Executive Policy 5.213 Executive Policy 5.213

General Education

Executive Policy Chapter 5, Academic Affairs
Executive Policy EP 5.213, General Education
Effective Date:  August 2026
Prior Dates Amended:  N/A
Responsible Office:  Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy
Governing Board of Regents Policy RP 5.213, General Education
Review Date:  August 2029

1. To provide a governance structure and systemwide framework for the implementation of a common set of General Education requirements as codified in RP 5.213, General Education.


2. In accordance with that Regents’ Policy, to affirm that General Education is a foundational component of a liberal education shared by all degree-seeking undergraduates across all UH system campuses, and to ensure that General Education requirements shall transfer seamlessly across UH campuses.


3. To establish a structure and process for the periodic review, update and revision of the General Education curriculum to maintain relevance, quality, and alignment with institutional values and accreditation standards.


4. To foster a General Education curriculum that develops well-rounded individuals who are prepared to navigate a diverse, complex, and ever-changing world, with knowledge, skills, and values that extend beyond their chosen majors and career paths.

1. General Education is the part of a liberal education curriculum that is shared by all degree-seeking undergraduates.


2. General Education Requirements, for the purpose of this policy, refer to the curricular framework common to all ten UH campuses resulting in a cohesive General Education curriculum.


3. General Education Curriculum refers to the General Education requirements common to all campuses and their associated hallmarks.


4. Learning Outcomes are measurable skills, abilities, competencies, knowledge, or values that students should be able to demonstrate as the result of completing an educational experience.

1. Common Curriculum and Transferability
   
   
   1. The University of Hawaiʻi shall maintain a common set of General Education Requirements applicable across all campuses. These requirements shall be designed to promote broad knowledge, essential competencies, and shared institutional values, while supporting student mobility, timely degree completion, and academic coherence throughout the UH system. General Education shall:
      
      1. Be shared by all ten campuses;
      
      
      2. Transfer seamlessly across UH campuses without loss of credit or requirement applicability; and
      
      
      3. Serve as the academic foundation upon which campuses may build additional campus-specific graduation requirements, as permitted by policy.
   
   
   2. General Education course designations approved within the systemwide framework shall articulate automatically across campuses (see Appendix A for the current General Education curriculum). No campus shall impose additional General Education requirements on students who have completed the systemwide General Education at another UH campus.
   
   
   1. An exception to this prohibition may be based on a documented accreditation requirement specific to the receiving campus and will require advance written approval of the Vice President for Academic Strategy. Campus specific exceptions will be disclosed to affected transfer students prior to enrollment.
   
   
   2. Inter-campus disputes shall be resolved by the University Council on Articulation, as authorized under EP 5.209, University of Hawai‘i System Student Transfer and Inter-Campus Articulation.
   
   
2. Governance and Oversight
   
   1. There shall be a Systemwide General Education Committee to facilitate systemwide implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement of the General Education curriculum in accordance with this policy. The purview of this Committee shall not usurp the decision-making authority of campus-level faculty senate bodies to determine which courses fulfill specific General Education categories or to implement the General Education curriculum according to their unique campus needs.
      
      1. Composition
         
         1. Each campus shall nominate faculty members, and the President or their designee shall appoint faculty to serve on the Committee.
         
         
         2. Faculty appointees shall be drawn from recommendations by campus faculty senates in consultation with the chief academic officers.
         
         
         3. All campuses shall have at least one faculty member on the Committee, while UH Mānoa shall have at least three members.
         
         
         4. Faculty appointees shall be subject matter experts in General Education or in learning outcomes integral to General Education.
         
         
         5. The President or their designee may appoint no more than three staff members with relevant expertise and job functions (e.g., academic advisors, General Education Office staff) to serve on the Committee.
         
         
         6. The Committee should include at least one undergraduate student from a UH Community College campus and at least one undergraduate student from a 4-year campus. The President or their designee shall request nominees from the systemwide Student Caucus leadership.
         
         
         7. With the exception of students, Committee members serve terms up to three years in duration and may be reappointed.
      
      
      2. Responsibilities: The Systemwide General Education Committee shall:
         
         1. Foster inter-campus communication, alignment, and mutual understanding for the continual improvement of General Education across the System.
         
         
         2. Address issues related to General Education and the articulation of General Education requirements.
         
         
         3. Meet at least once each semester but more often if needed.
         
         
         4. Establish subcommittees, as deemed appropriate, to coordinate specific facets of General Education.
         
         
         5. Monitor the effectiveness and coherence of the General Education curriculum in collaboration with campus faculty senates.
      
      
      3. Periodic Review and Updating
         
         The Committee shall revisit the General Education requirements and curriculum at least once every ten years. This review shall include, but not be limited to, evaluating the relevancy and effectiveness of the General Education curriculum and its alignment with institutional values and workforce, civic, and societal needs. Recommended changes to lower-division General Education requirements shall be forwarded through established governance channels.
   
   
3. Campus Authority and Requirements
   
   1. Campuses may require graduation requirements consisting of additional  coursework totaling no more than six credits for an associate degree and no more than twelve credits for a bachelor’s degree—excluding Hawaiian or second language requirements—to reinforce competencies introduced in the General Education curriculum.


4. Assessment of Student Learning and Continuous Improvement
   
   1. Each campus shall assess student achievement of General Education learning outcomes in alignment with its regular assessment schedule. Campuses shall respond to assessment results through improvements to instruction, curriculum design, or other academic practices, and shall share assessment findings as appropriate to inform periodic review and support systemwide improvement.
   
   
   2. General Education policies, curriculum, and assessment practices shall meet or exceed applicable professional and regional accreditation standards, including those of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).

The Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy, in collaboration with the Systemwide General Education Committee, shall be responsible for implementation guidance and for initiating periodic review of this policy to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness.

Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy
Telephone: (808) 956-6897
Email: ovpas@hawaii.edu

RP 5.213, General Education
RP 5.210, Distance Education and Offsite Instruction
EP 5.209, UH System Student Transfer and Inter-Campus Articulation
WSCUC 2023 Standards of Accreditation
ACCJC Accreditation Standards

Appendix A, Board of Regents approved University of Hawai‘i System General Education

    President