An update on UHart's efforts to revamp General Education from Provost Katherine Black:
Dear Colleagues,
As we finish out the fall semester, I am writing to provide an update on our efforts to revamp general education.
First, I want to thank Zee Onuf and Bryan Sinche, as well as the General Education Committee, for their hard work and dedication in setting the stage to implement our new general education in Fall 2026. To this point, the work accomplished thus far includes:
- Defining the seven general education categories (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and technology, participatory arts, interdisciplinary, writing, math);
- Finding homes for most of the current UIS courses;
- Awarding mini-grants for faculty to develop new general education courses or revise existing courses to count toward general education;
- Working with Lisa Zawilinski, Executive Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation, on faculty development workshops to support general education pedagogy; and
- Reviewing college-specific general education proposals to align with NECHE standards.
More information can be found on the newly created General Education Implementation - University of Hartford website.
The focus for the spring semester will be on identifying the courses that fulfill each of the general education categories, developing “tracks” within general education to provide a themed direction for courses should students choose, developing an assessment plan, creating advising tools for faculty and students, and naming the new general education.
I am pleased to report that we earned a three-year grant from the Davis Educational Foundation, totaling just over $219,000, for additional faculty development support. My thanks to Associate Provost Jim Shattuck, CTEI Executive Director Lisa Zawilinski, and Rebecca Brandt from the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs for their leadership on this grant.
Second, I have been giving a great deal of thought to the directorship of General Education going forward. Margaret Tarampi has done an outstanding job leading the University Interdisciplinary Studies program for the last three years. She is scheduled to take a much-deserved sabbatical next year. Zee Onuf and Bryan Sinche have been exceptional leaders in our university-wide effort to revamp our general education for the last 18 months. As seemed fitting, I offered both of them the opportunity to serve as Co-Directors of General Education. Upon careful consideration, Zee decided that she has other responsibilities she needs to attend to. Bryan graciously agreed to serve as Director and has been granted a three-year appointment. I believe he will be an excellent steward of our new general education.
Joining the University of Hartford in 2006 as an Assistant Professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, Bryan was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and promoted to Professor in 2020. Bryan is a scholar of African-American literature. He primarily teaches courses in African-American literature and first-year seminars. He is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and reviews. He has been awarded support for his work from the National Endowment for the Humanities and served as the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. His book Published by the Author: Self-Publication in Nineteenth-Century African American Literature, published by University of North Carolina Press, was a finalist for book prizes presented by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History as well as the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing. He has a long list of service accomplishments including as Chair of the Department of English and Modern Languages, Director of the Africana Studies program, Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate, and Faculty Regent. For many years, he has served on the A&S Honors Committee and has been significantly involved in recruiting events. For his teaching, scholarship, and service, Bryan was awarded the Belle K. Ribicoff Endowed Professorship, one of the University’s highest honors.
Bryan will begin his role as Director of General Education on July 1, 2026. Please join me in thanking Margaret, Zee, and Bryan for their tireless efforts in supporting general education, and congratulating Bryan on his new appointment as General Education Director.
Katherine Black
Provost