Information for Faculty | University Core Curriculum

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Helpful Resources

How is the Cardinal Core engaging, practical, and distinctive for Ball State faculty members?

Engaging: Reimagine current courses or design new ones that spotlight your discipline and showcase your teaching best practices.
Practical: Promote your discipline to students and attract new majors or minors.
Distinctive: Contribute to interdisciplinary learning in Beneficence Themed courses and elevate BSU’s enduring values.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to view a more comprehensive list of FAQs.

How do the new Cardinal Core outcomes align with the existing departmental curriculum and course offerings? 

Many courses in the current UCC have already been adapted to the structure and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) of the new Cardinal Core, which is more directly aligned with the Indiana College Core (ICC) competencies. Departments and Colleges are also welcome to propose new courses to the Beneficence Themes and Ways of Knowing components of the Cardinal Core. The new Cardinal Core shares with the existing UCC an interest in providing students with foundational knowledge and skills in written communication, speaking and listening, quantitative reasoning as well as humanistic and artistic, scientific, and social and behavioral ways of knowing. In this way, all of Ball State’s core courses—whether in the “old” or “new” iterations—introduce students to new areas of interest while complementing the more specialized content and skills gained as part of their major(s).

How will the Cardinal Core ensure students are exposed to a variety of perspectives and critical thinking skills? 

Ball State’s new Core aligns with the ICC student learning outcomes (SLOs) and provides a liberal arts experience for all students, regardless of their programs of study. As with all our curricular and co-curricular experiences at Ball State, the Cardinal Core prepares students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.

Where can we access the key learning outcomes for Cardinal Core courses? How will they be assessed?

Glad you asked! Learning outcomes for the new core are available here. The Ways of Knowing and Beneficence Themes categories include distinct Indiana College Core (ICC) domain SLOs to scaffold learning across the various Cardinal Core components. To learn more about the SLOs for these categories and domains, download course proposal templates, peruse the UCC instructions or watch this brief video. Our current core has clear assessment practices in place that are working well and can easily be applied to the new core. These Gen Ed assessment practices earned accolades in the 2024 HLC report reaffirming institutional accreditation, so we plan to continue the assessment process that was developed in 2019 and has been in place since then. Learn more about UCC assessment here.

Can courses in the new core have prerequisites?

Courses in the Cardinal Core should have no prerequisites and be open to all students in all majors. Some courses may require placements, however. Please consult with the UCC director for further guidance.

Can a course in the new Cardinal Core have more SLOs than those required by ICC for a particular domain?

Yes. A course in the Cardinal Core must include the ICC SLOs for the category and intellectual domain, and there must be at least one course outcome aligned with each of the ICC SLOs. A course can include additional course SLOs that are not aligned with those outcomes (i.e. outside the ICC). However, For more guidance on aligning outcomes, please consult with the UCC director or the Director of Assessment.

Given the push toward increasing transfer hours from all sources (dual credit, AP/IB, community college, etc.), is it possible that incoming students will have most or all of their entire UCC/ICC coursework completed when they arrive at Ball State?

Yes. The Indiana College Core (ICC) is a block of 30 credit hours of general education, college-level coursework which is guaranteed to transfer between all Indiana public colleges and universities. We already have students entering Ball State with the ICC completed; starting in fall 2026, these students will not be required to take any further UCC courses. There will continue to be students who do not complete the full ICC Certificate, however, and Ball State will need to provide opportunities for students to complete any remaining Cardinal Core requirements.

How do we promote the “value added” of a particular Beneficence Theme?

The Beneficence Themes highlight Ball State’s core values, goals, and skills and allow students to participate in transdisciplinary conversations that are of interest to them. Students will benefit from the transdisciplinary conversations that emerge around a similar topic. For example, a student who selects the Global Connections Beneficence Theme will engage in global issues from the perspectives of social scientists, natural scientists, and humanities and fine arts faculty. They will gain a rich, in-depth understanding of how to approach a global question or concern from a particular disciplinary perspective and across various modes and methods of study.

Does the Cardinal Core include a capstone (Tier 3) experience for students?

Capstone experiences are no longer included in Ball State’s Core Curriculum. However, our Strategic Plan, Goal 1, Imperative G, stipulates, “Every undergraduate student participates in a culminating experience, such as a capstone course, senior thesis or senior project, clinical experience, internship, or student teaching.”

What role, if any, will priorities like Textbook Affordability at Ball State (TABS), High-Impact Practices (HIPs), National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Competencies, and best practices for retention play in the new core?

The UCC Implementation Taskforce recommends faculty consider the following:

Adopt affordable materials, eBooks, reading lists, and OER materials readily available at BSU. These measures can increase student satisfaction, engagement, and retention. A high percentage of students (both nationally and at BSU) report that the cost of educational materials are barriers to enrollment and success. Faculty may request their courses be tagged as TABS through their unit’s scheduler.
Consult with the Director of Immersive Learning and High Impact Practices to better understand how to tag High-Impact Practice courses (HIPs).
Consult with the Skills Infusion Program to determine how best to integrate NACE competencies into your UCC courses and assessments.
Consult with the Writing Program, the Writing Center and the Director of Immersive Learning and High Impact Practices to explore best practices in writing and undergraduate research before designing a research-writing course. Consultation with the Writing Program Administrator is required before proposing a research-based writing course.

Are mechanisms in place to identify and support students who may struggle with the new core requirements? 

Mechanisms are already in place to support student success in all courses. Faculty may encourage students to consult with a Student Success Coach and to avail themselves of Learning Center and Writing Center support.

Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Frank A. Bracken Administration Building (AD)
Room 326
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306

Academic Year: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Summer: 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

765-285-3716

Questions?

Contact our University Core Curriculum Director for additional information about the Cardinal Core.