Staff Policy D-101.02
Institutional Effectiveness Criterion: Scholarship

General Education Outcomes Change

General Education at Northwestern Michigan College promotes the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to function effectively in a changing world. To that end, NMC will establish a process for regular and expeditious review of General Education outcomes to assure that they correspond with the learning needs of our students.

1. Definition of General Education Outcomes
   The General Education Outcomes are detailed in Staff Policy D-101.01.
2. File Maintenance
   The official record of NMC’s General Education Outcomes is kept in the Educational Services Office.
3. Two Year Review of General Education Outcomes
   1. Vice Presidential charge: On a biennial basis, the Vice President for Educational Services will charge the Curriculum Committee to conduct a review of the General Education Outcomes.
   2. Curriculum Committee review: The Curriculum Committee will conduct a review of the General Education Outcomes and propose changes as appropriate. The Curriculum Committee will review the proposals for General Education Outcomes change(s) with special attention to the scope, rationale, content, possible consequences of the proposed change(s) and alternative methods of attaining the same result. Using methods of its own determination, the Curriculum Committee will seek input changes from the College community. Based upon this data the Curriculum Committee will propose any changes in the General Education Outcomes for the next two year period.
   3. Publication of the draft General Education Outcomes: After developing a draft of proposed General Education Outcomes, the Curriculum Committee will publish and concurrently forward the proposed General Education Outcomes to the Policy Council and the Vice President for Educational Services. During the review process, the Policy Council and the Curriculum Committee will meet jointly under the leadership of their chairs who will serve as co-chairs for the joint committee.
   4. Public hearing: The Curriculum Committee and the Policy Council will initiate and facilitate a joint hearing to gather public input on the new proposed General Education Outcomes.
   5. Review and revision of the draft of General Education Outcomes: Meeting jointly, the Curriculum Committee and the Policy Council will review and analyze the input gathered in the public hearing process and make revisions to the draft of proposed General Education Outcomes as appropriate.
   6. Publication of the final draft of General Education Outcomes: The Curriculum Committee and the Policy Council will concurrently inform the Faculty Council of its recommendation, publish its recommendations and forward the proposed General Education Outcomes change to the Vice President for Educational Services for review and action.
   7. Vice Presidential action: The Vice President for Educational Services will review the proposed General Education Outcomes change and in an expeditious manner accept the proposed General Education Outcomes policy and forward it to the President for review and action, return the proposed General Education Outcomes change to the Policy Council and the Curriculum Committee with suggestions for revision, or reject the proposed General Education Outcomes changes.
   8. Presidential action: The President will review the proposed General Education Outcomes change and in a timely and expeditious manner. The President will approve the proposal and notify the proposer in an expeditious manner. If the President denies the proposal, he or she will return the proposed General Education Outcomes change to the Vice President for Educational Services with suggestions for revision, or reject the proposal terminating the process. The President will discuss his/her decision with the Policy Council if the recommendation cannot go forward.
   9. Termination: If the proposed General Education Outcomes changes are rejected by the Vice President for Educational Services, or the President and the process is terminated, the current General Education Outcomes will remain in effect for another two year period.
4. Change in General Education Outcomes Outside the Two Year Review Process
   1. General Education Outcomes change(s) proposal development: Any person proposing changes in the General Education Outcomes will meet with a member of the Curriculum Committee or the Chair of the Curriculum Committee to review the proposed changes.
   2. Submission of General Education Outcomes proposal: The proposal for General Education Outcomes change will be submitted concurrently to both the Educational Services Office and the Curriculum Committee. The Vice President for Educational Services will respond to the General Education Outcomes change proposal in an expeditious manner.
   3. Initial Curriculum Committee review and request for changes: The Curriculum Committee may ask the proposer to make changes in the proposed General Education Outcomes change(s).
   4. Curriculum Committee review: The Curriculum Committee will review the proposal for General Education Outcomes change(s) with special attention to the scope, rationale, content, possible consequences of the proposed change(s) and alternative methods of attaining the same result. As appropriate the Curriculum Committee will include the proposer, the Vice President for Educational Services, and all other relevant parties in its discussions of the proposal for General Education Outcomes change(s). The Curriculum Committee may ask the proposer to provide additional documentation and other information related to the proposed General Education Outcomes change. Concurrent with its review of the proposed General Education Outcomes change, the Curriculum Committee, using method of its own determination, will gather College wide input concerning the proposal from all interested and affected parties.
   5. Publication of proposed General Education Outcomes change(s): After using data gathered across the campus to complete its review of the proposed General Education Outcomes change, the Curriculum Committee will either terminate the process and reject the proposal for General Education Outcomes change(s) or concurrently publish and forward the proposal to the Policy Council for joint review and processing. During the review process which will follow the publication of the proposal for General Education Outcomes change(s), the Policy Council and the Curriculum Committee will meet jointly under the leadership of their chairs acting as co-chairs of the joint committee.
   6. Public hearing: The Curriculum Committee and the Policy Council will initiate and facilitate a joint hearing to receive public input on the proposed General Education Outcomes change.
   7. Review and revision of the draft of General Education Outcomes change(s): Meeting jointly, the Curriculum Committee and the Policy Council will review and analyze the input gathered in the public hearing process and make revisions to the proposed General Education Outcomes change(s) as appropriate.
   8. Curriculum Committee action: The Curriculum Committee and the Policy Council will concurrently inform the Faculty Council of its recommendation, publish its recommendation and forward the General Education Outcomes change(s) to the Vice President for Educational Services for review and action.
   9. Vice Presidential action: The Vice President for Educational Services will review the General Education Outcomes change(s) and in an expeditious manner forward it to the President for review and action, return the proposed General Education Outcomes change(s) to the Policy Council and the Curriculum Committee with suggestions for revision, or reject the proposal terminating the process.
   10. Presidential action: The President will review the proposed General Education Outcomes change and will approve and notify the proposer in an expeditious manner. If the President denies the proposal, he or she will return the proposed General Education Outcomes change(s) to the Vice President for Educational Services with suggestions for revision, or reject the proposal terminating the process. The President will discuss his/her decision with the Policy Council if the recommendation cannot go forward.

The Vice President for Educational Services, in conjunction with the appropriate faculty and staff, is responsible for the development and publication of any procedures or guidelines that may be necessary to administer this policy effectively.

If any provision(s) of this policy or set of bylaws conflicts with laws applicable to Northwestern Michigan College, including the Community College Act of 1966, the Freedom of Information Act, or the Open Meetings Act, as each may be amended from time to time, such laws shall control and supersede such provision(s).