Council on Liberal Education
The Council on Liberal Education (CLE) is appointed by the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education. The CLE has oversight responsibilities for the University of Minnesota Liberal Education (LE) Curriculum for all undergraduate students on the Twin Cities campus. This includes review of all LE proposals.
The CLE is composed of faculty and student representatives from across the Twin Cities Campus and is charged to represent the best interests of students and the University of Minnesota as a whole, rather than their departmental or collegiate units.
In order to fulfill liberal education (LE) requirements, all Core and Theme courses must be certified under the requirements for LEs that took effect in 2010. An LE course should be re-certified within 8 years after initial certification.
Submitting a Course for Review
Course proposals should address the guidelines that pertain to the specific LE or WI requirement, as well as the general characteristics that are common to Cores and/or Themes. Student-facing course syllabi should clearly evidence how the course meets each of the specific requirements as well as the general characteristics.
The step by step process for submitting proposals is also provided here.
Review Timeline and Decisions
The CLE meets monthly and encourages course proposals to be submitted well in advance. A more detailed timeline for LE and WI certification can be found here.
Types of CLE decisions:
- Approval - Course is approved for the proposed LE/WI based on the effective term entered in Coursedog.
- Provisional Approval - The LE/WI proposal has minor revisions that must be made prior to full approval. Once requested changes are made, the course will be approved for the proposed LE/WI designation based on the effective term entered in Coursedog.
- Revise and Resubmit - The CLE has concerns that must be addressed and reviewed prior to full approval. Revisions will be re-evaluated by the CLE.
Frequently Asked Questions
A list of frequently asked questions related to LE/WI proposals can assist with questions faculty or staff may have during the submission of an LE/WI proposal. For further questions, please contact Berne Christiansen at [email protected].