The Standing Committee on General Education, composed of faculty members, reviews course proposals, then communicates directly with faculty about whether or not the course is approved. Interested faculty can consult Proposing Courses.
May a submission be about a course a student has not yet completed?
If a submission is about a single Gen Ed course, a student must have already completed the course.
If a submission is about more than one Gen Ed course, a student must have completed at least one of those courses. It is not required that a student must have completed more than one.
Can the $500 prize be paid partially or fully to someone other than the prize winner?
No. Prize winnings can only be distributed to the person who won the prize.
What happens to prize-winning submissions?
They will be published on the Gen Ed website and featured on the social media channels of Harvard College.
When will the prize winners be announced?
Prize winners will be notified via email before Commencement.
May a student make a change to their application once it has been submitted?
No. Once an application has been submitted, no changes can be made to any part of it. Applicants are advised to review their applications carefully before clicking the “Submit” button.
What should a student do if they encounter difficulties with the application?
A student encountering difficulty with any portion of the application should immediately email the Program in General Education at gened@fas.harvard.edu.
If a student encounters difficulty applying for the prize, may they request an extension?
No. Competitors are responsible for ensuring that their application materials are complete and submitted to the Program in General Education by 11:59 pm on the day of the deadline. No extensions are granted.
Is the prize deadline dependent on the location of the person submitting materials for the prize?
No. All application materials must be submitted by 11:59 pm eastern time on the day of the deadline. This deadline is strictly observed.
Does the 1,500-word limit include all text (footnotes, bibliographical content, and captions)?
Yes. The 1,500-word limit includes all text.
Should written work submitted for the prize be double-spaced or single-spaced?
Double-spaced is the preferred format for all written works submitted for this prize.
Where can one find examples of past prize-winning submissions?
This is the first year this prize will be given. In the future, winning submissions will be published on the Gen Ed website.
How does a student apply for the General Education Prize?
Students apply online by clicking the “Apply Here” link on the General Education Prize page of the Gen Ed website.
May a student submit a work previously submitted for this prize?
No. A student may not submit a work for this prize more than once.
May a student apply for this prize more than once during their undergraduate career?
Yes. A student may apply more than one time, provided they submit entirely new work each year they apply.
May a student submit more than one work for this prize in a given year?
No. A student may submit only one work for this prize in a given year.
May a student submit a co-authored work for this prize?
No. The General Education Prize is designed to recognize the efforts of individuals; therefore, works produced in collaboration with others are not eligible for submission.
May a student submit a work that has been submitted for course credit?
No. A student may not submit a work for this prize if it has been or will be submitted for course credit.
Is a student who is on leave eligible to apply?
No student may apply for this prize while on leave.
Competitors for the General Education Prize must be resident in Harvard College. How is “resident” defined?
For the purposes of the General Education Prize, “resident” means that a competitor is registered as an undergraduate in Harvard College and has not yet completed the requirements for an undergraduate degree.
Can I enroll in a Gen Ed course that meets the same time as another course?
Students pursuing simultaneous enrollment in a Gen Ed course and a non-Gen Ed course must attend the Gen Ed course.
Will a course graded SEM/UEM in Spring 2020 count towards Gen Ed requirements?
Gen Ed courses taken SEM/UEM in Spring 2020 will count towards Gen Ed requirements, but will not count against the limit of fulfilling one Gen Ed requirement with a course taken Pass/Fail.
How do I enroll for a Gen Ed course Pass/Fail?
Instructor permission is required to take a course Pass/Fail. Check the course syllabus to see if Pass/Fail is permitted or ask the course head. Pass/Fail Instructions are available for requesting a change in grading basis from letter-graded to Pass/Fail.
How are courses approved for Gen Ed requirements?
Courses are approved for the Program in General Education by the Standing Committee on General Education. Faculty interested in proposing a course for Gen Ed should consult the guidance for faculty.
Students cannot ordinarily petition courses to count for Gen Ed requirements.
How do I know if a course is moving out of – or back into – my department?
We hope that most faculty know by now if their course either is or isn’t going to be part of the new program, but if you have any questions, you can either check the Gen Ed website or contact the Gen Ed office. We’d be happy to help.
A departmental course has been accepted to the new Gen Ed. What’s next?
The next step for Gen Ed will be to take ownership of the course’s catalog listing for continuity, as well as to track course enrollment and Q scores. The Gen Ed office may reach out you to ask that you grant us course catalog access to a departmental course that is being moved into Gen Ed.
A faculty member in my department taught a course in Gen Ed that is not moving into the new program. What happens now?
It depends. The faculty member may wish for you to inactivate the course in the catalog, effectively “retiring” it, or they may wish to offer it as a departmental course. If they wish to offer it as a departmental course, please contact the Gen Ed office so that we may transfer ownership of the course catalog listing to your department.
Do departmental courses count for the new Gen Ed?
No. Only courses explicitly designed for and approved for the new Gen Ed program (with GENED XXXX as a number) will count for General Education credit. This means that you should remove Gen Ed attributes from all departmental courses being offered beginning in Fall 2019. If you have any questions about how to remove Gen Ed attributes, please contact the FAS Registrar’s Office.
What are the changes to Gen Ed requirements and course codes?
The outgoing Program in General education requires that students complete courses in eight different categories, but the new Gen Ed requires only four: Aesthetics & Culture; Ethics & Civics; Histories, Societies, Individuals; and Science & Technology in Society. In the new program, all courses have course codes that consist of “GENED” plus a four-digit number (e.g., GENED 1117). There will be no further use of the categories and course numbers you might be familiar with, such as AI, CB, SW or USW.
How are courses approved for the new program?
The Standing Committee on General Education, composed of faculty members, reviews course proposals, then communicates directly with faculty about whether or not the course is approved. Interested faculty can consult Proposing Courses.
Are all the courses from the current Gen Ed moving to the new Gen Ed?
No. It’s important to know that no courses were automatically accepted into the new program. Even Gen Ed courses taught in the current version of the program had to be resubmitted for consideration by the Standing Committee on General Education. This means that some courses were either not submitted by the faculty or not selected by the committee, so it’s important to make sure that all courses you think will be Gen Ed courses are actually staying Gen Ed courses. The Gen Ed office is happy to help you with any questions.
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