What Makes WISE Special?
At its heart, the goal of general education at WSU is to foster student growth, development, and resilience. It requires students to tackle authentic complex problems early and often. We teach problem solving, analytical skills, communication skills, critical thinking, and provide opportunities for students to explore various disciplines. We foster cultural understanding, civic engagement, wellbeing, and resilience. Our curriculum uses High Impact Practices (HIPs), which are evidence-based active learning approaches that increase students’ knowledge, engagement, and retention. WISE is where we prepare students for their major, and life after graduation.
General Education WISE Model
Westfield State Journey
Through these courses students develop a foundation for academic, social, educational and personal success. Students acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate academic inquiry and grow as healthy, self-aware, creative, curious and confident individuals. These courses include self-reflective practices as well as how to practice learning alongside an engaged community of learners.
- First Year Journey: Academic Inquiry
Courses in this area expose students to an intellectual passion that they can get excited about. Students collaborate with their professor and peers to examine a particular specialization, creative interest, question or topic in depth and from multiple points of view in order to develop college-level academic skills. Students are supported as they develop the skills needed to engage deeply and critically with complex materials; to take risks; to grow as a leader and collaborator; to reflect on strengths, passions and goals; and to begin to develop a vision for their journey through Westfield State University.
- Wellbeing: Caring for the Holistic Self
This will be a 1.5 credit course that focuses on the body, mind and spirit. Courses in this area equip students with skills that foster wellbeing and resilience, help students to react positively to life’s challenges, and enhance mental, social, emotional, physical, and academic success. Courses include reflective, metacognitive, and kinesthetic practices that support physical, mental and/or social-emotional well-being; The skills learned will foster attitudes and behaviors that enhance confidence for life-long self-care, such as self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationships skills, social awareness, and positive self-care. Courses will be anchored in active learning.
- Integrative Experience
Students complete a course in or outside of their major where they have a structured opportunity to reflect on what they learned in general education courses and consciously integrate and apply that learning within the context of their major. By completing an integrative experience, students will have the opportunity to address the question, “What has my learning in the General Education Curriculum contributed to my education and how is that learning related to my major and other learning experiences?”
Analysis, Practice, and Inquiry
By taking courses in this area students learn to explore specific approaches to critical and creative thinking. They use varied tools and methodologies as ways of knowing, evaluate sources of information to draw conclusions and communicate effectively, and engage in arts practice
- Rhetoric and Inquiry
This area introduces students to writing as a process-based approach to producing texts for different rhetorical occasions that emerge in academic and public contexts. Students learn to situate an original argument within the framework of other speakers, practice critical inquiry, and understand conventions associated with a range of genres. A major goal of this area is to help students understand how their prior writing knowledge informs their work and how to transfer the writing knowledge and skills they’ve learned to future writing projects.
- Inquiry into Patterns, Data and Reasoning
Students will discover how and why logical, mathematical, and computational ideas, concepts, and reasoning empower them to use and understand pattern, structure, data, shape and form in the world around us. In order to meet the commonwealth’s equity agenda this will be a college level math class designated by course identifier MATH01XX.
- Creative Arts Practice
Students will engage in the arts and the practice of creative arts with the goals of understanding the discipline, developing their unique voice, and becoming active citizens of the arts community on campus and beyond. Through course selection students will have the opportunity to select from the many ways to participate in an artistic experience.
- Inquiry into the Natural Sciences
Students will explore scientific inquiry as a way of knowing the natural world, which includes but is not limited to fields such as, physics, biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, astronomy, geography, and their interrelationships.
- Exploring Writing in the Major
Students will be introduced to the discourse of the discipline/field either in English 204 or a course offered by the major department. This course will build on the skills students learn in Rhetoric and Composition and in Writing Infused courses. Students learn strategies to locate, analyze, synthesize and generate research in rhetorically effective, genre- or discipline-specific ways.
Exploring Complex Issues
These courses build on the skills and ways of knowing introduced in the First Year Journey. Students explore and tackle complex, authentic problems drawing on diverse perspectives and theories, modes of inquiry, and domains of knowledge. Students acquire the ability to describe the multiple dimensions of a complex problem and to pose fruitful questions. In the pursuit of answers, they critically evaluate sources of information and apply logical reasoning, critical thinking, and appropriate methodology to draw conclusions. These courses focus on process and are writing and/or speaking and information literacy infused.
