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 community 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 (2026-2027)
All events will be held online via Teams from Noon - 1:00 PM. Feel free to bring your lunch!
- September 25
- October 23
- December 4
- January 29
- February 26
- April 23
Recordings of Past Sessions
Note: These require an NIU Account ID to view
- April 2026 - Educator Panel on Supporting Student Transitions from K-12 to NIU
- November 2025 - Panel on AI in General Education Courses
- March 2025 - Teaching General Education Honors Courses
- February 2025 - Student Affairs & Student Support
- January 2025 - Spring 2025 Kick-Off
- November 2024 - GenEd Assessment Design for COMS 100 and MATH 155, 211, and 229
- September 2024 - Inclusive Teaching in General Education
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.