1. How is the completion of the Systemwide GE documented?

An institution that verifies that the student has completed all seven GE buckets shall note “KS Systemwide General Education Completed” on its official transcript.

2. If a student completed the systemwide GE at one institution and subsequently transfers, is the receiving institution required to put the “KS Systemwide General Education Completed” notation on its transcript too? 

The policy only explicitly requires the institution where the student completes the systemwide GE to include the “KS Systemwide General Education Completed” notation on the official transcript.  While the receiving institution is not required to post the transcript notation, it may also be helpful for the receiving institution to post the notation “KS Systemwide General Education Completed at (insert institution)” on its transcript to signal to academic advisors and registrar/records personnel that the GE was completed at a previous institution.  

3. What if an institution cannot put the “KS Systemwide General Education Completed” notation on its transcript for those students who have completed the systemwide GE?  

If this is a concern at your institution, please contact Academic Affairs at the Board Office as soon as possible.

4. When looking specifically at GE course credit, what is required when a student provides official documentation of Advanced Placement scores, CLEP scores, International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge International scores?

As detailed in Chapter III.18.b, state universities and participating coordinated institutions award credit based on students achieving requisite scores on Advanced Placement, CLEP, International Baccalaureate exams, and Cambridge International exams consistent, with the provisions established in the Board’s Credit by Exam policy, for general education courses in:

• the subjects detailed in the six discipline buckets; and
• any applicable subjects within the institution’s institutionally designated bucket. 

Unless an exception has been approved in accordance with the Credit by Exam policy, this requires institutions to award credit for an equivalent GE course or courses based on the following scores:

 Thus, in practice, this means:

The exceptions in which a higher requisite score is acceptable are detailed here.

A compliance report detailing the requisite AP, CLEP, IB and CI scores and the corresponding GE credit that a student is eligible for at each institution will be presented to the Board in Fall 2024. Thus, if institutions are not currently applying these requisite scores in awarding credit in equivalent GE courses, it will be necessary to make changes soon to ensure compliance.

5. What if a transfer student provides an official transcript from a Kansas public institution that includes at least one GE course that was earned through credit by exam? What does this mean for the receiving institution?

Once recorded on a Kansas public institution’s transcript, credit earned by exam in GE courses is transferable on the same basis as if the credit had been earned through completing the course(s) at the awarding Kansas public institution. When a Kansas public institution awards credit by exam in any general education subject detailed in one of the six discipline buckets, the receiving Kansas public institution shall not be permitted to require the transfer student to provide official copies of the exam scores.

6. Does KBOR expect Degree Maps for all of academic programs?  

Yes, guidance is detailed here.

1.  When would the receiving institution be permitted to require an incoming transfer student who completed the systemwide GE to complete additional GE?

An incoming transfer student who completed the systemwide GE can be required to complete additional GE when the student:

• pursues a major for which the Board President and CEO has granted permission to continue requiring – and not waive – a specific course requirement  that is classified in the GE area of the degree; or
• pursues a major at the receiving Kansas public institution for which the Board President and CEO has granted permission to deviate from the systemwide GE requirements.

2.  If a student completed the systemwide GE, can the receiving institution go through and check the transcript and apply the GE grading and performance course standards that all its native students are required to meet?

No. The goal of the systemwide GE was to create a system in which the receiving institution could not unpack a completed GE and enforce its own GE standards.  Here are some more specifics.

Grading 

• If a receiving institution requires all its native students to earn a “C” or higher in a specific GE course(s), it cannot require a transfer student who completed the systemwide GE to retake and ultimately earn a higher grade in such a specific GE course in which he/she earned a “D” Grade; however, it should be noted that if the student is pursuing a program with a grade standard that is required to meet selective admission criteria or is necessary to meet programmatic accreditation or licensure standards, the student may be required to retake a GE course and ultimately earn a higher grade.

Performance Courses (see the Arts and Humanities Bucket)

• If a receiving institution prohibits native students from using a performance course (e.g., piano I) to apply toward the six-credit-hour arts and humanities bucket, it cannot enforce the same standard when a transfer student completed the systemwide GE.

1.  When would the receiving institution be permitted to exclude a systemwide transfer course from satisfying a credit-hour requirement in an applicable discipline bucket area?

A systemwide transfer course may be excluded from satisfying a GE requirement in an applicable discipline bucket when the student:

• pursues a major for which the Board President and CEO has granted permission to continue requiring – and not waive – a specific course requirement that is classified in the discipline bucket area; or 
• pursues a major at the receiving Kansas public institution for which the Board President and Chief Executive Officer has granted permission to deviate from the systemwide GE requirements;

2.  If a student did not complete the systemwide GE and transfers, can the receiving institution go through and check the transcript and apply the GE grading and performance course standards that all its native students are required to meet?

Yes.  When an incoming transfer student did not complete the systemwide GE, the receiving institution can apply the GE grading and performance course standards that apply to its native students.  Here are more specifics.

Grading 

• If a receiving institution requires all its native students to earn a “C” or higher in a specific GE course, it can require a transfer student who did not complete the systemwide GE to retake and ultimately earn a higher grade in such a course when he/she earned a “D” grade. 

Performance Courses (see the Arts and Humanities Bucket)

• If a receiving institution prohibits its native student from applying a performance course (e.g., piano I) toward the six-credit-hour arts and humanities bucket, it can enforce the same standard when a transfer student did not complete the systemwide GE.

Additionally, it should be noted that if the student is pursuing a program with a grade standard that is required to meet selective admission criteria or is necessary to meet programmatic accreditation or licensure standards, the student may be required to retake such a course and ultimately earn a higher grade.

3.  When a transfer student has not completed the Systemwide GE but has completed systemwide GE transfer courses, how will the receiving institution apply the systemwide transfer courses toward completing the GE buckets?

The Systemwide Transfer Courses by GE Bucket Resource Resource identifies the systemwide transfer courses that apply in each discipline bucket. 

1. When is the date in which the new systemwide GE will take effect at every public community college and university in the state?

At the latest, this will need to take effect on each campus for first-time students and transfer students who begin in the Fall of 2024.  As such, when incoming students are enrolled for the Fall 2024 semester beginning in February or March 2024, they will be advised under the new Systemwide GE. 

2. Can institutions implement the new GE earlier than Fall 2024?

Yes, nothing prohibits institutions from implementing early.    

3. If a student completes the systemwide GE before Fall 2024 and transfers with a statement noting “systemwide GE completed,” is the receiving institution required to accept it and consider the GE completed?

While these will be rare, the answer is yes. The student should not be penalized for completing the systemwide GE at an institution that adopted it early and subsequently transferring to an institution that adopted it later.

4. Is the new systemwide GE retroactive?

All institutions will list the systemwide GE in all degree programs for the 2024-2025 year. Institutions are encouraged to use the new systemwide GE for students who began prior to Fall 2024 if it is beneficial for on-time completion.

5. If a student starts in Fall 2023 at a community college and expresses that they plan to transfer to a university in Fall 2024, how should this student be advised?

The Systemwide Transfer Courses by GE Bucket Resource (this is a list of Systemwide Transfer courses that fall within each respective systemwide discipline bucket) will serve as a valuable advising resource both in the pre and post-stages of GE implementation. 

Additionally, if the student has identified the transfer destination, the student should also contact that specific university to learn more.