The General Education Review and Reform Initiative at ODU aims to create a student-focused, streamlined, and future-ready general education program. This effort will inspire learning, prepare graduates for success, and involve the entire ODU community in shaping its direction. Guided by feedback from students and faculty, assessment data, and an external review, the reform ensures the new curriculum meets academic standards and best practices while allowing for innovation.

I was recommended to join the General Education Reform Team’s Student Committee and eagerly accepted the opportunity. My ideas and contributions to the committee have been shaped by my experience as an older commuter student and student veteran. I have provided input based on my personal experience with credit transfers and the recognition of prior learning and will be collaborating with other student veterans to develop ideas that ensure students’ diverse experiences are acknowledged.

A key discussion point has been the importance of evaluating students as whole individuals rather than solely through traditional coursework. For instance, I have a background in intelligence analysis and already had possessed the skills and training covered in an information literacy course. Also, I am a champion-level Irish dancer and have an online graphic design business yet still require a Creativity Way of Knowing general education course. The years spent honing these skills should be considered for academic credit, reducing unnecessary coursework and helping to lower barriers to higher education, including cost and time commitments.

Additionally, requiring students to retake material they are already proficient in does not support the goal of broadening knowledge and skills. Instead, allowing students to fulfill general education requirements with courses that align with their field of study, for me this could be a graphics course in modeling and simulation engineering that isn’t a strict graduation requirement, could foster personal growth and professional development while still meeting general education standards.

By recognizing and valuing students’ prior knowledge and unique experiences, this reform can create a more flexible, meaningful, and accessible education system that truly supports student success.

I will be graduating the same year this program is implemented, so while I won’t personally benefit from the changes, I’m grateful to be part of the process and hope to make a meaningful impact on future generations of students.