BU Hub News: Important BU Hub Updates

October 2, 2019:

As we move into the second year of the BU Hub general education program, we wanted to begin by thanking BU faculty and staff for all of your work on the Hub. Due to your efforts, there are now 1,000 Hub courses and cocurricular experiences available to students!

We are also very pleased to introduce Professor David Carballo as the new Assistant Provost for General Education. Please visit the BU Hub Staff Directory to learn more about David and his role with the Hub.  Welcome, David!

Following are some important Hub updates for AY 2019-2020:

Hub Curriculum Development

• Submitting Hub Courses for AY 2020-2021: This year, faculty, departments, and schools/colleges are strongly encouraged to submit all courses that are to be included in the Hub curriculum. Please note: The deadline for submitting Hub courses for AY 2020-2021 to the General Education Committee (GEC) is November 15, 2019. Among the top priority areas of development are Writing-Intensive Course and Scientific Inquiry II or Social Inquiry II.
• New GEC Interpretive Document: The GEC has added a new document on “Ethical Reasoning” to the GEC Interpretive Documents, which provide additional guidance on Hub learning outcomes and policies.
• CTL Course Development Stipends: The Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) is offering Course Development Stipends for faculty interested in revising courses for the Hub or developing new Hub courses. For more information, visit the CTL website.
• Hub Course Enhancement Funds: The new Hub Course Enhancement Fund supports exciting general education learning experiences for BU undergraduates. All BU faculty and graduate students teaching Hub courses may apply for funding to support innovative approaches to teaching one or more of the Hub areas. Expenses might include those associated with attending cultural events, engaging with local communities, or materials needed to incorporate more experiential, collaborative, or project-based pedagogy into a Hub course. Complete the online application.

The XCC and Hub Cocurriculars

• The Cross-College Challenge (XCC): XCC spring 2020 course offerings are now available:
  • A1 Creating Social Equity in the MA Cannabis Industry
  • B1 Makings of a Great Baseball Player
  • C1 Spark! Innovation Fellowship Program
  • D1 Thinking Through Puppets and Performing Objects
• Save the Date!: The XCC Project Showcase featuring final presentations of fall 2019 sections will take place on December 14, 2019, 9-11 am, 1 Silber Way, Metcalf Trustee Center, 9th Floor
• Hub Cocurriculars: Students can register this fall to take a Hub cocurricular in spring 2020. Hub cocurriculars allow students to explore their extracurricular interests while earning a Hub unit. For a listing of Hub cocurriculars, please visit the BU Hub website.

Other Updates:

• Highlighting Hub Teaching & Learning: This year, we will be highlighting examples of the innovative teaching and learning that is happening in the Hub across BU. We would love to hear from you about your Hub courses! If you have a Hub classroom experience that you would like to share, please email us at thehub@bu.edu.

As always, if you have any questions about the BU Hub, please contact us at thehub@bu.edu or 617-358-6535.