UF to implement new undergraduate requirements in Fall 2018

Starting in Fall 2018, UF students will have to take a course that includes What is the Good Life and may add additional general education requirements.

UF Quest is a four-part program that will require students to take not only an already-mandatory updated version of What is the Good Life, but a social-science or natural-science course, an internship, study-abroad course or other work outside the classroom and maintain an “e-portfolio” of experiences in the program.

The social-sciences or natural-sciences program requirement may add more science gen-ed credits depending on students’ majors. The third requirement, which pushes students outside the classroom for “experiential learning,” could count for zero to three credit hours. The program parts are described as “experiences” in the proposed plan.

Angela Lindner, the UF associate provost for Undergraduate Affairs, hosted a conference about the development of the program Friday. About 50 people attended the conference, which included administrators, faculty, community members and at least three UF students.

“The intention of this program is to reconnect students to their general education,” Lindner said.

The program’s proposed courses may count as part of a student’s general education track or it may be additional separate courses, depending on the student’s major, Lindner said. The program will not limit the number of general education courses available, she said.

The UF Quest program shouldn’t require any additional cost besides the current cost of implementing any new courses at UF, Lindner said.

Lindner said she has been developing the program since September 2015. She meets with an advisory council of about 25 UF students once a month to get a student perspective.

While a lot has to be determined about UF Quest, four task forces are in place to outline the curriculum for each “experience.” Each part is one semester long, with the exception of the online portfolio, which ideally is completed throughout the previous three parts.

The first core experience will require students to take a newer version of What is the Good Life, the start of students’ “purpose exploration” to connect first-year students with each other. Andrew Wolpert, the director of What is the Good Life, said he’s aware that there are negative opinions about the course and that he is trying to figure out how to advertise UF Quest and his course to students.

“This class does force people to come together who may not otherwise,” he said, adding that he doesn’t understand why the requirement keeps students from enjoying the course.

The second core experience will require students to select one of eight three-credit courses in either the social sciences or natural sciences. David Miller, the chair of the second core-experience task force, said those courses have yet to be selected.

The third core experience, or “experiential learning,” will require students to participate in activities outside of the classroom, such as internships, research or a study-abroad program, for a semester.

For the online portfolio, the fourth core-experience task force is still deciding how best to implement the portfolio and what platform to use, said Elayne Colón, the chair of the fourth core-experience task force. Lindner said she imagines it to be a supplement to a student’s transcript.

TJ Pyche, one of three student members of UF’s University Curriculum Committee, said he wished more students had attended the conference.

“I think this is a big issue,” the 21-year-old UF journalism senior said, adding that it will take a lot of input from students and faculty to develop the program.

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The UF Quest program will be divided into four “experiences” for students.

The program is set to launch in Fall 2018 for incoming freshmen. Although UF Quest is still developing, here’s what we know now:

First experience: Students will take an updated version of What is the Good Life (IUF 1000). They will discuss their purpose and direction in life.

Second experience: Students will choose one three-credit course from up to eight different course options. The course, either a social-sciences or natural-sciences course, will either fulfill a general-education requirement already in place or be an additional gen-ed credit, depending on major.

Third experience: Students will take part in a semester’s worth of “experiential learning,” such as research, internships, study abroad, community service and public service.

Fourth experience: Students will keep an e-portfolio of their work from the previous three experiences.