Drafting Days

Faculty and staff teaching undergraduate courses are invited to share their insights and expertise by participating in these Gen Ed Drafting Days to help refine proposed student learning outcomes and curricular prototypes.

RSVP for Drafting Days!

Faculty and staff, please review the General Education Framework​​​ document ahead of your Drafting Days participation:

General Education Framework

If you are unable to participate in Drafting Days, or would like to share further comments after participating, please share your thoughts and feedback asynchronously through our online feedback form.

Feedback Form

Jump to the FAQs

Online Faculty and Staff Sessions

Zoom links will be provided in your RSVP confirmation email.

In-person Faculty and Staff Sessions – Pittsburgh Campus

In-person Academic Advisors Session

In-person Student Session – Pittsburgh Campus 

In-person Student, Faculty and Staff Sessions – Johnstown Campus

In-person Student, Faculty and Staff Sessions – Bradford Campus

In-person Student, Faculty and Staff Sessions – Greensburg Campus

Frequently Asked Questions: General Education Reform at University of Pittsburgh

These frequently asked questions about the University of Pittsburgh's General Education (Gen Ed) Reform initiative are designed to help students, faculty, and staff understand the purpose, structure, and goals of the reform. 

Why is Pitt reforming its General Education curriculum?

Pitt is undertaking Gen Ed reform to create a unified, student-centered curriculum that reflects best practices in higher education.

The goal is to improve curricular coherence, support student mobility across campuses, and ensure foundational learning outcomes are met and assessed consistently across the University.

We are engaged in this process because we want to lead and thoughtfully/systematically evolve the Gen Ed curriculum to guarantee responsiveness and resilience to benefit our students, faculty and staff.

The current general education reform effort, chartered by the provost and led by a representative University-wide task force, builds on the 2006 process but introduces key structural changes to address longstanding challenges. 

What are the main issues with the current Gen Ed model? 

Currently, Pitt has nine distinct general education models across its schools and campuses. This decentralization creates barriers for students who transfer, change majors, or pursue multiple credentials, and it complicates University-wide assessment of student learning.

What is the vision for the new Gen Ed curriculum? 

The new curriculum will: 

• Center student learning goals and outcomes. 
• Promote interdisciplinary and experiential learning. 
• Support civic engagement and ethical reasoning. 
• Foster skills like critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. 
• Align with Pitt’s mission and strategic priorities.

Who is leading the Gen Ed reform process? 

The reform is led by a University-wide task force convened by the Office of the Provost and the Academic Leadership Team. It includes faculty, staff, students, and advisors from across all schools and campuses.

When was the last time Pitt engaged in Gen Ed reform?

In 2006, the University of Pittsburgh undertook a significant revision of its general education framework, guided by nine student learning outcomes developed by the Council of Deans under the leadership of Provost James V. Maher.

While the outcomes were shared across the institution, implementation was decentralized: Each first-year admitting school on the Pittsburgh campus, as well as each regional campus, developed its own general education model. Faculty within each unit mapped courses to the outcomes independently, resulting in nine distinct general education models across the University. 

What are General Education Learning Goals and Outcomes (GELOs)?

GELOs are structured into three layers: 

• Goals: Broad aspirations for student learning. 
• Competencies: Skill sets students develop across disciplines. 
• Learning Outcomes: Specific, measurable behaviors that demonstrate achievement.

What are the five proposed competencies in the new Gen Ed framework?

1. Aesthetic Interpretation and Creative Expression 
2. Civic Learning and Global Engagement 
3. Scientific and Social Inquiry 
4. Quantitative Reasoning and Digital Leadership 
5. Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility

Will the new curriculum be flexible for different schools and campuses? 

Yes. While the framework will be unified, schools and campuses will retain flexibility in how they meet the requirements, allowing for discipline-specific needs and accreditation standards. 

What are the proposed curricular models? 

Three prototypes are under consideration: 

• Scaffolded Model: Progressive learning across four years. 
• Bookend Model with Portfolio: Includes first-year and capstone seminars with an e-portfolio. 
• Grand Challenges Model: Focuses on real-world, interdisciplinary problem-solving. 

Faculty and staff are invited to share their insights and expertise by participating in Gen Ed Drafting Days, as described above, to help refine proposed student learning outcomes and curricular prototypes. 

How will students benefit from the new Gen Ed curriculum? 

Students will gain: 

• A clearer understanding of the purpose of Gen Ed courses. 
• Transferable skills for academic and professional success. 
• Opportunities for experiential and interdisciplinary learning. 
• A more coherent and flexible path to degree completion. 

How can faculty and students provide feedback?

Feedback is being collected through Gen Ed Drafting Days (see schedule above) and an online Feedback Form. Please review the General Education Framework​​​ document ahead of your Drafting Days participation.

Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to review the proposed goals and outcomes and share their insights.

Who will approve proposed changes to existing Gen Eds? 

As in 2006, the Office of the Provost will approve the high-level student learning outcomes and general education framework.

However, unlike the previous decentralized implementation, the current process includes collaboration with the University Senate to establish governance structures that support a coordinated, University-wide rollout.

Faculty will continue to lead the implementation work—mapping courses to outcomes and conducting ongoing assessment—but this time within a shared framework that ensures consistency and equity across the institution.