FSU trustees OK removing hundreds of courses from GE requirement

Many, if not most, of these courses were designed to be Gen Ed courses. Without that credit, enrollment will take a hit. If they don't qualify as introductory level courses or satisfy upper-level requirements for electives, students in that major have little reason to take the courses. And students in other majors are likely going to focus on their own area of study when choosing electives. So they'll need to have a really strong interest to go out of their way to take the course.

Instead of trying to explain away the harms here, I'd love to hear a good justification for limiting what ideas students can access and discuss in Gen Ed courses.

It's already happening. I know of at least one college that laid off a bunch of instructors (adjuncts, IIRC) because the state cut an introductory course almost every student in the college used to take.

 

Why should any of these courses "need" to be taken? Or, for that matter, be required if not part of a major on that specific topic? Honest question.

Theories of African American Studies, Critics of Religion and American Multi-Ethnic Literature to Feminism and Globalization, the Evolution of Human Sexuality and LGBTQ History.

 

I’ll agree my “ superfluous classes” description may be off base. It would be nice to see what the proposed classes are. Somehow I get the feeling that with that many classes there are more than a few that won’t be integral in turning out good graduates.

 

I am sure it is reprehensible. Spare me the bullshit about being able to access that information elsewhere. Just because you can share your thoughts on the internet doesn't mean the state should be able to prevent you from sharing your thoughts in the public square. The state legislature has no business deciding what ideas should and shouldn't be discussed in university classrooms. This isn't Soviet Russia.

I have a suggestion. We can leave it to the people who do know, let them use their expertise, and make pedagogical judgments about what to teach and what courses to offer within the broad confines of the Gen Ed curriculum.

 

Sorry, but this doesn't make sense. They will just stuff more students into large lecture halls to fill the reduced course offerings. Fire a whole bunch of professors and support staff. That's a big part of the play.

 

I don't know what their plan was. But the college hiring other instructors does nothing for the people who lost their jobs.

 

They're not required to take those specific courses. The Gen Ed curriculum has distribution requirements. For example, you have to take a social science course. You then get to choose between a number of social science courses to satisfy that requirement. The students have the freedom to select LGBTQ History. They could also choose a different history course. Or they could choose a political science course. Instead of allowing them that freedom, the legislature required any courses that discussed certain ideas people in power disagree with to be removed from the list of courses they can choose.

I don't like state governments controlling what ideas students can discuss in a university classroom. I don't like censorship. It's a very slippery slope, one we're currently hurtling down in the state of Florida.

 

You said there wouldn't be job losses. You're moving the goal-posts.

 

As you mention, those courses might be required for certain/selective majors. Many, though, are not technically requirements. They are choices that fulfill certain gen ed categories. Many of the gen ed courses are in essence electives. Removing them from the menu of gen ed courses obviously reduces course enrollment and will eventually result in them being eliminated. You picked some of the more selective options, though. Here are some of the other recommendations for gen ed courses that could fulfill the state university system's general education requirements:

• Music literature/appreciation
• General biology / General chem
• Principles of macroeconomics

To counter your question: Why should a student(s) not have an opportunity to take courses in those subjects?

 

I can virtually guarantee that the answer here is "No."

 

So, they can choose it, but it doesn't meet any requirement outside of total hours?

 

I just cut/pasted from the quoted article. It is also my understanding that certain diversity requirements have to be met (12 hours) and that these were part of that. Granted, my memory is hazy on this, but, if true, seems pretty unfair given the cost of credit hours, student debt, etc.

I thought this might be an attempt to address that.

 

Before this new implementation of the legislative rule, a student could take one of those courses to satisfy a categorical gen ed requirement. By removing a course's status of meeting that requirement, it limits the options (ntm what it does to people's employment status).

 

You're making an assumption. As Davis pointed out, odds are that they'll cram more students into courses that already exist. They may hire some new instructors, but I'm betting there will be net job losses.

Not exactly. IIRC, you need to accrue 36 Gen Ed hours (12 courses). You are required to take courses in Communication, the Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences (must have at least one in each). Within each of those umbrellas, you get to choose from a menu of courses. For example, in the social sciences, you can choose from History, Political Science, Anthropology, Economics, and Psychology. Within each of those disciplines, you'll have a menu of courses that qualify as Gen Ed courses. In other words, students have a lot of freedom to decide how they'll satisfy those requirements. A student isn't required to take LGBTQ History, but they can take that course (well, they used to be able to take it). If they do, they earn 3 credit hours towards the 36 and satisfy their social science requirement.

 

You might have to link that one. Otherwise, I don't believe there is a 12 credit diversity requirement, cept maybe in certain sociology majors. I read on of the FSU websites that they have a two course diversity requirement, which I find interesting in light of the anti-DEI legislation. Not even sure how they're "getting away with it."

Here it is -

• Diversity Requirement: Students must complete two Diversity courses. Both Diversity courses must be completed with a grade of “C–” or higher. Students completing these courses will be able to:
  • Analyze some aspect of human experience within a culture, focusing on at least one source of diversity (e.g., age, disability, ethnicity, gender, language, race, religion, sexual orientation, social class, or other).
  • Explore one's own cultural norms or values in relation to those of a different cultural group.

Degree Requirements (Undergrad) | University Registrar

 

If it's required in Gen Ed courses, it'll be gone by next year. If it's outside of Gen Ed courses, it's not covered by the law. For now.