Enriching the Design of General Education
The general education program at NIU is built upon our core values of inclusion and respect, curiosity and creativity, ethics and integrity, and service and stewardship. It fulfills three fundamental purposes:
- Skills - developing foundational, transferable skills and career-ready competencies, including critical thinking, teamwork, analytical skills, and expressive abilities.
- Knowledge - developing basic knowledge and broader insights about the world around us, including how individuals fit into that world and what individuals can do to address complex issues.
- Exploration - unleashing students' curiosity beyond their major to identify and address issues from multiple perspectives.
The Enriching the Design of General Education (EDGE) program empowers faculty to design and teach inclusive, student-centered general education courses that challenge assumptions, honor diverse experiences, and foster deep learning. Through a vibrant community of practice, EDGE offers pedagogical resources and opportunities to connect with the community of faculty teaching general education courses through in-person events and an asynchronous space in Microsoft Teams. Through this holistic approach, EDGE supports innovative, evidence-based teaching grounded in the purpose of general education.
Community Events
All events will be in-person from 12:30 - 1:30 PM. Feel free to bring your lunch!
Fall 2025
To kick-off the second year of EDGE, Alicia Schatteman (Vice Provost for Academic Affairs) will provide an overview of the principles and structure of NIU's General Education program. Amy Buhrow (Associate Vice Provost for Assessment and Accreditation) will share the results from the first year of general education assessment in foundational studies courses.
Embedding career readiness skills into general education courses equips students with the essential competencies they need to thrive in today’s dynamic workforce. In this session, Andrea Radasanu, Assistant Vice Provost for Student Enhancement, will provide insight into new tools and strategies available from Career Services can support student career readiness. We will also discuss how you can highlight the ways you already address key career competencies like communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and technology in your courses to help students translate that work into future career success.
AI is already shaping how students learn, work, and interact with the world—so how can we help them build the skills to use it thoughtfully? In this conversation, we’ll explore ways to bring AI literacy into general education courses, helping students think critically, ask good questions, and prepare for a future where AI is part of nearly every career path.
Spring 2026
In this session, we will focus on teaching in each of the three knowledge domains. Join us to engage in a lively discussion with faculty who are teaching in the same knowledge domain and to compare success, challenges, and strategies for addressing the same general education outcomes from different disciplines.
General education courses provide opportunities for innovation at every turn including exciting topics, bold approaches to teaching, and unexpected perspectives on learning. This session will feature a panel of faculty who have taken new and fascinating approaches to teaching general education courses.
Don't miss this exciting session!
Recordings of Past Sessions
- September 2024 - Inclusive Teaching in General Education
- November 2024 - GenEd Assessment Design for COMS 100 and MATH 155, 211, and 229
- January 2025 - Spring 2025 Kick-Off
- February 2025 - Student Affairs & Student Support
- March 2025 - Teaching General Education Honors Courses
Online Toolkit
The EDGE toolkit provides key resources for teaching in general education, including information on the general outcomes, the rubrics used to assess general education outcomes, and articles on teaching strategies perfect for general education courses.
Recognition for Participation
Those who participate in EDGE events will be recognized with a certificate. Earn a participation certificate by attending at least 50% (3) of the events during an academic year.