Announcement of General Education Council

April 8, 2025

Dear Colleagues, 

I am pleased to announce the membership of the General Education Council (GEC), which will steer the Modern General Education Curriculum initiative announced by President Guskiewicz.  

As stated in the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, “The institution looks to the faculty for recommendations [...] on the development of new academic programs and modification or discontinuance of old...” (Article 8). In addition to the faculty, the GEC also includes a colleague from the Office of Undergraduate Education. 

I am grateful for the broad participation in nominating council members. The number of excellent nominees exceeded the number of people needed to keep the council functional, and the GEC will form small, themed committees of additional college faculty, staff, and students as its work moves forward. These subcommittees and additional campus groups will be engaged through many opportunities. We look forward to working across campus to involve as many community members as possible.  

The GEC members are:  

• Natasha Jones, Co-Chair, College of Arts and Letters 
• Jonathan Weaver, Co-Chair, College of Social Science 
• Megan Donahue, College of Natural Science 
• Euihark Lee, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
• Marci Mechtel, College of Nursing 
• Sara D. Miller, MSU Libraries 
• Ken Prouty, College of Music   
• Jennifer Schmidt, College of Education 
• John Spink, Broad College of Business 
• Alexandrea Thrubis Stanley, College of Communication Arts and Sciences  
• Sarah Tomasik, College of Veterinary Medicine 
• S. Patrick Walton, College of Engineering 
• Matt Zierler, James Madison College 
• Stephen Thomas, Office of Undergraduate Education 

The GEC members will complete the Modern General Education project in three phases: (1) information-gathering, campus feedback, and research; (2) curriculum design; and (3) campus feedback and academic governance review and approval.  

Once the council has been charged, more information will be shared on the timeline and the process for submitting suggestions to the council. In the meantime, please feel free to email AACC Director and Project Lead Dr. Stacia Moroski-Rigney with questions, comments, or concerns.  

Please share this communication with faculty and staff in your colleges and units.  

Sincerely, 

Thomas D. Jeitschko, Ph.D. (he/him)    
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs    
Professor, Department of Economics