- Exploring Complex Issues Anchored in Mathematics, Computing, and Natural Sciences
Students utilize the practices of different disciplines and integrate knowledge and apply this knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, with a disciplinary center or focus from the field of Mathematics, Computing or Natural Sciences.
- Exploring Complex Issues Anchored in Arts & Humanities
Students utilize the practices of different disciplines and integrate knowledge and apply this knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, with a disciplinary center or focus from the Arts or Humanities.
- Exploring Complex Issues Anchored in Social & Health Sciences
Students utilize the practices of different disciplines and integrate knowledge and apply this knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, with a disciplinary center or focus from the Social or Health Sciences.
Perspectives
In these courses students develop cultural humility and an understanding of civic democracy in order to effectively collaborate, communicate, and participate within and across diverse local and global communities. Students acquire skills to critically analyze social structures and contrasting viewpoints, explore how to act and communicate as conscientious, ethical, and responsible community members who are concerned about social justice, and care for others and the environment.
- Individuals in Context
Courses in this area help students to acquire a broad understanding of the social, environmental, and historical influences that shape us as individuals and affect how we interact with other persons and groups.
- Social Groups and Culture
Students will acquire the skills necessary to critically analyze social structures and contrasting viewpoints on people, societies, aesthetics, environments, historical periods, and cultures
- Civic Learning
Provide civics education in order to promote civic service and civic knowledge-and to prepare students for the duties and responsibilities of citizenship.
- Power and Perspectives
Prepares students to critically analyze and engage in social justice issues. Prejudice reduction and collective action are emphasized.
Transition to The New General Education WISE Curriculum
WISE, the new general education curriculum, applies to First Year students entering Westfield State University in the Fall of 2024. Students beginning at WSU prior to Fall 2024 will complete the Temp Core.
Transfer Students” entering the university during the phase in of the new general education requirements will complete the same general education requirements as their peers of the same class rank. This means that during the transition time between universal implementation of WISE and the teaching out of the old core, incoming transfer students will be assigned the core/general education bulletin year of their cohort year. This phase-in approach to general education requirements strives to ensure students complete the same general education requirements as their peers of the same class rank. This will ensure the appropriate number and type of course offerings for students both phasing-in and phasing-out. For the purposes of this policy, credits transferred refers to college credits earned after the completion of a high school diploma (therefore AP credits or credits earned as part of dual enrollment do not apply).
| Semester |
Credits Transferred |
Temp Core/Gen Ed Requirement |
| Fall 2024 |
1-11 credits |
Complete new Gen Ed (bulletin year 24-25) |
| Fall 2024 |
12 credits and more |
Complete Temp Core (bulletin year 23-24) |
| Spring 2025 |
1-23 credits |
Complete new Gen Ed (bulletin year 24-25) |
| Spring 2025 |
24 credits and more |
Complete Temp Core (bulletin year 23-24) |
| Fall 2025 |
1-38 credits |
Complete new Gen Ed (bulletin year 25-26) |
| Fall 2025 |
39 credits and more |
Complete Temp Core (bulletin year 23-24) |
| Spring 2026 |
1-53 credits |
Complete new Gen Ed (bulletin year 25-26) |
| Spring 2026 |
54 credits and more |
Complete Temp Core (bulletin year 23-24) |
| Fall 2026 |
1-68 credits |
Complete new Gen Ed (bulletin year 26-27) |
| Fall 2026 |
69 credits and more |
Complete Temp Core (bulletin year 23-24) |
| Spring 2027 |
All New Students |
Complete new Gen Ed (bulletin year 24-25) |
General Education WISE Transfer Policy
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines to accept coursework into the University’s General Education curriculum. This policy is consistent with the provisions developed under the Commonwealth Transfer Compact that provides guidelines for students transferring from community colleges to state universities. Policy provisions are also consistent with guidelines established for the transfer of General Education course work credits between the four-year state universities.
POLICY
The following is the Proposed General Education Implementation and Transfer Policy for students who have attempted to complete any transferable coursework from an accredited college after successful completion of the high school diploma or its equivalent. This transfer policy also applies to those students who earn a MassTransfer-approved Associate’s degree as part of their high school experience.
