copy/paste the learning outcomes from the Google form!
• Attach the assessment rubrics that connect to your attribute(s). The rubrics are used to assess your GPAC learning outcomes. Click below for the required rubric(s), copy and paste these into your submission after your assignment.
  • [Note: you do not need to use this rubric to grade the assignment -- you are welcome to develop your own grading rubric.]
    • Creative Thinking
    • Critical Thinking
    • Quantitative Reasoning
    • Scientific Reasoning
    • Oral Communication
    • Global Perspectives
    • Cross-Cultural Perspectives
    • Local/Civic Engagement Perspectives
• Double-check the form, and upload your course syllabus, assignment(s), and rubrics for your proposed course.
• Click submit!
• Thank you for submitting your GPAC proposal! You will receive a copy of your submission to your email. Please allow three weeks for the committee to review your course; after that time, you will receive feedback from a committee member.

Your course will either be approved or a committee member will work with you to revise your submission so that your course will meet all GPAC requirements. Again, our goal is to work together to increase the number of approved GPAC courses.

Completed GPAC Checklist Form Example (PDF)

Oral Communication Assignment Example (PDF)