Volunteer Core (General Education) Committee Guidelines

Purpose 

1. The Volunteer Core Committee serves as a standing committee of the Undergraduate Council to advise the Undergraduate Council on matters pertaining to students’ core coursework. Specifically, the Volunteer Core committee 
   • Makes and receives recommendations regarding the philosophy and requirements of the Volunteer Core component of the University’s academic mission 
   • Develops criteria and procedures for submitting, evaluating, and approving courses that meet the University of Tennessee Volunteer Core requirement 
   • Reviews and approves courses proposed for inclusion on the Volunteer Core list of courses 
   • Recommends and implements policies and procedures for continual improvement of the Volunteer Core 
   • Facilitates and encourages campus dialogue and communication regarding the Volunteer Core 
2. The Volunteer Core Committee coordinates its activities with other committees of the Undergraduate Council. 

Membership Guidelines 

The voting membership consists of: 

• at least 6 elected members of the Undergraduate Council 

• the chair of each Volunteer Core subcommittee 

• a student member 

• a representative from University Libraries 

• a representative responsible for Volunteer Core curriculum and assessment from each of the undergraduate colleges 

The non-voting membership consists of: 

• chair of Undergraduate Council or designee 

• vice-provost for academic affairs or designee 

• a representative from each of the following units as appointed each year by the Chair of the Undergraduate Council in consultation with the Directors/Deans of these specific units: 

• • Undergraduate Council Advising committee 

• • Institutional Effectiveness 
  • Office of the University Registrar 

Leadership 

1. Each spring at the last meeting, a faculty member with experience on the Volunteer Core Committee or one of its subcommittees is elected to a two-year term. 
   • In year one, the person serves as vice-chair, shadows the chair, and acts on the chair’s behalf when needed. 
   • In year two, the person serves as chair, oversees the committee, serves on Undergraduate Council, serves on other committees for VolCore expertise as needed, and mentors the vice-chair. 
2. The chair may be elected to multiple two-year terms. Anyone elected at the end of their second (chair) year would have a staggered leadership role (repeat vice-chair, chair succession). 
3. Should the chair or vice-chair not be able to complete a term, the Volunteer Core committee is responsible for electing a replacement. 
4. If the chair is not a member of the Undergraduate Council, the chair serves as an ex-officio member of that body. 
5. The chair coordinates with subcommittee chairs who oversee the proposal processing, reapproval, transfer petitioning, and course assessment functions within each category. 

Voting 

A quorum consists of more than 50% of the Volunteer Core Committee members. Votes pass if agreed on by a majority (more than 50%) of those voting. Members are encouraged to send a proxy if they cannot attend a meeting. 

Process for Proposing New Courses 

1. Faculty or departments can propose a course for inclusion in one or more Volunteer Core categories. All proposals must be acknowledged by the School/College Volunteer Core representative as they are responsible for implementation and assessment. 
2. Proposals are submitted on the appropriate form to the Volunteer Core Committee Chair(s). The submission of the proposal will be noted in the Volunteer Core Course Proposal Tracking Form. 
3. The form is sent to the appropriate subcommittee chair(s). The subcommittee(s) review the proposal and then present their findings to the Volunteer Core Committee as a whole. If the proposal is approved, it is then sent to the Undergraduate Council for its approval. The votes and decisions are noted in the Volunteer Core Course Proposal Tracking Form. The person submitting the proposal will be notified of the subcommittee’s and the Volunteer Core Committee’s decision. 

Assessment of Volunteer Core Courses 

Each course on the Volunteer Core list is assessed at least once every 3 years. The assessment process is outlined in the Volunteer Core Course Assessment document. 