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Transfer status
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Section to consult
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Students who have completed MassTransfer General Education Foundation Block or STEM block, with or without an Associate’s degree.
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A
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Students who have completed 60 or more credits (non-MassTransfer students).
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B
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Students who have completed 30-59 credits (non-MassTransfer students).
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C
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*Students who transfer in 29 or fewer credits will complete all General Education requirements. (Use section D to determine how courses transfer).
A. Students transferring under the MassTransfer Program[1]
- Waive all outstanding Westfield General Education requirements for students who have completed one of the following MassTransfer Programs:
- The 34-credit MassTransfer General Education Foundation Block and the associate degree;
- The 34-credit MassTransfer General Education Foundation Block without the associate degree;
- The 28-credit MassTransfer STEM Block as part of a designated MassTransfer STEM A2B associate degree.
- WSU will require the University Wide Requirements Integrative Experience and Exploring Writing in the Discipline, which are completed within the major and are considered university requirements.
B. Students who have completed 60 or more credits, but are not MassTransfer students.
1. All General Education requirements will be satisfied upon the completion of the following key categories in the General Education Curriculum (by either transferring these classes in from their previous institution(s) or taking them at WSU):
- Rhetoric and Composition (3-4 credits)
- Inquiry into Patterns, Data and Reasoning (3 credits)
- Inquiry into the Natural World (3-4 credits)
- Civic Learning or Power and Perspectives (3 credits)
2. WSU will require the University Wide Requirements Integrative Experience and Exploring Writing in the Discipline, which are completed within the major and are considered university requirements.
C. Students who have completed 30-59 credits, but are not MassTransfer students.
1. All General Education requirements will be satisfied upon the completion of the following key categories in the General Education Curriculum (by either transferring these classes in from their previous institution(s) or taking them at WSU):
- Rhetoric and Composition (3-4 credits)
- Inquiry into Patterns, Data and Reasoning (3 credits)
- Inquiry into the Natural World (3-4 credits)
- Civic Learning or Power and Perspectives (3 credits)
- Exploring Complex Issues - required to complete one course from one of the three categories in this column (3 credits)
2. WSU will require the University Wide Requirements Integrative Experience and Exploring Writing in the Discipline, which are completed within the major and are considered university requirements.
D. The evaluation of individual courses
Courses completed at another institution will be evaluated following the steps below to determine if they satisfy General Education requirements. The staff person from Admissions, Academic Advising, or Registrar’s offices reviewing the student transcript will move to the next step if the results of previous steps are either inconclusive or not satisfactory to the student.
Step 1: Following University guidelines, developed in consultation with the appropriate department chair, the transfer course is determined to be equivalent to a course in the WSU General Education. If so, that course is accepted as satisfying that General Education requirement.
If not, then:
Step 2: Consult with the Executive Director of General Education to determine if the course meets the area description, learning outcomes and practice standards for a particular area of WSU’s General Education. If so, that course is accepted as satisfying that General Education requirement.
If not, then:
Step 3: Determine if the course is included in the General Education requirements at the student’s prior institution. If so, accept it as satisfying the corresponding category in the WSU General Education.
If the course is not accepted as part of General Education, upon receiving this determination, students have the right to appeal.
Appeal: Students not satisfied with the results of the General Education determination must first consult with the Executive Director of General Education regarding the decision, requesting explanation and/or reconsideration of the decision. If students are still not satisfied, they may appeal to the Provost or their designee, providing a written rationale for the course’s satisfaction of a General Education requirement for the appealing student.
The Provost’s or their designee’s decision is final.
Reporting: General Education determination results from Step 1 through Step 3 and successful appeals must be reported in writing to the Registrar.
E. Students enrolled in the Second Bachelor’s program through continuing education who have completed a Bachelor’s degree at an accredited college will be deemed to have completed all Westfield State University General Education requirements.
A. WSU will require the University Wide Requirements Integrative Experience and Exploring Writing in the Discipline, which are completed within the major and are considered university requirements.
REVIEW
This policy will be reviewed every 5 years by the Executive Director of General Education or its equivalent and the Academic Policies Committee.
