4.65 – General Education Coursework Required for Graduation

PART 1: GENERAL EDUCATION POLICY STATEMENT

The General Education curriculum required for graduation from New Mexico State University is comprised of the state’s common core and the university’s Viewing a Wider World courses. See the NMSU Undergraduate Catalog for specific category requirements, options and required credits that will fulfill both state and university requirements.

1. Common Core: The New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED) mandates a lower-division general education common core curriculum. These are accepted in total as a block by all accredited, public post-secondary institutions within the state of New Mexico.  See NMSA 1978 §§ 21-1B-1 et seq.
2. Viewing a Wider World: In addition to the state’s requirements, NMSU has adopted Viewing a Wider World courses (VWW) as part of its General Education curriculum required of all undergraduate students. See NMSA 1978 §21-1B-4 (B). These courses foster intelligent inquiry, abstract logical thinking, critical analysis and the integration/synthesis of knowledge beyond the student’s major discipline.

PART 2: GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE

The Board of Regents recognizes and delegates review and certification for the general education courses to the advisory body known as the General Education Course Certification Committee, which reports to the university’s chief academic officer, the provost and chief academic officer, as follows:

1. Role and Purpose: The General Education Course Certification Committee is recognized as a standing university board within the definition of RPM 2.30. It serves as an advisory body to the Office of the provost and chief academic officer. Its primary charge is to review the courses submitted for inclusion in the General Education curriculum in light of the applicable state or university criteria, and to provide its recommendations to the Office of the provost and chief academic officer.  The committee also develops or reviews proposed procedural guidelines for the General Education course certification process, for consideration by the Office of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer.
2. Composition: The General Education Course Certification Committee shall be comprised of one faculty member and one alternate faculty member from each academic college and the library, to be selected by the appropriate dean; two community college faculty members and one alternate community college faculty member, to be selected by majority vote of the community college chief academic officers; and one member and one alternate member from the Faculty Senate. A representative from the University Student Records Office and from the Outcomes Assessment office shall also serve on the committee in an ex-officio
3. Reporting Structure: The committee reports directly to the provost and chief academic officer, who will appoint a representative from the Office of the provost and chief academic officer to serve as chair.  The Office of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer shall provide the committee with necessary administrative support.
4. Meetings: The committee shall meet a minimum of one time per semester.  The chair or the provost and chief academic officer may call additional meetings as often as necessary for the committee to perform its charge.

PART 3: GENERAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATION

1. The Office of the provost and chief academic officer, after consideration of the recommendation from the General Education Course Certification Committee, will establish and publish procedural guidelines pertaining to the review of courses proposed for inclusion in the General Education curriculum.
2. Any NMSU-Las Cruces college or department may propose to create or modify a course for inclusion in the General Education curriculum.
3. Courses that are part of the state common core are subject to the regulations of the New Mexico Higher Education Department. The Office of the provost and chief academic officer is responsible for compliance with these regulations.
4. Viewing a Wider World courses proposed by the various colleges and departments will be certified or re-certified in accordance with the General Education Course Certification Procedural Guidelines issued by the Office of the provost and chief academic officer.
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5. Upon receipt of notice of certification, the sponsoring department will process the appropriate course action forms to initiate the process for the course to be officially offered, and published in the appropriate catalog(s).