BACKGROUND
Following the work of the General Education ad hoc Committee which concluded in June 2021 with a Self-Review Report of the General Education Curriculum at UCLA, the Academic Senate issued a Program Review of Undergraduate General Education in June 2023. The Academic Senate has requested that the Dean of Undergraduate Education “submit a progress report on decisions and actions resulting from the 2022-23 review in Spring 2025”.
The faculty task force will engage in collaborative planning between leadership, faculty members, and the greater campus community to plan a GE program capable of preparing our students to meet the unique challenges and demands of the 21st century.
Staff from Undergraduate Education Initiatives (UEI) will provide analytical and resource support for the task force throughout the process.
THE COMMITTEE’S CHARGE
The Dean of Undergraduate Education and Chair of the Undergraduate Council are jointly charging the task force as follows:
- In accordance with Senate recommendations, research innovative models for General Education (GE) and develop a redesign of the GE curriculum
- Create an implementation plan for a more coherent, integrated, and sustainable GE
2023-25 GE TASK FORCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Committee Chair
| Name | Affiliation | Dates Active |
| Muriel McClendon | Associate Professor, History | Fall 2024-present |
Members
| Name | Affiliation | Dates Active |
| Patricia Arroyo Calderón | Associate Professor, Spanish and Portuguese | Spring 2024-present |
| Anthony Friscia | Associate Teaching Professor, Integrative Biology and Physiology | Spring 2024-present |
| Jennifer Jay | Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering | Spring 2024-present |
| Michael Lens | Associate Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy | Spring 2024-present |
| Erik Petigura | Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy | Fall 2024-present |
| Robert Bilder | Professor in Residence, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Spring 2024 |
Ex-Officio Members
| Name | Affiliation | Dates Active |
| Torquil Duthie | Professor, Asian Languages and Cultures | Fall 2024-present |
| Victor Bascara | Associate Professor, Asian American Studies | Spring 2024-Fall 2024 |
GE TASK FORCE MEETINGS
The GE Task Force meets twice per quarter. Meeting takeaways will be shared once available.
| MEETING DATE | MEETING TAKEAWAYS |
| May 2, 2024 | Meeting Takeaways |
| May 30, 2024 | Meeting Takeaways |
| October 15, 2024 | Meeting Takeaways |
| November 18, 2024 | Meeting Takeaways |
RECENT GENERAL EDUCATION REVIEW
Like all academic programs at UCLA, the General Education curriculum is reviewed by the Academic Senate’s Program Review Process. From 2002-2019, each General Education Foundation Area and the Cluster Program were reviewed under two separate 8-year review cycles. The General Education curriculum underwent a consolidated review in 2020-21 (self-review) and 2022-23 (external review).
| 2020-21 | Self-Review |
| 2022-23 | Senate Review |
Find the full list of GE reports and reviews here.*For more background on the justification for a consolidated review, please see the full request from Vice Provost Patricia Turner.
UCLA RESOURCES
Creating the Future: UCLA Strategic Plan 2023-28
UCLA Undergraduate Distance Education Policy (Effective Fall 2023)
UCLA Policy on Course Syllabi (Effective Fall 2025)
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UC) RESOURCES
UC 2030: Equity is Excellence (2024) Equity is at the center of the UC 2030 goals. Learn about strategies being deployed across the system to reach these goals.
UC 2030 Goals: Accountability Report (2022)
University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Compact (Note: Goals relevant to our GE Task Force have been highlighted.)
HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES
The Boyer 2030 Commission: The Equity-Excellence Imperative (Note: Sections relevant to general education have been highlighted.)
American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U): “High-Impact Practices”
AAC&U: “What is Liberal Education?”
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE): Career Readiness Competencies
For questions and/or comments about the General Education Task Force, please contact:
Alice Lee
Administrative Assistant
Email: alicel@college.ucla.edu