Overview
The General Education and Policy Subcommittee (GEPS) of the Institute Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (IUCC) is charged with reviewing and making recommendations regarding a wide range of curricular, assessment, and policy matters related to Georgia Tech’s general education. In addition, GEPS reviews and offers recommendations on Institute undergraduate curricular policies, procedures, and practices falling within the purview of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE), the Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness (APAE), and the Registrar. The Subcommittee’s work is informed by requirements of State of Georgia law, the University System of Georgia (USG), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Charge of GEPS
GEPS reviews and provides recommendations regarding: implementation of USG’s Core IMPACTS (general education) requirements in the curricula of all major degree programs; requests to approve assignment of Core IMPACTS attributes to new and existing Georgia Tech courses, subject to final review by the USG Council on General Education; implementation of the “Georgia Legislative Requirements” mandated by Georgia law and the related USG “Citizenship” Core IMPACTS requirement; compliance with assessment and continuous improvement policies and practices of the Georgia Tech Office of Academic Effectiveness (OAE) aligned with USG and SACSCOC requirements; and the formulation and implementation of requirements for assigning attributes for courses that satisfy Georgia Tech’s “Ethics” requirement. Because of its focus on curricular policy matters that involve governance and accreditation entities beyond the Institute, with implications for Georgia Tech undergraduate students from all majors, GEPS works in particularly close coordination with the VPUE and the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) and with the APAE and OAE.
Recommendations by GEPS, if approved at the IUCC level, must then be approved by the Academic Faculty Senate and (where applicable) the USG Council on General Education before becoming official.
The changing academic landscape on campus may require that the charge of GEPS be revisited by the IUCC on a regular basis, which would typically occur at the start-up meeting for each academic year in August.
Membership of GEPS
Voting membership of GEPS is determined at the start of each new academic year in coordination with the IUCC. GEPS membership includes:
- IUCC Vice Chair, who serves as Chair of GEPS (the IUCC Chair may appoint an IUCC member to serve as Chair of GEPS on an ad hoc or interim basis as needed)
- Associate Vice Provost/Registrar, who serves as Secretary of GEPS (the Registrar may appoint a staff member to serve as Secretary on an ad hoc or interim basis as needed)
- VPUE (who also generally serves as Georgia Tech’s representative on the USG Council on General Education; if this is not the same individual, then the Georgia Tech representative also serves on GEPS as an additional member)
- Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (AVPUE)
- APAE
- Director of Assessment, OAE
- Undergraduate student representative (chosen by SGA leadership)
- Faculty who represent disciplines in the Core IMPACTS general education curriculum
Additional voting members as well as non-voting “Standing Guest” members representing certain programs or course areas may be appointed by the Chair and Secretary of GEPS in coordination with the VPUE. The Secretary of GEPS may appoint additional non-voting “Staff” members.
Members serve each year and may be renewed at the start of the next academic year.