Course Certification and Assessment

Course Certification and Re-Certification

SEEDS-certified courses are approved for a five-year certification period, with re-certification taking place during the fifth and final year. All requests for SEEDS certification or re-certification must be submitted using the Course Inventory Management (CIM) system.

Review Guidelines Access CIM 

 

Course Certification for 2026-2027

Starting in Fall 2026, the Advisory Board will start the process of re-certification of courses that were given a two-year certification during the 2023-2024 academic year. The certification of these courses expires in Spring 2027. A new round of certification begins Wednesday, September 2, 2026. 

Re-Certify Courses on CIM
Professor George teaches a student at her laptop during a media course.

Certification Requirements

Student Learning Outcome (SLO) Alignment

Each SEEDS-certified course must align with a Student Learning Outcome within the Foundations or Explorations areas of the curriculum. Faculty will be asked to explain how course learning goals, assignments, and instructional activities support the selected outcome. 

When preparing your proposal, consider:

  • Which course assignments allow students to demonstrate the selected SLO.
  • How students will practice and develop the skills associated with that outcome.
  • How the course contributes to the broader educational goals of the SEEDS Curriculum.

SEEDS Value Alignment

In addition to an SLO, each course must be connected to one of the five SEEDS Values. While the SLO describes what students learn, the Value explains why the course is important within the general education curriculum.

Faculty will be asked to identify the value that best reflects the purpose of the course and explain how course content, assignments, and pedagogical approaches help students engage with that value.

The SEEDS Values are:

  • Social Justice and Equity
  • Educated Citizenry (Critical Information Literacy)
  • Engagement, Agency, and Leadership
  • Diversity and Intercultural Competency
  • Self-Discovery and Self-Care

Assessment Participation

SEEDS certification includes participation in ongoing curriculum assessment efforts designed to evaluate student learning across the curriculum. Participation may include:

  • Providing samples of student work for review.
  • Distributing indirect assessment measures.
  • Collaborating with assessment coordinators when courses are selected for review.

Departments and instructors will be contacted when their courses are scheduled for assessment. 

Assessment Schedule for Student Learning Outcomes

Fall 2026: Revision and Preparation Phase

Spring 2027: Effective Writing II, Creative Expression, and Analyzing Cultures and Societies

Fall 2027: Effective Writing I, Ethical Inquiry, and Literary and Artistic Analysis

Spring 2028: Quantitative Reasoning, Historical Thinking, and Scientific Reasoning

Fall 2028: Interactive Communication, Political and Civic Life, and World Languages

Spring 2029: Analysis and Reporting Phase

Faculty Engagement

Faculty play an important role in the ongoing development and improvement of the SEEDS Curriculum. Opportunities may include participation in assessment initiatives, feedback sessions, workshops, and the development of tools used to evaluate SEEDS Values across the curriculum.

Before You Submit

To receive SEEDS certification, courses must demonstrate meaningful alignment with the goals and values of the SEEDS Curriculum. Faculty should review the certification requirements before beginning a proposal in the Course Inventory Management (CIM) system. 

All courses seeking certification or re-certification must:

  • Align course learning goals with one SEEDS Student Learning Outcome (SLO).
  • Demonstrate how the course supports one SEEDS Value.
  • Participate in the ongoing assessment of the SEEDS Curriculum.
    • Participation includes submitting examples of student work and distributing other indirect assessment measures.

New courses should receive SEEDS certification before seeking curriculum approval.

Resources and Support for Certification

Find quick access to certification instructions, submission tools, timelines and support resources to help guide you through the SEEDS Certification process here. Additional teaching resources and support can be found through the Office of Faculty Excellence.

Need Help Using CIM?

If you have difficulty accessing or using the Course Inventory Management (CIM) system, please contact Carlin Soos directly.