Katie HillReporter

SDSU’s Office of Academic Affairs has started a task force to review and evaluate the Institutional Graduation Requirements.

The group hopes to complete a report by mid-March of this year and make potential changes by fall 2012 or 2013.

One of the main reasons the IGRs are being evaluated is so that students can get the best well-rounded education possible.

Dan Hansen, assistant dean for the College of Pharmacy and a task force member, said the group is focused on “looking at current IGRs and what, if any, changes need to be made.”

The task force started reviewing the framework of IGRs in the last academic year.

“We are at the point to where we are evaluating what is in place,” Hansen said.

IGRs are a reflection of what course requirements are significant to SDSU specifically, unlike System General Education Requirements (SGRs), which are Board of Regents requirements.

The most recent changes were approved in fall 2004, Hansen said.

The Office of Academic Affairs oversees academics and curriculum matters. Provost Laurie Nichols said she decided to appoint the task force because changes had not been made since that time, and concerns were being heard from some deans and department heads.

Changes can take a while to process because the report has to go through an approval process.

“Our subcommittee works on developing the changes and presenting back to the Academic Affairs committee for approval,” Hansen said. “They will also need to be approved by the Faculty Senate and Students’ Association before they eventually reach the Board of Regents.”

Nichols said that a four-year degree should prepare students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, leaders, good public speakers and have a global perspective.

“Creating learning outcomes that say our students can do these things is pretty important at SDSU,” Nichols said.

Lily Berg, a junior history major, believes that there should be some changes made to the IGRs.

“If the university is going to keep the requirements the same, then I think they should expand the course options, that way I can pick something I will enjoy, rather than sit through a class I don’t have an interest in,” Berg said.

Along with more options, Berg said the requirement concept should be easier to understand.

“I have to sit there and figure out which courses count and which don’t for each goal, and if more courses were offered within an IGR goal, I wouldn’t have to worry as much about it,” Berg said.