Expectations for Phasing out a Volunteer Core Course 

A course that is on the Volunteer Core list has the following expectations: 

1. Any course fulfilling a Volunteer Core requirement must be proposed to, and approved by, the Volunteer Core Committee before being approved by the Undergraduate Council and Faculty Senate. 
2. Courses on the Volunteer Core list in one year carry over to the next year’s catalog. 
3. Once a course is approved for a Volunteer Core requirement, it must continue to be taught following the approved Volunteer Core characteristics whenever it is offered. 
4. If a department wishes to drop the Volunteer Core designation for a course: 
   • The Coordinator of Curriculum and Catalog must be informed of the intent to drop the Volunteer Core designation by October 1. 
   • There is a 6-year phase out period for any course dropped from the Volunteer Core list. 
   • If still offered during the 6-year phase out period, a course must be taught following the approved Volunteer Core characteristics. 
   • The department may choose not to offer a course if it does not wish to continue teaching it as a Volunteer Core course during the 6-year phase out period. 
   • The Volunteer Core designation for a dropped course is date-ranged in the Undergraduate Catalog course description, on the Volunteer Core list and in the course description), on the list maintained on the web, and on students’ DARS reports. 
5. Courses dropped from the Undergraduate Catalog are dropped from the Volunteer Core list. 
6. Archived courses (i.e., not listed in the Undergraduate Catalog, but not dropped) will be temporarily dropped from the Volunteer Core list but will be added back when the course is taught again. Once reinstated, the course must be taught following the originally approved Volunteer Core characteristics. 
7. If a course is dropped from the Undergraduate Catalog but is reinstated with a new number through an equivalency table, it would need to be resubmitted to the Volunteer Core Committee for approval in order to retain the Volunteer Core designation. 
8. If a department wants to change the Volunteer Core category(ies) for a course, the old course number must be dropped and a new course must be proposed to the Undergraduate Council and to the Volunteer Core Committee. 

Subcommittees 

Purpose 

1. There are twelve subcommittees, one for each of the following areas: 

• • Written Communication (WC) 

• • Oral Communication (OC) 

• • Applied Oral Communication (AOC) 

• • Quantitative Reasoning (QR) 

• • Arts & Humanities (AH) 

• • Applied Arts & Humanities (AAH) 

• • Global Citizenship United States (GCUS) 

• • Global Citizenship International (GCI) 

• • Natural Sciences (NS) 

• • Social Sciences (SS) 

• • Engaged Inquiries (EI) 

• • Assessment 

2. The subcommittees serve in an advisory role to the Volunteer Core Committee and are charged with management of the lists of courses to be included in the Volunteer Core requirement for their respective subcommittee. Specifically, subcommittees:

• • review and make recommendations for approving Volunteer Core courses 

• • review courses for continuation as Volunteer Core courses 

• • review student petitions for Volunteer Core courses 

• • coordinate with the chair of the Volunteer Core Committee to assess courses 

3. Subcommittees correspond with departments proposing courses and consult with faculty in revising course proposals.

Selection of Subcommittee Members 

1. The Undergraduate Council Chair, in consultation with the Volunteer Core Committee Chair, appoints at least 6 members to serve on the Volunteer Core Committee. They may request to serve on a subcommittee if they wish to do so. 
2. Each College/School supports the Volunteer Core mission by having at least one representative on the Volunteer Core subcommittees. 
   • The number of representatives is proportional to the number of full-time faculty in the College/School. 
   • How many from each College/School is determined by the Volunteer Core Chair in consultation with the Undergraduate Council Chair and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, or designee, based upon who is cycling off each subcommittee. 
   • In the spring, prior to the final Volunteer Core meeting, the Provost’s Office is responsible for notifying each college of their needed representation and securing the appropriate number of people to serve. 
   • The Undergraduate Council Chair, or designee, and the Volunteer Core Chair assign people to the various subcommittees. 
3. Each subcommittee may range in size as needed but is recommended to have 3-8 faculty members with representation from multiple colleges granting undergraduate degrees. Each subcommittee should have at least two representatives with subject expertise in the Volunteer Core category it represents. 
4. Members serve a 3-year term on a rotating basis and may serve multiple terms. The chair of each subcommittee is appointed by the chair of the Volunteer Core Committee and selected from the pool of members with at least one year of service on the subcommittee. 
5. Although subcommittee members should represent a diverse cross–section of disciplines and colleges, the chair of some subcommittees is specified: 
   • Written Communication chair is from English. 
   • Quantitative Reasoning chair is from Mathematics. 
   • Oral Communication chair is from Communication Studies. 
   • Assessment contains at least one member from Institutional Effectiveness. 

 

Undergraduate Council Minutes — Pages U5967-U5970 — October 19, 2021; Revised – Pages U16576-16589 — March 11, 2025, and Pages U16657-16660 — April 22, 2025