More classes will be available to count for Core credit, including classes from Natural Science, Social Science, Fine Arts/Humanities and Cultural Awareness.

Two faculty councils have approved new courses to meet the Core requirements. The University General Education Council and University Undergraduate Academic Council have developed criteria for courses to be included in these fields of study.

Dr. Nancy Shankle Jordan, assistant provost for general education, oversees and manages the development of Core.

“The council has spent the last two years developing the criteria and reviewing courses that departments submitted for consideration in the menus,” Jordan said.

Jordan said major revisions that have been made to the Core curriculum was because of the faculty vote in February 2012 to change the number of integrative courses from 12 to nine hours, including CORE 110 and 210 as well as BCOR 310, which counts as a Bible credit.

“The faculty also approved a two-hour general education elective and the cultural awareness requirement,” Jordan said.

One course that went through the revision process and was approved last month is JMC 100 Media Issues which will count as a social science choice.

Many departments have already submitted the courses they want the council to review, but any department that wants to submit a course can still do so, Jordan said.

This revision, however, has not changed the total number of hours required for general education.

“The current Core curriculum requires the same number of hours to complete as the old general education plan, 56 hours,” Jordan said.

Jordan said for the future, the Core curriculum will continue to improve overall as it has been steadily improving over the past several years.